October Emergency Communications

The month of October has several emergency communications exercises going on. If you are interested in more information, please check out the links and information below.

Nietzsche’s words, “He who has a why to live for can bear with almost any how,”
Remember WHY we train, practice, drill, and work together. This team is more than the sum of its parts. Help each other, meet with each other, and call each other. Ask questions and teach others as you learn. Do not wait for someone to tell you what to do. Look for ways to help the team. Be the source of strength for others to lean on. The day could be tomorrow that we find out just how much our capabilities are needed.

All participation is encouraged, no matter what class license you have, there will be a way for you to participate in the training. UHF, VHF, HF, digital modes, voice, CW, and others. FRS, GMRS, ARS, MARS, SHARES, ARES, RACES, CERT, SKYWARN, SATERN, AMSAT, and all other formas of radio communication. All will have a part to join in and help out.

OCTOBER 2023:

1. Emergency Alert System Testing
2. ARRL S.E.T – ARES
3. MARS – COMEX 23-4
4. RACES – Great Shake Out
5. WEST TEXAS ARES – SET
6. Nationwide – SET Exercises
7. Airforce MARS 75th Anniversary -OTA

1. Alert System Test Today OCT 4th https://www.fema.gov/press-release/20231003/fema-and-fcc-plan-nationwide-emergency-alert-test-oct-4-test-messages-will
FEMA and FCC Plan Nationwide Emergency Alert Test for Oct. 4; Test Messages Will be Sent to All TVs, Radios and Cell Phones.
You may be asked if you got this test and how you heard it. (By phone, radio, TV, etc)

2. ARRL S.E.T – ARES
The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is scheduled for October 7 – 8, 2023.
The SET is ARRL’s annual national emergency exercise designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers, as well as those affiliated with other organizations involved in emergency and disaster responses.Sep 15, 2023



https://www.arrl.org › news › 2023-…

2023 SET Exercise to Test Skills and Emergency Preparedness – ARRL

3. DOD – COMEX 23-4
In addition to the ARRL SET exercise, as part of their communications interoperability outreach to the amateur radio community, the US Department of Defense (DOD) will be conducting a DOD COMEX 23-4 exercise. During the week of October 16, they’ll conduct a series of high-power HF information transmissions on 60 meters and channel 1 (5330.5 kHz). This event will coincide with the ARRL SET.
You may receive a message from the NTS nets, or winlink, or any number of other radio avenues asking you for information. The request for information will give you instructions on how/when/where you can send a reply. This could come at anytime. There might be more than one. This drill is to see how real world events could play out for interoperability between amateur radio and MARS.

4. RACES – Great Shake Out The Central U.S. ShakeOut Drill is scheduled for 10:19 a.m. on October 19, 2023.
https://www.shakeout.org/centralus/faq/
Will you be utilizing ham radio? At what frequency will you be broadcasting?

If you are in the ham radio community, the real question is, what will YOU be doing? What can you organize for your community? We ask that everyone interested in participating in the ShakeOut use every tool available to them to get the word out about earthquake safety and to take the steps they would take during an earthquake as a part of the drill.

5. WTX ARES – SET Oct 14th – David Overton is the WTS Section Emergency Coordinator. He has put together an exercise for the West Texas Section which will involved everyone. For more information contact David Overton w5jdo@att.net

6. Nationwide – SET Exercises
ARES groups all over the country will be holding their own drills for the SET. You can find them posted online and in social media forums. Search Google, YouTube and ask a friend on the air.

7. AFMARS 75th Anniversary Special Event
November 5 through November 11, 2023.

http://ota.yhn.mybluehost.me/afmars-75th-anniversary-special-event/

In recognition of the 75th anniversary of Air Force MARS, a special
event will be held the first full week of November. This event will take
place on all HF bands using common modes, including SSB, CW, and
digital.

Representative stations located in each of the ten geographical AFMARS
Communications Wings will be on-the-air calling CQ and identifying
themselves as special event stations with the following 1×1 callsigns:
(Cont’d on the website)

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Other Information:

Texas RACES is inviting you to a weekly scheduled Zoom meeting. 1PM This Wednesday – Save This Invite – It is the same each week!
Time: This is a recurring meeting. Meet anytime, but for sure, each Wednesday at 1PM Texas Time.
Join Zoom Meeting
https://tdem-texas-gov.zoom.us/j/83583011270?pwd=ZHF1R3llTXFpWldxSE1DQ0dHRU9ndz09