2009 ARES SET Plan for Centre County, PA12/31/2018

Exercise Date:

Saturday, 31 October 2008, 0900 to 1200 Eastern Time.

Purpose:

This Simulated Emergency Test will: Test the readiness of the ARRL WPA ARES Section to handle emergency communications during a communications blackout. Then, evaluate improvements made in the WPA ARES organization and practices during the preceding twelve months by comparing the results of this exercise with outcomes from previous SET exercises.

WPA Section Exercise Scenario:

Last night an unusually severe winter storm originating in Ohio moved across the state. Western Pennsylvania residents are waking up this morning to discover the damaging effects of this storm. The storm dumped up to one inch of ice before turning to snow which accumulates up to 30 inches in the southern part of the state and up to 48 inches in the northern part of the state. As the storm moved through the area major roads became impassable, large portions of the commercial power grid are damaged, wired telephone communications are interrupted, the cellular telephone service has become overloaded with only isolated areas of service, and served agencies have begun establishing shelters for displaced residents. Amateur Radio remains as one of the few viable communications resource.

Centre County Exercise Scenario:

Due to the limited commercial communications circuits Centre County EMA and asked Amateur Radio operators to respond and establish communications between and among the mass care centers, the County EOC, and field units to spot problems that the public service agencies have not had time to address. Additionally, because of loss of communications with areas outside Centre County and the Centre Region, Raytheon, Inc. has been asked to activate their EOC as another circuit.

Operating frequencies:

HF:3993.5 kHz, LSB, the statewide net frequency

3893 kHz, LSB, the Western Pennsylvania Phone and Traffic Net Frequency

VHF:146.85-, FM, PL = 146.2, Primary local frequency

146.76-, FM, PL = 146.2, Secondary local frequency

Participating stations will be assigned to these areas and asked to pass traffic related to shelter residents and shelter needs. The assignments are below. We will use tactical calls as specified in parenthesis. We still need to insert our amateur calls into the traffic for the required identification.

The exercise will begin at 09:00 AM and end once we have passed the required traffic. With the exception of Raytheon, Centre County EOC, and Centre County Rover the EC (Carmine) will provide drill messages. The net will be activated by Carmine.

MASS CARE CENTERS/SHELTERS

The centers themselves will not be activated or open. Operators will go to their assigned center and handle traffic from their vehicles on two meter FM.

Park Forest Elementary School (Park Forest)

KB3TBX, Jim

N3LI, Mike

Mount Nittany United Methodist Church, E. Branch Road (Mt Nittany UMC)

Craig, K3OOL

Don, KB3HQN

Saint Paul’s Lutheran Church, Pine Grove Mills (St. Paul’s)

John, W3JXP

Boalsburg Fire Station (Boalsburg)

Eric, W3EDP

Halfmoon Christian Church, Rt. 550 (Halfmoon Church)

Rory, KR3ORY

Tom, KB3TBY

Each of the mass care centers will report their conditions and occupancy to the County EOC.

EOCs

Centre County EMA, Willowbank Building, Bellefonte (Centre County EOC)

Carmine Prestia, K3CWP

Messages from the field locations will be directed to this station for relay outside the County.

Raytheon, Inc., Science Park Road, Ferguson Township (Raytheon)

Dave, K3DWH

Stephen, N3BCA

David and Stephen will pass traffic of their origin to the County EOC updating the EMA office on Raytheon’s communications status.

Penn State Amateur Radio Club, Wagner Building (Penn State)

Nick, KC2QCY

Sander, KB1FPU

OTHER

Rover(s)

Woody, K3YV (Centre County Rover)

Woody will rove the Centre Region and report to the County EOC, K3CWP, conditions that he sees. For drill purposes he can report any emergency vehicles he sees; police vehicles, fire apparatus, ambulances, and public works vehicles.

Contact Information for Participants:

*K3CWP, 1265 Smithfield St, State College, PA 16801

*K3YV, ELLWOOD E BREM, 924 TRESSLER ST. BOALSBURG, PA 16827

*K3DWH, DAVID W HEGE, 118 HEGE LANE, CENTRE HALL, PA 16828

*N3BCA, STEPHEN MERSHON, 1346 N FOXPOINTE DR, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16803-2407

*KB3TBX, JAMES J ALLES, JR, 444 SIERRA LN, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16803-1410

*KB3TBY, DONALD E BROWN, 144 DAHLIA DRIVE, STATE COLLEG, PA 16803

*KB3HQN, Donald E Novak, 1510 Chaumont Ave, State College, PA 16801

*N3LI, Michael J Coslo, 455 Westgate Dr, State College, PA 16803

*W3EDP, ERIC D PRESCOTT, 1143 ONEIDA ST, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801

*K3OOL, Craig S Miller, 134 Oakwood Dr, State College, PA 16801

*W3JXP, JOHN E PASSANEAU, 2231 W Whitehall Rd, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16801

*KR3ORY, Robert P Stenerson, 151 BLACK BEAR LN, STATE COLLEGE, PA 16803

KB1FPU, Sander

KC2QCY, Nick

Carmine W. Prestia, Jr., K3CWP

ARRL EC, Centre County, PA

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