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Each year, amateur radio operators in Hawaii participate in the annual Simulated Emergency Test or SET. The national organization ARRL sponsors it for the first Saturday in October. The exercise in 2013 will be conducted on Saturday, October 5, 2013 9:00 am - 12 noon HST. The scenario for 2013 is a tsunami exercise, simulating the arrival of destructive tsunami. In the meantime, this is net information from the 2012 SET exercise.

These are the arrangements underway within the amateur radio community in preparation for participating in the exercise. If you know of any, please contact Ron Hashiro, AH6RH

Enjoy, and feel free to drop me an e-mail if you have any questions.


Saturday, October 5, 2013 Net Timeline

October 7, 2012

The timeline for the net on Saturday, October 5, 2013 from 9:00 am to 12 noon is:

  • 9:00 am, start of net. Announce net preamble, read SET Bulletin Alpha, take check-ins, start message handling. When checking in, please give (a) your location, (b) whether you are able to operate with emergency power, (c) served agencies that you are in contact with during the SET net and (d) whether you're newly licensed since 2008. The information is summarized and reported to ARRL at the conclusion of the exercise. See ARRL Field Service Form A for more details.
  • After net check-ins, read SET Bulletin Bravo.
  • 9:30 am, arrival of the simulated first tsunami at Kauai. Read SET Bulletin Charlie. Receive initial inundation and damage reports via tactical messaging.
  • 9:40 am, arrival of the simulated first tsunami at Oahu. Read SET Bulletin Delta. Receive initial inundation and damage reports via tactical messaging.
  • 9:50 am, arrival of the simulated first tsunami at Maui County Islands. Read SET Bulletin Echo. Receive initial inundation and damage reports via tactical messaging.
  • 10:00 am, arrival of the simulated first tsunami at Big Island. Read SET Bulletin Foxtrot. Receive initial inundation and damage reports via tactical messaging.
  • 10:10 am, Read SET Bulletin Golf. Receive damage reports and requests for assistance via ICS-213 messaging.
  • 10:30 am, arrival of the simulated second tsunami, all islands. Read SET Bulletin Hotel. Receive initial inundation and damage reports and requests for assistance via tactical messaging and ICS-213.
  • 10:50 am, simulated all clear on land. Read SET Bulletin India. Receive damage reports and requests for assistance via tactical and ICS-213 messaging.
  • 11:45 am, prepare to close the net and pass reports. Report (a) the number of formal 3rd party written traffic messages originated or delivered during the SET on behalf of served agencies, (b) the number of minutes spent conducting TACTICAL communications on behalf of served agencies.
  • 12 noon, close net

With the passing of the simulated tsunami waves, amateurs pass tactical messages reporting inundation and material damage reports. Tactical messaging gives the maximum amount of inundation reports in the shortest amount of time. BE SURE to BEGIN AND END each tactical message with "THIS IS AN EXERCISE MESSAGE".

Then after that, practice exchanging ICS-213 messages filing formal damage reports and requests for assistance. With two waves, that would provide two hours of generated traffic. BE SURE to BEGIN AND END each ICS-213 message with "THIS IS AN EXERCISE MESSAGE".

A MS Word version of the net preamble and bulletins is available.

A PDF version of the net preamble and bulletins is available.

SET 2013 Nets in Hawaii
Agency
HF
VHF
UHF
Hawaii SCD 3993.5, 5330.5, 7088 147.02+ pl 103.5, 147.04+, 147.06+ pl 103.5 444.35+ pl 103.5
Healthcomm 3900,5371.5,7080 147.280+ 443.775+ pl 123.0, 444.775+ pl 123.0
DEM 7098, 7290 146.76-, 146.88-, 146.98- 444.325+ pl 103.5, 444.35+ pl 103.5, 446.00
Hawaii County BIWARN system
145.29- pl 100 Ocean View,
146.76- no pl tone Kulani Cone,
146.92- no pl tone Ka`u,
147.16+ pl 100 Kona,
147.32+ pl 100 Waimea,
442.50+ no pl tone Kea`au,
444.45+ pl 88.5 Waimea
Maui County Repeater and SimplexFrequencies
Kauai County Simplex Frequencies
APRS 144.39 MHz

State CD RACES/ARES

October 7, 2012

SET 2013 - State CD RACES/ARES participation.

