A method of forming an ad hoc hierarchical communication network among a plurality of wireless transceiver includes assigning to each of the transceivers one or more common designations. A network organization routine of the transceivers operates to establish hierarchical networks based on the transceivers' common designations, resulting in a logical network organization that provides efficiencies for acquiring information from particular transceivers that share a common designation. Each transceiver's common designation is used by a digital processor of the transceiver to selectively receive data packets that are intended for receipt by transceivers sharing the particular common designation. Such a "common designation" network reduces power consumption and signal interference, which increases battery life in the transceivers. The transceivers may include a query handling routine in communication with a memory of the transceiver for serving as a dynamic distributed hierarchical database system of information such as, for example, sensor-derived information and time-sensitive information.