2025 NH-ARES SET Plan

The purpose of every annual Simulated Emergency Test is to test our ability to deliver messages to and for the agencies we serve, across town and across the state. We don’t really care what kind of disaster shuts down normal communications – it could be raining ping-pong balls or wet chipmunks. Our goal is always to test our flexible approach to moving messages quickly and accurately to their destination.

When

The Section-wide portion of the 2025 SET will be on the first Saturday in November (11/1/25) between 8 AM and 1 PM. EC’s have the option of extending the exercise for local testing needs.

Section-Level Alerting

If we test the Section call tree (Attachment A) the SEC will do that Friday evening. Pay close attention to the instructions for using the call tree. Every year, more than one EC or AEC hasn’t followed them, resulting in partial activation and limited information.

Scenario

We’ll again be testing our ability to handle messages on 2m FM simplex voice and NBEMS, and HF NBEMS and Winlink. Each time we’ve done this, we’ve learned something, and hopefully we get better at it each time. We will not be using repeaters, or HF voice. The assumption is that a storm has taken out all the repeaters, and that HF propagation is too marginal for voice communication. (Recent real-world morning HF conditions make this our best plan anyway.) Local communications will use 2m simplex voice and NBEMS. We will be using only Flmsg for this event, not Flamp.

Messages and Modes

Each group should originate two SITREPs for your area, one to Red Cross HQ in Concord, the other to the SEOC. (They will be either staffed or simulated.) One SITREP should be sent via HF NBEMS (Thor 22 or other speeds depending on actual propagation), and one via 2m simplex voice or NBEMS, as dictated by the capabilities of the handling stations. SITREPs for this exercise should consist of current weather (temp/wind/precip), land line and cellular service status, road and hospital status. (Hopefully, each status will be “normal.”) Have each Winlink-capable station send a copy of the SITREPs to wa1zcn@myfairpoint.net. You might also want to send voice and NBEMS messages to actual or simulated agency sites within your area to flesh out the exercise.

Bow Relay

Capital Area ARES and Greater Manchester ARES will be tasked jointly with providing coverage at the primary Bow Relay site, the Bow public safety radio site at 45 Wood Hill Rd. The ECs should work out assignments or time slots among themselves. A leader will need to communicate with Bow PD to let them know we’ll be there for the exercise. The alternative site is the driveway for a cell tower at 91 Stark Hwy. N. (Rt 13.) I recommend bringing a high-gain base antenna and support rather than relying on a mobile antenna. Ideally, there should be two stations – one on FM voice, one on FM NBEMS.  Interference is a likely complication. One option would be to use the primary site for voice, and the alternate site for NBEMS. Since we’ve never tested the alternate site, that data would be useful.

A few things to review with your members:

• Every message and transmission containing simulated disaster messages MUST contain the words “This is an exercise” (or drill.) Ask everyone to remind anyone who forgets.

• As always, we will use the frequencies listed in Section Operations Plan Attachment B. On HF, 80m will likely fade quickly as the morning progresses, so may need to try 40m. If you don’t get a response on one frequency, try the other. We should be at 1500 Hz on the waterfall on the listed frequencies, but if the band is busy, we might be at another spot. Our usual 80m frequency seems to be shared with a few Winlink stations.

• The Section Operations Plan also contains Attachment K, a list of known high-point relay sites. We recommend testing from a variety of high-point relay sites and even newly discovered ones, if you have enough participating members.

• Ideally, high-point relay stations should be capable of both voice and NBEMS. Every station should be able to make do with either or both.

• High point relay stations should have plenty of RadioGram and ICS-213 forms (available from the NH-ARES website’s Forms page, www.nh-ares.org.

• Hidden transmitter syndrome is a real thing – pay close attention before calling any high point relay station to be sure they aren’t in conversation with a station you can’t hear. Keep all transmissions brief and to the point. Interruptions and doubling slow the net and make it less efficient.

• The Bow relay operator is the NCS for the 2m Section Net. As soon as they’re clear of an exchange, they should put out a periodic general call so that others know they’re available to be called.

• There will be no NCS on the HF NBEMS net. Make a call to the intended receiving station once the frequency is clear of messages. Be careful not to interrupt someone else.

• NEVER relay a tactical voice message. If relays are needed, it goes on a message form.

• Remember our mantra – NEVER change the message. Deliver it exactly as you received it. Only the message’s author can authorize changes. Use “read-back” techniques to verify accuracy.

• Ask members to watch the short Tactical Voice video on the New England ARES Academy You Tube channel in the week before the SET.

• For the after-action report, we’ll be looking for feedback on Attachment K high-point relay sites and formal message relay procedures.

• Five key Ops Plan attachments are attached to this email for quick reference. Please review these with your members prior to the SET.

• Remember to say “this is a drill” at the end of each transmission.

• Share this plan and the relevant attachments with all your members.

If you have questions, please ask, but remember that exercise plans can’t anticipate every situation.  Semper Gumby!

73
Dave Colter WA1ZCN
NH-ARES
ASEC – Operations and Education
www.nh-ares.org
603-344-6399 (cell)
DHS SHARES: NNA1DC