BLACK SWAN is an annual multi-service communications exercise, assessing how communities and the agencies that serve them can communicate in response to incidents that impact the infrastructure we normally use. Involving communications facilities from local, state, and federal resources, we operate a scenario of one to two weeks where normal communications infrastructure is impaired and needs to be augmented or replaced by auxiliary communications functions.

This pioneering annual exercise has led to development of standards for effective communication, focused on infrastructure-free statewide data networking, smaller drills held throughout the year to assess progress, and a training and qualification program for volunteers looking to be able to provide reliable communication circuits for agencies conducting and coordinating response activities.

See the navigation tabs for the high-frequency (HF, also known as shortwave) radio network we operate as well as its training and qualification. Other tabs show our weekly radio-only newsletter, and exercises and drills organized by year going back to our first exercise in 2017.

For more information, contact the Communications-Electronics Program Manager at the Ohio State Defense Force Headquarters by email: Charles.Curtin@SDF.Ohio.gov.