The 2018 Simulated Emergency Test 4 October 2008 The 2018 Simulated Emergency Test October 6, 2018 9am to 12n ! A nationwide exercise in emergency communications administered by ARRL Field Organization Leadership. Involves ARES, National Traffic System, RACES & other public service oriented groups. Geomagnetic Storm! Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 September is “Readiness Month” (see http://www.ready.gov/) The SET demonstrates Amateur Radio’s Readiness “Readiness Month” raises awareness of citizen preparedness Are YOU Ready ? In September, ARRL will take part in National Preparedness Month. Visit www.ready.gov for valuable information and checklists you can use to be better prepared. Aimed at making citizen preparedness a priority for every city, neighborhood and home. The SET, and preparing for it, is a demonstration of Amateur Radio’s readiness. Are YOU ready ? Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Don’t Wait Communicate video plays. Slide changes automatically. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 And now: A short message about family readiness ... Get a kit. https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit Water & Food First Aid Kit Radio & Flashlight Simple tools Make a plan. https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan Family rally point Local & out of town contacts Discuss the plan with everyone in the family (Briefly review items on slide. Allow time for participants to note the URLs) Get a Kit: go to https://www.ready.gov/build-a-kit Make a Plan: go to https://www.ready.gov/make-a-plan Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

( Ok … back to the SET ) Simulated Emergency Test 2018 … 4 October 2008 ( Ok … back to the SET ) Simulated Emergency Test 2018 … Provides an opportunity to participate in a statewide communications exercise. Provides a demonstration of the value of Amateur Radio to served agencies and the public. Identifies strengths and weaknesses of ARES/ RACES, and the NTS. Helps communicators gain experience in standard net procedures using a variety of modes. What does the SET do for us amateur radio operators? Helps Radio Amateurs gain experience in communications using standard procedures and a variety of modes under simulated emergency conditions. Provides a public demonstration to served agencies and emergency managers and through the news media of the value to the public provided by Amateur Radio in times of need. Helps find the strengths and weaknesses of ARES/RACES, the NTS, and other AUXCOMM groups in providing emergency communications. Helps communicators gain experience using not procedures and protocols such as control of net traffic, using break tags and prowords. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Communications Technique Follow FCC Rules: Identify at the end of each communication and once each 10 minutes during a communication. Exercise good net discipline All communications go through Net Control Pace your words and speak clearly. Formulate informal messages in your head or on paper before transmitting them. Transmit formal messages exactly. Airtime is valuable. Keep transmissions brief. Use plain text. Plain text means words and phrases understood across all responders and disciplines. Do not use codes or jargon. Appropriate and understandable pro-words and phonetics are acceptable. For review, here are some points on operating in a net environment: Follow all FCC rules. Exercise good net discipline. Think before speaking. Send formal messages exactly word for word. Keep transmissions short. Use plain text. No jargon or codes Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Communications Technique – Break Tags ‘Break Tags’ are a way to interrupt an ongoing communication. When able, transmit a break tag and your call sign. “Answer”: To be used when you have the definitive answer to a question. “Question”: To be used when the answer to a question can’t wait. “Priority”: Used to report an important but non-life threatening situation. “Medical”: Used to report a medical incident. “Emergency”: Only used to report an ongoing life or property threatening situation. “Traffic”: Used to let NCS know you have formal traffic for the net. Here are some common break tags. Break tags let the NCS know you have something for the net. (Leave slide up for about 30 seconds so participants can read it. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Communications Technique - Prowords “OVER” means the sending station expects a reply. “OUT” means that this is the last transmission of an exchange. No reply is necessary. Note: Use either ‘Over’ or ‘Out’. Do NOT use both together! “WAIT” means it is necessary to pause during an exchange of transmissions. “ROGER” that the receiving station understands the information transmitted. “WILCO” is used in response to a request or tasking and means that the tasking is understood and will be accomplished. Here are some common prowords. Radio operators use prowords to take the place of long sentences. (Leave the slide up for about 30 seconds to allow participants to read it) Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm A solar event that disrupts Earth’s magnetic field. A G5 Class storm: Occurs approximately 4 times in a solar cycle. May cause power grid voltage fluctuations or even collapse. Causes hundreds of amps of electrical currents in underground pipelines. Can degrade or destroy radio communications circuits and equipment and satellite navigation. A geomagnetic storm is a major disturbance of Earth's magnetosphere occurring from solar wind into magnetic field surrounding Earth. These storms result from variations in the solar wind producing major changes in the currents, plasmas, and fields in Earth’s magnetosphere. The largest storms, solar coronal mass ejections (CMEs) with billions of tons of plasma from the sun, with its embedded magnetic field, arrives at Earth. CMEs take from as much as several days to as little as 18 hours to arrive at Earth. The changes in the magnetosphere caused by a CME or a solar wind cause disruptions on Earth ranging from wide voltage fluctuations in the power grid which can lead to damage to transformers and other parts of the power system and even blackouts and collapse of portions of the grid. Extreme geomagnetic storms can knock out sensitive electronic equipment. Think cell towers, repeaters, radios at your station. Changes in the ionosphere can cause shortwave and low frequency radio outages by causing radio wave, that would otherwise bounce back to receiving stations to pass through the ionosphere and out into space. