Assessment Process

Friday evening a thunderstorm blew through Benson, dumping a significant amount of rain accompanied by high winds. One resident of Benson reported receiving over 3” of rain from the storm, noting significant wind damage to wheel mounted agriculture irrigation pipes as well as erosion damage to a road on the bank of the Bear River.

Just like our annual earthquake drills provide opportunities to test our emergency communications plans, these incidents can be opportunities to test our emergency response capabilities - specifically the assessment phase - where we check on our neighbors and report any needs to the Bishop through the organization of the ward.

I would encourage all Preparedness and Communications Specialists to work with the Bishop and Ward Council to determine if this assessment process is best handled with existing ministering assignments, or by other means.

If I can be of assistance, please let me know.

Follow this link to review the Stake and Ward Preparedness section of the Church website.

Go Kit

Being prepared for an emergency communication assignment involves a wide range of considerations: radio equipment, tools, power sources, along with clothing, personal gear, food and water. 

Having a communication go-kit planned and assembled ahead of time raises your level of preparedness, allowing for a quicker response when that call-out happens.

In addition to items usually on your person at all times, such as photo ID, cash and coins, cell phone and watch, a very basic go-kit consists of a handheld radio, extra batteries and a portable charging system to keep you on the air for the duration of the event, contained in a convenient to store and carry bag. 

As you may not know what your assignment will be in advance, here are a few additional items to consider as you assemble a go-kit:

• A copy of your current amateur license

• Speaker microphone

• High gain HT antenna

• Antenna adapter - SMA to SO-239, as an example

• Flashlight and spare batteries

• Pen or pencils and paper

• ICS and Radiogram forms

• Multi-Tool or Pocket Knife

• ANSI Type II Reflective Vest

• Water

• Small Bag of Snacks

• First Aid Kit

• Group or organization credentials

For extended events of 24 or more hours, additional clothing and personal care items are suggested.

Ideally, you should divide your Go-Kit into small, easily-transportable modules, based on expected type of assignment, length of assignment, and storage location. An event lasting a few hours will not require a bag of clothing and personal care items, but Go-Kit modules should supplement each other with additional equipment and supplies, to extend your capabilities and endurance.

Disaster Response

Wednesday afternoon's windstorm was another opportunity to practice theneighborhood damage assessment process. 

I was reminded of this when KF7NWA checked in by text to see if we had been affected by the storm. I was in Logan at the time, not aware of conditions in the northern portion of the County. From this conversation I learned that law enforcement was active in the area, and there were utility problems reportedin Trenton and Amalga. 

Since then I’ve heard of barns destroyed, damage to fences as well as the usualtree damage accompanying such windstorms.

The remainder of our discussion will center on the Stake and Ward Emergency Planning Guide, from the section titled Disaster Response:

After an event occurs, establish a procedure for reporting information gathered during a disaster. Reports on members should generally be gathered by ministering brothers and sisters then relayed in the following order:

• The elders quorum and Relief Society leaders

• The bishop

• The stake president

• The Area Seventy

• The Area Presidency, the director for temporal affairs, and the welfare and self-reliance manager

If your emergency plan calls for block captains these individuals will fit in the reporting line of authority at an appropriate level.

Actions to take during the assessment process:

• Determine and report the condition of members and missionaries.

• Help to locate and reunite family members who have become separated.

• Obtain medical care for those who have been injured or who have other health challenges.

• Coordinate response efforts with civil authorities and community relief organizations.

• Assess needs and arrange for the supply of basic provisions and services—such as food, temporary shelter, sanitation, and clothing—for members and others.

• Determine and report the condition of Church buildings and property.

Post-disaster aid:

• Aid members who have suffered damage to homes or belongings, emotional trauma, or loss of livelihood.

• Work with civil authorities and relief organizations to identify and respond to opportunities for the Church to assist with community needs.

While we do not want to operate outside of the direction of the faith based leadership, I hope we recognize opportunities such as this windstorm to be in contact with the ward emergency manager and appropriately respond during such an event.

2026 Shakeout Recap

Announcements:

Upcoming amateur licensing exam session: Saturday, April 25th at 3:00 p.m.

Pre-registration is recommended with this link: RSVP.

Discussion:

The 2026 version of the Great Utah Shakeout was held Thursday, April 16th, with city and faith based radio groups from all across the valley joining in. Newton Town radio operators along with Ward Emergency Communications Specialists in the Benson Stake were invited to participate.

For this exercise we hoped to receive simulated reports of the effects of a 5.7 magnitude earthquake from the faith based organizations within in the Stake boundary. Ward Emergency Communications Specialists were invited to send a Church Disaster Report form by email, reporting simulated damage.

In Newton, we also responded to the Cache County Emergency Manager’s request for a Community Impact Report. Radio operators who were available to help traveled to various locations in the community to provide reports on the status of Newton Reservoir, the bridges surrounding Newton, government buildings, private residences, as well as utilities and communications. Using the NWCV net frequency these reports were radioed to the Newton EOC.

