Hendricks County RACES

Here is the announcement on the Indiana State RACES test. From Don West.

MITCHELL E. DANIELS, Jr., Governor
STATE OF INDIANA
DEPARTMENT OF HOMELAND SECURITY JOSEPH E. WAINSCOTT, JR., EXECUTIVE DIRECTOR
Indiana Department of Homeland Security
Indiana Government Center South
302 West Washington Street
Indianapolis, IN 46204
317-232-3980
An Equal Opportunity Employer
May 13, 2010
JULY STATEWIDE RACES ANNOUNCEMENT
SATURDAY JULY 17, 2010, 9 AM Eastern / 8 AM Central Time
Attention all Indiana EMA Directors and RACES Team Members
The Summer State Wide R.A.C.E.S. Test will be conducted on Saturday July 17,
2010 at 0900 to approximately 1000 Eastern Time (0800 to 0900 Central). These
guidelines are similar to the January 16, 2010 test with a few changes (See Changes,
below).
The format of the test will be a simulation of how initial contacts are made to the
State EOC via Amateur Radio in the event of a real emergency or disaster. These test
procedures will enable EMA Directors and their R.A.C.E.S. Amateur Radio Operators to
use whatever means they have available to communicate with the Indiana State EOC
utilizing the frequencies and modes listed below. County EMA Directors are encouraged
to have their County to check-in on as many frequencies and modes as possible for the
test.
Results will be posted on the State website. County EMA Directors are also
encouraged to engage a local net prior to the State Wide Test. When checking in during
the State Wide Test, please report the number of check-ins from your local nets, if any.
For test purposes only, please use the telephone as a last resort to check-in. Operators
are encouraged to use relays with other counties to insure checking in.
CHANGES – These changes are intended to create test practices that more
accurately reflect the anticipated disaster communications capabilities.
• Strategy – While we expect much of the communication for this test to take
place on HF SSB Voice and this capability is critical to the overall disaster
communications capabilities, I am asking EMA Directors to stress the
importance of a text-based, Internet independent, error-checking, unattended
operation system like packet radio, with their teams. Most counties should
have the necessary equipment to do-so, a two-meter radio, TNC or SignaLink
and free software.
• No “Code Word” will be issued on PSK-31. If you can operate PSK-31, check-in
with the IDHS station.
• Reporting if the EMA Director is present is optional.
• All EMA Directors are requested to provide the “Official” call sign of their Team
prior to the test. All stations representing each county should use the
“Official” call sign. Check-ins will be accepted and recorded from any station
representing any county, but only check-ins from the “Official” station will be
counted as successful contacts for the county. If no “Official” call sign is
provided by a county, then any station claiming to represent that county will
be counted.
• FM Simplex – Moved off the national calling frequency to 146.490 MHz. (During
an emergency, IDHS RACES would monitor the national calling frequency,
146.520 MHz, for calls, but would move traffic to another frequency to
conduct communication.)
• Statewide VHF Net –
o While theoretically possible, we believe our ability to conduct a statewide
roll-call net during a large-scale disaster is highly improbable. We do
believe that we would be able to solicit and accept communication via
EchoLink, IRPL and the W9WIN Linked repeater system (which should
soon include capability to link to all of IDHS District 10 repeater system).
o Alternately, it IS possible that other means of long distance VHF/UHF
communications can be conducted.
Check-in Frequencies:
The State EOC (IDHS Ham Team) will be conducting the State Wide Test as a directed
net on the following Frequencies:
HF SSB
• 80 Meters - 3920 kHz LSB up or down around QRM
• 60 Meters – See this link for more information on 60 Meters:
http://www.arrl.org/FandES/field/regulations/faq-60.html
◦
Utilize B,A,D,E,C channel selection looking for our signal
Channel Channel Center Tuning
Frequency
B 5348 kHz 5346.5 kHz USB
A 5332 kHz 5330.5 kHz USB
D 5373 kHz 5371.5 kHz USB
E 5405 kHz 5403.5 kHz USB
C 5368 kHz 5366.5 kHz USB
• 40 Meters - 7298 kHz LSB up or down around QRM.
Digital Modes
• Packet – Send your message to w9sem@k9ctb.#cin.in.usa.noam on a full
service BBS. Packet messages may be sent at anytime on Saturday, July, 17.
The goal here is to develop this skill for use during a sustained operation.
• Olivia - 500/8 on 7085.0 kHz USB, with an audio center frequency of 750 Hz
(Please see http://hflink.com/olivia for more information on digital mode Olivia)
• PSK-31 - on 3580 kHz, USB Stream at 800Hz
VHF/UHF FM
• FM Simplex - 146.505 MHz (relay through other counties if necessary)
• Linked Repeater System - W9WIN Repeater System (the District 10 wide area
system may be linked to the W9WIN System). This will be an open net. W9SEM
will act as net control, but it will not be done by roll call. Net control will call for
check-ins, acknowledge two to four stations and call them one-by-one. (See
attached information for linked repeaters and locations.)
• IRLP/EchoLink – Net Control Station operation similar to W9WIN operation.
(See attached information for nodes and operation.)
Non-Amateur Radio Modes
• Telephone - 317-233-3681
• WebEOC – If your RACES Team has access to WebEOC, please post to your
county events Board, as an ** EXERCISE MESSAGE **. Sample Message:
◦
** EXERCISE MESSAGE **
◦
Statewide RACES Test
◦
Reported by: W9DEW for Johnson County
◦
17 local net participants
◦
** END OF EXERCISE MESSAGE **
In the event there is a disaster in progress, this portion of the test will be
canceled.
Additional Participants
The State EOCs of the eight Central United States Earthquake Consortium (CUSEC)
and the Regional Operations Center of FEMA Regions IV, V, VI and VII have also been
invited to participate on HF. (CUSEC states – Alabama, Arkansas, Illinois, Indiana,
Kentucky, Mississippi, Missouri, and Tennessee.)
In addition, they have been invited to check-in in via MARS and SkyTerra Satellite
Radio/phone.