We should all be thankful for the ham radio operators who volunteer their time, energy, and equipment, to prepare for what we hope never happens. On Saturday, October 25, several members and friends of the EAWA participated the Maine Simulated Emergency Test (SET) Exercise. The VHF/UHF/HF component of the exercise tested the coordinated abilities of the local members of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), and EmComm groups. They were challenged to communicate with other operators and agencies within their own counties, across counties, and across the state, just as they would if they had been called on to do so during a hazardous event.
Andrew Sankey W1AXS, the Hancock County EMA Director was Net Control for the Hancock County Net, coordinating information with other county EMA Agencies. Phil N1EP, the ARRL State Section Manager, served as Net Control for 4 nets, one held each hour during the exercise. Several EAWA members and friends checked into the statewide HF nets. Along with Andrew and Phil, EAWA members Barbara KC1SSY, the Hancock County Emergency Coordinator (EC), Jeff KA1DBE, and Matt W1MRH, participated in key roles during the event.
Although SETs are open to all licensed hams for participation, those with key positions have likely joined an organization designed to train and coordinate participation in exercises and real-time disasters. One such group is the ARRL’s ARES group. Members are licensed operators who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment with their local ARES leadership.
Another group often called upon in emergencies and preparedness training is referred to as RACES (pronounced ray-seas), created by the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA). This group consists of licensed radio operators who have been trained and certified by a civil defense agency. You can learn more about RACES at usraces.org.
The SET exercise on Saturday also included a second component which tested the ability of members of the Shared Resources Group (SHARES) and local ham radio operators to communicate and pass along messages with very specific information. This arm of the SET exercise involved using WinLink to receive and respond to messages. Information flowed through a SHARES bulletin board service (BBS) via HF to amateur radio operators who responded by sending specific information back up the chain. More specifically, the goals of this test were to evaluate this method of obtaining specific information quickly from a large group of people, the ability to tabulate those responses into a spreadsheet, and then to pass that information to appropriate agencies.
Through the SHARES program, amateur radio operators voluntarily work with national security and emergency preparedness (NS/EP) personnel to transmit critical messages when landlines and cellphones are not working.
The purpose of any simulated exercise is to learn what processes worked well and which need exploration and improvement. Whether we participated or not, and whether we are licensed amateur radio operators or not — all of us benefit from our neighbors working through these exercises in preparation for any emergency. If you are interested in becoming active in local emergency communication efforts or want more information about the SET exercise, please contact Barbara KC1SSY through QRZ or the Contact Us page on this website.
Written by Barbara KC1SSY and Marion W1GRL
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