Thanks to all who participated! It was a valuable opportunity for Ward Specialists to become familiar with the Church Disaster Report, for radio operators to learn about the communications tasks happening inside an EOC, and emergency communications experience for the operators reporting from the field.

We will look for additional exercise opportunities later this year, as well as again next year for the 2027 Great Utah Shakeout exercise.

2026 Simulated Emergency Test

April 16, 2026 is the date of the Simulated Emergency Test for Cache County, where many of the communities in the county will test their ability to communicate with the County Emergency Operations Center by transmitting voice and data messages over amateur radio frequencies. It appears the exercise will again simulate an earthquake occurring in Cache County.

In an actual emergency, the information submitted to the County or Stake leaders will come from household assessments, where each household is contacted after the event has occurred to account for persons and assess damage to residences.

Businesses, Government and Church owned occupancies should also be evaluated for damage. Additionally, it is helpful to report the overall effect on the community, such as the status of utilities, communications systems, and roadways.

As with last year's SET, the Newton EOC will be activated to participate with the County EOC. The exercise will begin at 6:00 p.m. on April 16th. I encourage all of our net members to join in - either as a community member or in your role as a Ward Emergency Communications Specialist. I will need at least one operator to join me at the EOC. If you are interested in being on site, please let me know.

Each radio operator participating with the EOC will be asked to create a simulated message that will be received by voice transmission over the NWCV Net frequencies the night of the exercise. I will send some additional information to the net members by email, and follow up individually.

On the night of the exercise, the community impact information gathered from our net members will be compiled into the county's reporting form and will be submitted to the County EOC.

For the Ward Emergency Communications Specialists, to maintain familiarity with the Church Disaster Report, I would like to receive a simulated Disaster Report form from each Ward. The Disaster Report form is available online as a fillable .pdf file via this link, allowing you to complete each applicable section, save the document, then email the completed form. For this exercise you can be as dramatic in your simulation as you would like. 

If you will use regular email to send the message, please send your completed Disaster Report form to my gmail, greg.fabricius@gmail.com the day of the exercise, before 6:00 p.m.

If you are a licensed radio operator with Winlink capability, there is a version of the Church Disaster Report form compatible for use with radio email. If you would like to send your Disaster Report by radio email, please reach out to me and I will send you the installation information.

When the reports are received from each participating ward, the information will be compiled for submission to the Stake Presidency member over emergency preparedness.

Meshtastic Intro

Announcements:

The Digital Communications Conference is coming up in 2 weeks in Sandy, Utah. Two of our net members will be presenting at the conference. To view the details and to register for in person or online content, visit https://utah-dcc.square.site/.

The BARC will hold a one day cram style Technicial level study session next Saturday, February 21st beginning at 8 a.m. at the Cache County Sheriff's office, followed by a test session at approximately 3 p.m. Follow this link for details and to sign up https://barconline.org/licensing/technician/.

Training:

Good evening net control and fellow operators. I am Joe Levi, KF7NWA, with a brief overview of Meshtastic and how it can be used to augment your comms and PACE Plans.

Meshtastic is a low-power, LoRa-based mesh networking communication system which can complement amateur radio and GMRS emergency operations, allowing both skilled and unskilled operators to send and receive short text messages with each other, and to shared “chat groups”, all encrypted and secure.

Because it’s text-based and operates in the unlicensed ISM spectrum (915 MHz, or 33cm in the US), no license is required; and it can be easily used by younger operators with little-to-no previous experience.

Meshtastic radios are often called “nodes” and are available for $30 to $100.

Many of these nodes are used while connected to your phone, tablet, or computer using Bluetooth or Serial over USB. In this configuration, the phone’s screen, keyboard, and position data are sent to and received from the node, which then communicates with other nodes over the mesh. No cellular, WiFi, or internet is required

The world record distance of a successful Meshtastic exchange is 205 miles. Keep in mind, the 33cm band operates line-of-site, so elevation matters.To mitigate this, nodes form an ad-hoc mesh which automatically “hops” messages between devices, extending range by relaying messages across the mesh.

Though infrastructure is not required, properly deployed infrastructure nodes can come in handy to help the mesh cover more area.

We currently have a network of infrastructure nodes which covers the majority of Cache Valley from South of Weston, Idaho into Mantua, and most places in between.

Meshtastic is not a replacement for licensed amateur voice or digital modes, but it offers clear benefits as a practical supplement:

• No license required — Meshtastic operates under Part 15 rules, so family, CERT volunteers, and non-ham operators can participate without exams or call signs.

• Low cost — A fully-functional node is under $100 delivered, runs open-source firmware and apps, and is community-driven.

• Encryption — Meshtastic uses AES-256 encryption on private channels for sensitive traffic, allowing sensitive and Personally Identifiable Information to be sent privately and securely - something we are unable to do over HAM and GMRS.

• Efficiency — Nodes are extremely low power, offering days of battery life; text is far less demanding than voice.

• Resilience — The mesh re-routes around lost nodes; no single-point failure like repeaters.

Integrating Meshtastic with our HAM and GMRS plans is straightforward and valuable:

• Licensed operators maintain primary voice nets on VHF/UHF/HF for coordination and traffic.

