Mississippi Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service to Conduct Statewide Exercise "Wildfire Heatwave SET" on August 10, 2024
On Saturday, August 10th, 2024, from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, the Mississippi Section of the Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) will hold a comprehensive statewide exercise, "Wildfire Heatwave SET." This crucial event is designed to simulate and test emergency communications response capabilities in the face of severe environmental and infrastructure challenges.
Mass Notification Services: Elements of the SET will also be shared via
GroupMe. Please feel free to join the MS ARES GroupMe chat group if you want to receive updates during the day of the SET.
Simulated Disruptions:
The exercise will simulate the following emergency conditions:
1. Multiple wildfires raging across the state.
2. Severe drought and prolonged heatwave exacerbating the situation.
3. Disruptions to public safety and service communications infrastructure in affected areas.
4. Significant potential damage to private and public property, including threats to firefighting personnel.
Roles of Amateur Radio Operators:
Both ARES members and non-member operators will participate by providing simulated emergency communications support to public safety agencies and local and state governments. The exercise will run from 8:00 AM to 8:00 PM, with operators engaging in various communication modes including HF, VHF, UHF, analog voice, SSB, and digital voice and data.
Purpose of the Exercise:
The primary goal of the SET is to evaluate the effectiveness of Amateur Radio emergency preparedness and demonstrate its capabilities to served agencies and the public.
Actions During the Event:
- ARES team members will operate from home stations, mobile units, and portable setups, deploying to Emergency Operations Centers (EOCs) and other agency locations.
- County Emergency Coordinators will oversee operations, coordinating ARES teams and other amateur radio operators within their regions.
- The exercise will focus on facilitating emergency and welfare communications among local responders, public safety entities, and public service organizations.
Exercise Scenario and Communication Strategy:
This year's exercise will simulate the impact of a 100-year drought and severe heatwave, causing widespread forest fires in the Pine Belt, Delta, and central regions of Mississippi. Due to limited federal fire service support, local fire departments will be pivotal. Communication infrastructure is expected to be sparse, further complicating response efforts. Initial notifications will be made through telephone trees, SMS texts, GroupMe, and other digital platforms, transitioning to Ham Radio networks as the exercise progresses.
Coordination and Execution:
The Section Emergency Coordinator (SEC) will manage the event, issuing impact reports via local and regional radio links. Stations will relay these reports through MSN/MSPN and digital HF/VHF networks for statewide distribution. The exercise script and response guidelines will be revealed incrementally throughout the 12-hour period.
Goals and Compliance:
By the end of the exercise, the goal is to simulate emergency communications across as many Mississippi counties as possible and collaborate with neighboring states' ARES organizations. All transmissions must clearly indicate that they are part of a drill and not a real emergency, adhering to FCC regulations.
Event Command and Control:
The SEC, Robert Hayes (KC5IMN), will initiate and conclude the event with a voice call over 3862/7238 KHz to the on-duty net control operator, who will manage the flow of event information. In the event of a real emergency, the SET may be terminated, and members will be redirected to respond to local served agencies.
Key Contacts:
- Malcolm Keown W5XX, Mississippi Section Manager
- Phone: 601-636-0827
- Robert Hayes KC5IMN, Mississippi Section ARES SEC
- Phone: 903-244-9254
For further inquiries about this release or if you're interested in becoming an Amateur Radio Operator, please contact Robert Hayes.
About ARES:
The Mississippi Section Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) is dedicated to providing emergency communication support during crises. It serves federal, state, county, local governments, and nonprofit disaster relief organizations through skilled amateur radio operators.
Note: This release is based on a simulated scenario and is intended for training and preparedness purposes only.
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