ARES/RACES Training

The regular ARES/RACES training to be held on August 1st at Texas Surplus & Survival.

David Andrews, WB5VIH presented the plans for a simulated disaster exercise at 17:00 on August 1st. The scenario is a two-mile-wide EF5 tornado touching down just north and east of Dyess AFB near Highway 80, moving east through the middle of town, spanning from North 14th to South 10th, mostly centered on the railroad tracks, and dissipating near the fairgrounds, leaving a swath of destruction and disabling essentially all communications infrastructure. The goal of the exercise is to determine if the local amateur radio community can effectively communicate under these conditions.

David Andrews, WB5VIHexplained that the exercise will have two net control stations. While 146.520, as the national calling frequency, will be monitored, it is a calling frequency and is not to be used for net traffic. Mike Roche, KF5ZQB will be at Hendrick’s North as net control for the north side of town on 146.535. Edwin Bumpass, WS5EAB will be at the Triad Building as net control for the south side of town on 146.550. These frequencies are used in the current general plan for any such disaster.

David Andrews, WB5VIH mentioned that simplex communications across the city are expected to be difficult, and HTs are unlikely to be useful, with mobile radios needed. In response to a question, he added that base stations are also welcome, but the scenario assumes that electricity is out across the city, and participating base stations should have backup power.

David Andrews, WB5VIH announced that his role in the exercise will be to sit at home (outside of the city) and pass exercise traffic to TDEM at the state operations center. Other relays across the state will also be participating in a wider-scoped exercise coordinated with TDEM.

David Andrews, WB5VIH also mentioned the importance of including “EXERCISE, EXERCISE, EXERCISE” in exercise traffic, lest an exercise be mistaken for an actual situation by an unsuspecting observer.

David Andrews, WB5VIH explained in response to a question that the ARES/RACES session on the morning of the exercise at 9:00 will be a final review of the exercise scenario before the exercise.