• Meshtastic can handle tactical text — status updates, supply requests, silent check-ins — which can free up voice channels.

• Dual setups (VHF handheld + pocket Meshtastic node) add redundancy; and automated, secure position updates.

Meshtastic’s Position auto-reporting shines in search and rescue, reconnaissance, or team tracking: nodes beacon their locations at set intervals, automatically populating a map for net control. This enables silent position monitoring, quick location discovery of overdue personnel, hazard marking, and more — all without voice transmissions.

For GMRS-focused groups, Meshtastic extends simplex range via meshing, remains license-free, and suits family and neighborhood coordination.

Meshtatic Limitations: text-only, low bandwidth, range, and terrain-dependent, and is still maturing. But our ham skills — antenna optimization, solar repeaters, node placement — can maximize Meshtatic’s potential.

For daily or non-emergency operation, Meshtastic can be used:

• To track and communicate with children and other family members without requiring a cellular or other subscriptions, and without requiring a separate license

• For vehicle and asset tracking

• For monitoring remote locations, including basic telemetry such as temperature and humidity

In summary, Meshtastic adds license-free, encrypted, location-aware mesh communication capability to our toolkit, expanding participation and enhancing safety in search-and-rescue, recon, and response.

For more information, check out meshtastic.org.

If you are interested, the NWCV Net has a Meshtastic Channel, and additionally a Signal Channel. You can find out more about both of these channels on our website: https://nwcvnet.blogspot.com/2026/01/messaging-app-qr-codes.html.

For the Northwest Cache Valley Net, I am Joe Levi, KF7NWA.

Net control, back to you.

~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~~

Meshtastic is a world-wide system, but operates on different frequencies, depending on your location. When purchasing hardware, please make sure you get the USA (915Mhz) version.

All versions should be able to interoperate when using the same settings. For the NWCV area, we are currently standardized on Long_Fast (Long Range, Fast), Frequency Slot 20 (which is the default setting for Meshtastic in the USA).

Example Meshtastic Hardware:

Meshtastic.org’s list: https://meshtastic.org/docs/hardware/devices/ 

Muzi Works R1 Neo: https://muzi.works/products/r1-neo-complete-meshtastic-device 

Seeed Studio Tracker: https://muzi.works/products/seeed-t1000e 

Elecrow ThinkNode M1: https://muzi.works/products/elecrow-thinknode-m1 

Heltec MeshPocket: https://muzi.works/products/heltec-meshpocket 

LilyGo T-Deck (aka the “Meshberry”): https://lilygo.cc/products/t-deck-plus-1?variant=51953089118389 

Message Handling

In amateur radio, formal messages (like ARRL radiograms) have strict formats, documented procedures, and specific handling for critical or multi-operator traffic, ensuring accuracy through nets with a Net Control Station (NCS) for reliability, while informal messages are quick, spontaneous, use relaxed language, and bypass formal routing - ideal for immediate, non-critical chats or emergency situations needing speed over documentation. The key difference is structure vs. speed: formal is structured for reliable, long-distance delivery, whereas informal prioritizes getting a simple message across fast. 

Both formal and informal messages have their place in emergency communications. In general, informal messages are best when the content is non-critical and simple, or when they require immediate action, delivered directly from the author to the recipient.

Formal messages are more appropriate when two or more people will handle them before they reach the recipient, or when the contents are critical or contain important details. The ARRL Radiogram is one formal message format you should be familiar with, as well as the ICS General Message Form, ICS 213. For our members who are faith based operators, the Church uses their own forms for disaster reporting and resource requests.

Links to these message formats:

ARRL Radiogram

ICS General Message Church Disaster Report

Here are some guidelines for handling messages:

Do not speculate on anything relating to an emergency! You do not want to be the source of any rumor. If net control requests an estimate, you can provide that information as long as you make it very clear that it is only an estimate. For example, “The estimated number of homes damaged is 12,” would be an acceptable thing to say. 

Pass messages exactly as they have been written or spoken. Even more important than speed is accuracy; your job as a communicator is to deliver each message as accurately as possible. Therefore, you must not change any message as you handle it. If it is longer than you would like, you must send it anyway. Seemingly misspelled words or confusing text must be sent exactly as received. Only the original author may make changes. 

Additionally, it is important to keep a log of messages during an emergency. The ICS 214 form is a common form for logging. Record the name of the sender, addressee, the station that passed the message to you, the station to whom the message was sent, the message number, and the times in and out. Keep the written copy of each message in numerical order for future reference.

Also, log which operators are on duty for any given period and record any significant events at your station. These might include changes in conditions, power failures, meals, new arrivals and departures, equipment failures, and so on. The Newton EOC for example has an EOC activation log on the desk for this purpose.

In addition to the log, keep copies of all formal messages that passed through or were originated at your station. These should be kept and catalogued for easy retrieval if needed later for clarification or message tracking. Many operators make notes about when the message was received and sent, as well as to whom and from whom, directly on the message form itself. This helps speed up tracking later on. Never rely on your memory.

QR Code for the Signal messaging app:

QR Code for the Meshtastic NWCV Net group: