The goal of the scenario is to play as if normal modes of communication are not available, requiring us to use amateur radio frequencies for voice and data communications, as much as possible. Here is the timeline of the exercise, with comments about how we could play:
17:30 hrs: Cache County EOC has been activated. EOC Staff have been sent notifications to deploy to their positions at the EOC. Cache County Sheriff’s Ecomm operators have activated the emergency tones on the BARC Repeater System and will be taking check in's from Emergency Communications Centers on Command 2 (146.720 - the VHF side of the Mount Logan Repeater) for those willing and able for deployment.
Around 5:30 p.m., radio operators in Newton will receive a notification that the Newton Emergency Operations Center will be activated. If you receive a notification and are able to join us at the EOC, please bring a short-term go kit - a radio and something to write with, as a minimum.
As operators arrive, we will activate the EOC and open a radio net on our NWCV net split channel, the same configuration used for our monthly training net. If you are from outside Newton, or a Newton operator who cannot join us at the EOC, if you are able to join us on the radio net please check in at this time.
After we have completed the initial check in of operators not responding to the EOC, and listed the operators who did respond, we will ask all stations to monitor the net frequency and we will come back periodically to ask for situation reports and resource requests.
If you are playing as a Ward Communication Specialist, skip down to the section detailing how to respond in that capacity.
Individual operators not joining us a the Newton EOC:
If you are in this category and have checked in to the voice net, please continue to monitor the net frequency and we will ask you to report your personal status for a variety categories, found on the Community Disaster Impact / Situation Report. If you have access to Winlink, you are welcome to complete the form and send it as an attachment to the address NEWTONUTECC@winlink.org. If you do not have digital capability, we will call for your voice responses over the net frequency when we resume voice communications.
Operators playing as Newton EOC staff:
After checking in to the initial net, EOC to EOC communications will switch to 147.520 simplex, or digital messages sent by Winlink. As we will also run the local net, the voice radio will continue to monitor the NWCV Net split channel as well as this EOC to EOC frequency.
The operators from Newton who have joined us at the EOC will work to prepare a response to the requests the county will send our way:
The county will request a Community Disaster Impact / Situation Report from our EOC. With this form we will submit a simulated message answering the categories on the form. This form will be completed and saved as a .pdf form which we will send by Winlink.
We will also receive a request from the county to provide a simulated status report for Newton Reservoir. For this request we will likely respond with the ICS 213 General Message Form, found in Winlink.
While these aspects are covered by the Community Disaster Impact report, it is possible that we will receive follow up requests to identify the need of volunteers in our community, as well as the ability to provide volunteers to other communities, and the need for shelters of persons who were displaced by the earthquake. We will respond to these with the ICS 213 General Message Form.
After we respond to the injects requested from the county, if we choose to do so we can send resource requests to the County, or if the need would be better served by communicating with a faith based organization, we can send the message that direction.
Voice and digital messages will continue to pass back and forth between organizations until approximately 19:30 hrs, at which time a brief after action review of the exercise will occur with an expected close of the exercise at 20:00 hrs.
Ward Communication Specialists:
Please prepare a simulated neighborhood assessment following the Church’s three “M’s” reporting procedure for emergencies: namely “members, missionaries, and meetinghouses”. Whether you will use Winlink, or report the information by voice over the net frequency during the exercise, please use this Disaster Report Form as a guide for the report.
If you will be sending your report by Winlink, use the address of BENSONSTKUT@winlink.org. If you will not be using Winlink you can read the information over the air during when requested by net control. If you will not be available to report the information over the air, please send the form by regular email to that same email address in advance of the exercise.
Once your simulated assessment has been submitted, if you desire you can send a resource request to the same Winlink address for the Stake, or read the request over the air when net control calls for resource requests. If you use Winlink, the ICS 213 General Message Form can be used to type out your request.
A request from your ward could include a request for volunteers to help remove debris from damaged structures, or a request for a plumber to help repair damage from an unsecured water heater in a residence, as a couple of examples. Or a notice could be sent to the stake indicating you have "X" number of volunteers who are available to help if a need exists in another ward.
Please contact me if you have questions about the exericse, messages, or how you can join in by email to greg.fabricius@gmail.com.