Mississippi Simulated Emergency Test (SET) 2024
OPERATIONS ORDER:
On Saturday, August 10th, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, the MS Section of ARES will conduct a statewide exercise titled "Wildfire Heatwave SET."
Simulated Disruptions: During the exercise, participants will simulate response to:
Multiple wildfires across the state, exacerbated by severe drought and prolonged heatwave conditions, Limited public safety and service communications infrastructure in affected areas, significant potential for damage to private and public property, endangering firefighting personnel.
Roles of Amateur Radio Operators: Both ARES members and non-member operators will provide simulated emergency communications support to public safety agencies, state, and local governments from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM on Saturday, August 10th, 2024.
Purpose of the Exercise: The primary goal of the SET is to assess the effectiveness of Amateur Radio emergency preparedness and to showcase its capabilities to our served agencies and the public.
Actions During the Event:
ARES team members will operate from various locations including home stations, mobile units, and portable setups. Deployment to Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and other agency locations will occur during the exercise. Communication will utilize HF, VHF, UHF, analog voice, SSB, and digital voice and data modes. County Emergency Coordinators will oversee operations within their respective counties and coordinate ARES teams and other amateur radio operators in their regions. ARES teams will facilitate emergency and welfare communications among local responders, public safety entities, and public service organizations.
Mission: The Mississippi Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) aims to coordinate amateur radio operators in supporting communications during emergencies, serving federal, state, county, local governments, and nonprofit disaster relief organizations.
Execution: Each Emergency Coordinator will strategically position amateur radio operators to enhance communication with state and county EOCs, public safety, and public service organizations, facilitating the transmission of simulated emergency and welfare traffic via voice and digital modes.
Exercise Scenario and Script: This year's exercise scenario involves multiple clusters of wildfires across Mississippi, particularly impacting areas with limited communication infrastructure.
Event Details: Due to an unprecedented 100-year drought and severe heatwave, Mississippi is grappling with numerous forest fires, particularly affecting the Pine Belt, Delta, and central regions. With minimal federal firefighting support, local fire departments (both professional and volunteer) are crucial. Communications infrastructure is sparse, complicating firefighting efforts and public notifications.
Communication Strategy: Initial notifications will include telephone trees, SMS texts, GroupMe, and other social and digital platforms. As the exercise progresses, Ham Radio RF networks (digital and voice) will become the primary reliable communication channels.
Exercise Coordination: The SEC will tactically manage the event, disseminating specific impact reports via local and regional radio links. Stations receiving these reports will relay them via MSN/MSPN and digital HF/VHF networks for statewide distribution.
Script and Guidelines: The exercise script, detailing scenarios and response guidelines, will be revealed incrementally throughout the 12-hour exercise on August 10th, 2024. Participants will be required to submit online reports of their communications activities post-event.
Goals by 8:00 PM, August 10th, 2024:
Our aim is to simulate emergency communications across as many counties in Mississippi as feasible. Additionally, we aspire to collaborate with neighboring states' ARES organizations, facilitating the exchange of simulated traffic.
Command and Procedures: Throughout the event, the MS Section ARES SEC will assume command.
Signal Instructions and Compliance: Operators must prioritize safety and respect towards others and fellow operators throughout the SET. All FCC regulations pertaining to the passing of simulated and test radio traffic apply. Each transmission must begin with a clear statement indicating that it is a drill, not a real emergency, and it is only a test. Similarly, all transmissions must conclude with this disclaimer.
Example: "AA1NA from KC5IMN, this is a test, not a real emergency, this is a drill. Hinds County EMA reports the need to route water and food to stranded travelers on Interstate 20. Request immediate assistance from county and state road crews. This is a drill, this is not real, this is a test."
The use of tactical callsigns is encouraged if every station identifies fully every 10 minutes.
Event Command and Control: The Section Emergency Coordinator, Robert Hayes KC5IMN, shall initiate and terminate the event with a voice call over 3862 KHz to the on-duty net control operator. That net control operator will be responsible for the outflow of event information to all the DEC’s, EC’s, Served Agencies and their EOC’s.
Real Emergencies: If a real emergency occurs during the SET, KC5IMN, AA1NA, or W5XX (Malcolm Keown, Section Manager for Mississippi) can terminate the SET and allow ARES members to respond to their local served agencies.
KEY LEADER CONTACT INFORMATION:
Malcolm Keown W5XX Mississippi Section Manager
Email
Robert Hayes KC5IMN Mississippi Section ARES SEC
Email
For questions about this operations order, contact the undersigned:
Robert Hayes
SEC MS Section ARES