Call signs:
SCD - KH6HPZ

SCD will be on the following frequencies at differing times:

147.060 - DH Repeater - Command/Control/Interisland Operations

444.350 - DH Repeater - Interagency Operations
146.880 - DH Repeater - for interoperation with Oahu DEM RACES

Initial contact will be made on the 147.060 repeater. Stations will then be moved to another frequency, if possible, to handle traffic.

HF will also be used as follows to communicate with SCD and to exercise NVIS.

SCD will be on the SCD interisland net, depending on propagation:
40m on 7088 kHz LSB (+/- qrm)
60m on 5330.5 kHz USB (+/- qrm)
80m on 3993.5 kHz LSB (if 40m is not open)

Messages will be exchanged in ICS-213 message format. A major part of this exercise is to gain experience in sending and receiving ICS-213 messages. Stations are encouraged to generate and send test messages for the exercise. All stations will use "THIS IS AN EXERCISE MESSAGE" at the beginning and end of all messages.

Net Schedule:
Saturday (10/5) @ 0900 - 1200 HST KH6HPZ

Oahu RACES

September 20, 2012

SET 2012 - Oahu DEM RACES participation.

The DEM EOC in the basement of the Frank Fasi Municipal Building will be operational.

Net Schedule:
9:00 am - KH6OCD

DEM will be on the following frequencies:

146.880- DH Repeater - Net Control, Situation Reports (Sitreps)
146.98- PL 88.5 FFMB Repeater - Traffic
146.76- Mokuleia/Peacock Flats Repeater - Traffic
444.325+ PL 103.5 Waimanalo Repeater - Traffic
446.000 Simplex - Traffic
7098 or 7290 kHz LSB - Traffic

As a learning aid, Jeff AH6IX makes available an ICS-213 message generator which generates practice ICS-213 messages.

Maui ARES/RACES

September 30, 2011

SET 2011 - Maui ARES/RACES participation.

The Maui (Wailuku) EOC will be operational.

More information is contained in the Communicator, the bulletin for Maui ARES/RACES.

Hilo ARES/RACES

September 30, 2011

SET 2011 - Hilo ARES/RACES participation.

The Hilo EOC will be operational.

Healthcomm

September 26, 2012

SET 2011 - Healthcomm participation.

Call signs:
Healthcomm - KH6HC

Healthcomm will be on UHF on Monday, October 1 for the monthly siren check net.
147.280 - Hawaii Medical Center-West Repeater
443.775+ pl 123.0
443.825
444.775+ pl 123.0

Healthcomm will be on HF on Saturday, October 6 for the monthly Healthcomm HF net:
40m on 7080 kHz LSB (+/- qrm) Primary
60m on 5371.5 kHz USB (+/- qrm) Alternate
80m on 3900 kHz LSB (if 40m is not open) Alternate New

For SET, Healthcomm will run a modified Healthcomm monthly HF net. Participants will exchange messages with information on the point-of-contact within the hospital involved during times of emergencies. Also, messages with information on the arrangements for emergency power will be exchanged.

Digital Messaging Nets

September 20, 2012

For those working with digital messaging and developing nets to handle SET traffic in digital mode, please contact these points-of-contact to coordinate and develop the effort.

Background to SET in Hawaii

September 20, 2012

From ARRL

Check out the ARRL news article for the Simulated Emergency Test 2012. You can also read Chapter Two of ARRL's Public Service Communications Manual.

After the SET

An important post-SET activity is a critique session to discuss the test results. All ARES (and RACES) members should be invited to the meeting to review good points and weaknesses apparent in the drill. Emphasize ways to improve procedures, techniques, and coordination with all groups involved. Report your group's effort using the appropriate forms and include any photos, clippings and other items of interest.

Please send those SET reporting forms and photographs with captions and photo credit to your Section Emergency Coordinator, Section Manager, and/or Section Traffic Manager (for Net Manger SET reports) and to ARRL Headquarters via mailto:[email protected]. If you mail them to ARRL via the postal service, the address is: ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT06111-1494. February 1, 2014, is the receipt deadline.

