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KM8V > ARES 01.12.20 01:27l 74 Lines 3225 Bytes #999 (0) @ ALLOH
BID : TTE3677
Read: GUEST
Subj: The Red Cross EmComm Fall Drill 2020 – Summary and Result
Path: IZ3LSV<IQ5KG<IK1NHL<CX2SA<OK2PEN<PY2BIL<W8EDU<KM8V
Sent: 201126/2102Z 57671@KM8V.#CLE.OH.USA.NOAM LinBPQ6.0.20
ZCZC XG77
QST
DE KD8TTE NR 3677
R 261509Z NOV
FM Stan Broadway N8BHL, Section Emergency Coordinator, Ohio ARRL
TO All Ohio ARES Stations
WD GRNC
BT
Hello all! I have attached the summary from the Red Cross exercise
November 14. Thank you all who participated in Ohio by sending a
Winlink message! This exercise shows that amateur radio is a
dependable conduit for emergency messaging to assist the Red Cross (as
well as other agencies).
I wish you the very best Thanksgiving!
-Stan, N8BHL
* * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * * *
The Red Cross EmComm Fall Drill 2020 – Summary and Results
The Red Cross nationwide emergency communications drill was held on
Saturday, November 14, with ARES and other operators asked to
demonstrate the ability to deliver digital messages using Red Cross
forms to specific addresses via Winlink. Participants were tasked with
sending one message to the Red Cross Divisional Clearinghouse for
their geographic area.
Only Winlink-generated messages were requested. This drill was an
exercise in sending messages from local sites to one of seven
Divisional Clearinghouses (that is, one for each of the six Red Cross
Divisions, plus Hawaii) both to practice and to demonstrate the
capability of amateur radio operators across the nation to relay
information in times of need.
This drill used the messaging program Winlink as the method of
delivering preformatted messages. Operators were free to use any
connection mode that they had available, including the variety of
digital modes on HF, VHF, UHF and Telnet. The goal was to encourage
more operators to become familiar with Winlink and its associated
message templates. The primary message template for this exercise was
the ARC-213 found in the Winlink catalog of forms templates. This
message format allows for standardized messages to be sent and allows
for the messages to be easily evaluated for correctness.
The drill started at 9:00 Eastern time and continued until 18:00 local
time in each time zone. Thus there was a 9 hour window for each
operator to create and send his/her message.
After many hours of number-crunching by our Divisional Clearinghouse
managers, the results are in: a staggering 1,750 messages were sent by
1,550 amateur radio operators in forty-seven states, plus Puerto Rico,
Venezuela and Canada. This is about twice the number of the very
successful first Drill in Spring of 2020.
The map below shows the locations of the participating radio
operators. Our thanks to Rob Jagde, KD2GRS, of Long Island, New York
for preparing this map. For a zoomable map, go here:
https://www.google.com/maps/d/u/0/edit?mid=1EprXb_aOExZAZSlXb0Jx6DRyRuqgfp4&ll=10.050625266534244%2C0&z=2
The Red Cross EmComm Steering Committee will begin planning for 2021
Spring and Fall Drills soon. The very popular Winlink training and
practice sessions, called Winlink Thursdays, will continue on at least
a monthly basis going forward. An important goal is to continue to
raise the bar for Winlink Proficiency and Bill McFarlandâ€Ös (N0AXZ)
Winlink Thursdays are instrumental in this.
There will be a follow-up report with lessons learned and additional
information in the near future.
BT
NNNN
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