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Solar Storms are classed from G1 to G5 Class G1: Minor Class G2: Moderate Class G3: Strong Class G4: Severe Class G5: Extreme Geomagnetic storms come in 5 flavors: G1 Class storms occur fairly frequently, up to 1700 times in an 11 year solar cycle. They can cause vibrant aurora displays in northern Canada. They may also cause weak disruptions in the power grid, minor impact on satellite operations, and migratory effects on animals in northern regions. G2 Class storms can cause voltage alarms and fluctuations and even transformer damage in northern power systems. They may also cause vibrant aurora displays as far south as the northern tier states in the US. G3 Class storms may occur up to 600 times in an 11 year solar cycle. They can cause large voltage fluctuations in power systems requiring correction, and disruption to HF radio and low frequency navigation systems. G4 Class storms can create widespread voltage fluctuations in power systems causing some systems to trip creating blackouts. Satellite navigation may be disrupted and HF and other long range communications systems may be unusable for hours. G5 Class storms are the most severe and damaging of all inducing Aurora displays that may be visible from as far south as Texas and Florida. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Geomagnetic Storm video plays. Slide changes automatically Source: Business Insider Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 The Scenario: A G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm A Coronal Mass Ejection (CME) raced out from the sun and impacted Earth’s magnetic field. The ensuing geomagnetic storm is at least as strong as the Carrington Event of 1859. Effects of the storm include: Severe disruptions and outages to the global positioning system. Severe degradation to HF and LF communications Damage to sensitive electronic equipment. So, the scenario is for a G5 Class Geomagnetic Storm to occur. Consequences include: 1. GPS, military, weather, and other satellites are out of contact with Earth. 2. All radio frequencies below 50MHz are useless for over the horizon comms. 3. Terrestrial damage to transformers and other power utility equipment, underground pipeline equipment due to huge currents in the pipes, damage to computer centers not hardened to EMP, damage to sensitive radio equipment and relay stations. As an aside, how would you protect your radio equipment from EMP, if you had prewarning? Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 What We Hope To Accomplish Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 What We Hope To Accomplish Maximize Participation By All Amateurs Activate as many stations as possible Operate on emergency power if it’s available Exercise county and district activation plans. Do they work as designed? Test The Statewide Communications Infrastructure Activate County & District Nets Activate State ARES/RACES HF Net (3967Khz LSB) and Badger Emergency Net (3985Khz LSB) Maximize the number of hams participating in the SET Test county and district activation plans. Do they work as designed and intended? If available, use emergency power. However encourage all amateur radio operators to participate even if they don’t have emergency power. Activate as many county nets as possible. If no county net available, check into adjacent county’s net. Activate as many district nets as possible. If no district net in your district, there’s still time to create one. HF nets will operate plus or minus their published frequencies for QRM and QRN. Don’t be afraid to generate formal (ARRL Radiogram and ICS-213) exercise messages. Begin each one with “Simulated Emergency Test”. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 What We Hope To Accomplish Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 What We Hope To Accomplish Generate Messages: Practice sending formal messages using the ICS-213 General Message Form and the ARRL Radiogram. Practice sending tactical messages Include “Test” or “Exercise” before the precedence in formal messages and include the word “Test” in tactical messages. Use As Many Modes As Possible: Digital: WinLink Send NTS bound WinLink messages to N9VC@winlink.org or K9LGU@winlink.org The SEOC Winlink address is WC9AAG@winlink.org The ICS213 is the generally accepted format for sending traffic on emergency nets. The ARRL Radiogram has been the accepted method of sending traffic over the National Traffic System (NTS). Consider WinLink for sending SET message traffic. If yon don’t have a winlink station you can: Download Winlink Express and use the Telnet option to send your messages. Send via email. Enter a winlink.org email address. Start the subject line with “//WL2K. The WEM RACES Radio Room winlink address is WC9AAG@winlink.org. Send messages to be forwarded by the National Traffic System to N9VC@winlink.org or K9LGU@winlink.org. Put “//WL2K” at the start of the subject line. Always identify every SET message as a TEST or EXERCISE. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Preparation is Important! Steps for Individual Hams Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Preparation is Important! Steps for Individual Hams Have Some Fun! Try new modes. Check in on nets. What is the frequency of your county net? Deploy to an EOC or served agency if you’re asked. Send and receive SET messages. Formal messages: Begin each message with “Test” before the message precedence. Tactical messages: Use “Test” or “Test Message” in the message text. Send a SET Form A to your EC. The SET is a non-graded, learning oriented exercise. Don’t be afraid to try some new mode or practice. Explain local ARES/RACES net frequencies. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 This is a SET Form A Captures information on participation Allows for apples-to-apples comparison Enter data in this column Calculate ‘points’ in this column Here’s a Form A. It captures several key metrics for the SET exercise. While the Form A assesses points, the SET isn’t about points. It’s about gaining experience, practice, and confidence. Have some fun as you participate. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Preparation is Important! Steps for DECs and ECs Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Preparation is Important! Steps for DECs and ECs Before the SET: Encourage all hams to participate. Review/update activation plans. Publicize! Send a press release to newspapers, radio & TV stations in your area. Activate at least one EOC or served agency facility. Encourage served agencies to pass message traffic. Steps for the DEC and the EC: Contact all clubs and hams & encourage them to take part in the SET. Train members in NTS message formatting and handling procedures. Train members to check into local nets. Local nets appoint liaison to district net. District nets appoint liaison to state ARES/RACES HF net and Badger Emergency Net. Dust off the county emergency operations plan. Be sure it’s up to date. Arrange with at least one hospital to exercise their amateur radio activation plan. Arrange with emergency management to operate from an EOC. Contact served agencies (Red Cross, hospitals, emergency managers). Explain purpose of SET. Offer to send test messages to other branches of their agencies. Invite officials to witness SET in progress. Consider involving local served agencies by creating local exercises that expand on the SET scenario to make the exercise more useful to local members. Send a press release to the local print and broadcast media. Encourage them to visit a station and watch the activity. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Preparation is Important! Steps for DECs and ECs Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 Preparation is Important! Steps for DECs and ECs During the SET: Have stations send messages on behalf of served agencies. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test Traffic Flow 4 October 2008 Simulated Emergency Test Traffic Flow ARES/RACES HF Net District Net Liaison Station Local Badger Emergency NTS Local nets appoint a liaison station to the district net. The District net appoints liaison stations to the ARES/RACES HF net and the WECOMM network. District nets keep the state nets from being overwhelmed by large number of local nets trying to check in all at once. Establishing a district net, and a liaison station to the state nets relieves congestion at the state level. Think of this from an Incident Command System point of view. Under ICS, each command level should have a maximum of 5 to 7 subordinates. This is ‘Span of Control’. Traffic Should Flow Through District Nets Unless There Is No District Net. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

Simulated Emergency Test Role of the National Traffic System 4 October 2008 Simulated Emergency Test Role of the National Traffic System The NTS ties section nets together by systematically relaying message traffic between sections or regions. NTS interfaces with section & local nets through liaison stations. Normal NTS routing procedures should be followed. There are exceptions to this rule, such as bypassing some net levels to move emergency traffic as quickly and efficiently as possible. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 Post Exercise Activities Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 Post Exercise Activities After the SET: ECs and DECs should conduct a hotwash review with participants. All reviews should emphasize the positive. Address negatives generally as areas for improvement Individual Stations: Send your EC needed information from logs and notes. Remember the old saying, “If it isn’t written down, it didn’t happen”! Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 Post Exercise Activities Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 Post Exercise Activities ECs and DECs: report SET results to ARRL HQ. ARRL SET report packets are available from the SEC or on the internet at: http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/forms/ Send report to: sewald@arrl.org or by mail to the address on the form. Send a copy of your report to: Skip Sharpe, ASEC Training. Email: W9REL@ARRL.net. If you can’t email your report to the ARRL, send by US Mail to the address at the bottom of the form. Send a copy of your report to Skip Sharpe, ASEC Training, so we can compare results with previous years.. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Check in on your local ARES net. If your local network isn’t activated, follow your local emergency communications plan. Check in on a nearby local net, if necessary. Keep logs of contacts and messages sent and received. Keep notes of good points and items that need improvement. Use portable, mobile, or on emergency power (if possible). Ask: What does your local emergency communications plan call for if the local net isn’t activated? Logging is important to facilitate activity reporting to the SM, SEC, and ARRL. ARRL SET reporting packets are available from the SEC. Keep notes of things that went well and things that didn’t go as well. Share your thoughts at the hotwash. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Utilize and experiment with different communications modes. Originate and copy formal messages. Include “Test Message” at the beginning of your messages Learn something new. Practice something you already know. Build your confidence to operate in a net environment. Remember, maximum participation is a key objective. Use commercial power if necessary for you to participate. Use phone, CW, Packet, APRS, PacTOR, PSK 31, and other modes if you can. Originate SET related traffic. Include “Simulated Emergency Test” in each message. Send formal messages. Use proper message formatting. Use the ‘ARES & NTS’ PowerPoint and ‘RadioGram How To’ document for message training. Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training

SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Simulated Emergency Test 2008 4 October 2008 SET 2018 Your Role: What Should You Do? Have Some Fun! Have fun, but with a sense of urgency. Operate as though this was an actual emergency! Contact some new stations. Try out some new skills. Any ? Questions Thanks for Coming Drive Carefully On The Way Home !! Skip Sharpe, W9REL, Asst. SEC Training