One of the first steps on the way to a successful SET is to try to get as many people involved as possible-- and especially new hams. In a real emergency, we find amateurs with all sorts of varied interests coming out of the woodwork. Let's get them involved in SET so they will know more about how emergency communications should be handled. Promote SET on nets and repeaters, and sign up new, enthusiastic radio amateurs. Many of those offering to help will be inexperienced in public-service activities.

It's up to you to explain what's going on to them, and provide them with useful roles. They may like it so much that they become a permanent fixture in your ARES or NTS group. For a review of last year's nationwide Simulated Emergency Test, read the article in July 2011, QST.

Thank you for your efforts!

From Ron Hashiro, AH6RH

SET is an ARRL-sponsored event that exercises the amateur radio community's ability to respond to emergency conditions. In a sense, it's like Field Day in that Field Day exercises the amateur radio community's ability to relocate operations from the home out to an outdoor setting. SET encourages amateur radio operators to send and receive messages with and on behalf of served agencies (agencies that hams partner with to provide communications services and manpower during times of emergencies) that simulate emergency-like scenarios. As in Field Day, not every ham can participate in the desired fashion (which is ok), so amateurs can still interact with field units from the home, mobile, EOCs, etc. Similarly for SET, every ham who is not at a served agency can participate from home or their current location by passing messages with content about simulated emergencies.

The interaction and participation of served agencies is encouraged. The relationship and level of activity/response for SET is a case-by-case situation between the served agency and the amateurs serving the agency. If representatives of the served agencies are present and able to generate the SET messages, that is the desired participation. If they are unable to participate, or are unable to generate the exercise messages ahead of time, then it is an opportunity lost. The amateurs would then for this exercise generate replacement messages on their behalf.

Notice that ARRL at the national level does not set the scenario, schedule and frequencies/nets used. That is determined by the ARRL field organization (ie, amateurs in the EC, DEC, SEC field organization - volunteer Emergency Coordinator, District Emergency Coordinator, Section Emergency Coordinator).

So the field organization of ARRL is making the event available in Hawaii. It's up to individual amateurs to engage and participate, and to encourage the served agencies to participate. Just as Field Day is "scored", SET is also scored. Look at Form A "EC Simulated Emergency Test Report", Form B "Net Manager Simulated Emergency Test Report" and Form C "EC Annual Report" on this web page. Please e-mail your SET summaries to ARRL Headquarters via [email protected]. If you mail them to ARRL via the postal service, the address is: ARRL Headquarters, 225 Main Street, Newington, CT 06111-1494. February 1, 2014, is the receipt deadline.

Traditionally, only about 25% of the amateur radio operators in Hawaii checking in on the general nets for SET are positioned at the served agencies. The remaining 75% are checking in from home and participating as individuals as opposed to checking in on behalf of served agencies. The analogy would be having Field Day, and 25% of the activity is from Field Day stations, and 75% is from hams at home. Typically for Field Day, 95+% of the activity from stations are from the Field Day sites as reported by the "nA" and "nB" class reports given by the stations. So, for SET, I'm expecting roughly 25% of the traffic to resemble served agency traffic, and 75% to be random SET traffic (messages exchanged) with the NCS generating low level query and response messages with individuals if the individuals generate the traffic.

SET 2012 Results-SCD

October 15, 2012

The Emergency Coordinator and Net Manager reports for State Civil Defense are complete. The reports are:

What worked well.

  • The operation of two operating positions for the VHF radio operators allowed one operator to operate the radio while the second operator to maintain the log and copy inbound traffic.
  • The operation of Department of Emergency Management RACES on multiple nets worked well this year.

What could be improved.

  • The operation of the IAX client for the VHF position encountered trouble. It turned out to be already running, and minimized on the right side of the tool bar.
  • The setup for FLDIGI for the HF position needs additional work. The acoustic coupling method did not work.
  • The procedure for internal emails need to be refined. Both address and subject lines for exercise tests and real world events need definition.

SET 2012 Results-DEM

October 15, 2012

The Emergency Coordinator and Net Manager reports for Department of Emergency Management are complete. The reports are:

SET 2012 Results-Oahu DEM District IV

October 21, 2012

The Emergency Coordinator and Net Manager reports for DEM District 4 (Windward Oahu) are complete. The reports are:

Find out more by contacting:  rhashiro(remove this part)@hawaiiantel.net
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Updated: September 19, 2013

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