Hello, all!
KE0LMY here!
Like most of you, I was so confused about the Simulated Emergency Test and trying to get answers only created more questions. It was a vicious circle! I decided to go looking for those answers from people who had experience with the SET and make it much easier on those who come after me to find them. This FAQ is MY UNDERSTANDING of what the SET is, how to do it, and so on. Hopefully, I get it right and eliminate the frustration for some of you!
Question 1
What is the SET?
What is the SET?
Answer
The Simulated Emergency Test or SET is an exercise in emergency communications. In the world of emergency practice is a list of discussion/operation exercises. In order, they are Seminar, Workshop, Tabletop, Games, Operation-based (drills), Functional and Full-Scale. Effectively, the SET qualifies as somewhere between a Functional Exercise and a Full-Scale Exercise, depending on how many participants your particular group can get. A Functional Exercise is defined as follows: a functional exercise examines and/or validates the coordination, command, and control between various multi-agency coordination centers (e.g., emergency operation center, joint field office, etc.). A functional exercise does not involve any “boots on the ground” (i.e., first responders or emergency officials responding to an incident in real time); while a Full-Scale exercise is defined as: A full-scale exercise is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline exercise involving functional (e.g., joint field office, emergency operation centers, etc.) and “boots on the ground” response (e.g., firefighters decontaminating mock victims).
The Simulated Emergency Test or SET is an exercise in emergency communications. In the world of emergency practice is a list of discussion/operation exercises. In order, they are Seminar, Workshop, Tabletop, Games, Operation-based (drills), Functional and Full-Scale. Effectively, the SET qualifies as somewhere between a Functional Exercise and a Full-Scale Exercise, depending on how many participants your particular group can get. A Functional Exercise is defined as follows: a functional exercise examines and/or validates the coordination, command, and control between various multi-agency coordination centers (e.g., emergency operation center, joint field office, etc.). A functional exercise does not involve any “boots on the ground” (i.e., first responders or emergency officials responding to an incident in real time); while a Full-Scale exercise is defined as: A full-scale exercise is a multi-agency, multi-jurisdictional, multi-discipline exercise involving functional (e.g., joint field office, emergency operation centers, etc.) and “boots on the ground” response (e.g., firefighters decontaminating mock victims).
Question 2
How is the SET done?
How is the SET done?
Answer
Depending again on how large your volunteer pool is, your group can operate from one location and “simulate” the expected outcome of testing emergency communications or you can actually have mobile teams who deploy to various places in your county and give live reports on the scenario.
Depending again on how large your volunteer pool is, your group can operate from one location and “simulate” the expected outcome of testing emergency communications or you can actually have mobile teams who deploy to various places in your county and give live reports on the scenario.
Question 3
What’s a scenario?
What’s a scenario?
Answer
Before the SET occurs, people called exercise designers or controllers get together and posit a scenario. It is a story of “what ifs”. They try to make the story as realistic as possible. For example, here in Benton County, we have the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir. Our scenario may include a dam failure, how emergency communications is needed and used, and what service we could provide to served agencies in the event it occurs.
Before the SET occurs, people called exercise designers or controllers get together and posit a scenario. It is a story of “what ifs”. They try to make the story as realistic as possible. For example, here in Benton County, we have the Harry S. Truman Dam and Reservoir. Our scenario may include a dam failure, how emergency communications is needed and used, and what service we could provide to served agencies in the event it occurs.
Question 4
What are served agencies?
What are served agencies?
Answer
As an organization, ARES offers its help to other organizations who are active in disasters. Some of these are faith-based organizations, the community emergency response team (CERT), the American Red Cross (ARC), the Salvation Army (SA), various government agencies like the local emergency management agency (EMA), SEMA, FEMA, and so on. These agreements/understandings are set up ahead of time as Memorandums of Agreement or Memorandums of Understanding and state specifically what we can and are willing to do to assist in providing the all-important emergency communication during large-scale disasters.
As an organization, ARES offers its help to other organizations who are active in disasters. Some of these are faith-based organizations, the community emergency response team (CERT), the American Red Cross (ARC), the Salvation Army (SA), various government agencies like the local emergency management agency (EMA), SEMA, FEMA, and so on. These agreements/understandings are set up ahead of time as Memorandums of Agreement or Memorandums of Understanding and state specifically what we can and are willing to do to assist in providing the all-important emergency communication during large-scale disasters.
Question 4
How do served agencies participate in the exercise?
How do served agencies participate in the exercise?
Answer
In our case, we send mobile teams of CERT members from our county out to the various locations with an amateur radio operator (and a radio) so they can report what they “see” at the impacted area.
In our case, we send mobile teams of CERT members from our county out to the various locations with an amateur radio operator (and a radio) so they can report what they “see” at the impacted area.
Question 5
As an individual, how do I participate or what do I do?
As an individual, how do I participate or what do I do?
Answer
If you are an amateur radio operator, this exercise is specifically for you. If your local group is running or participating in a SET, you can be one of the hams who deploy with a mobile team, act as a net control operator, or participate in the net on standby in case “traffic” needs to be passed. If you are an individual with a served agency, not a ham radio operator, and you want to be involved, you can deploy with the mobile team to give reports, assist in the emergency operation center (EOC), and provide other support to those who are physically participating in the exercise.
If you are an amateur radio operator, this exercise is specifically for you. If your local group is running or participating in a SET, you can be one of the hams who deploy with a mobile team, act as a net control operator, or participate in the net on standby in case “traffic” needs to be passed. If you are an individual with a served agency, not a ham radio operator, and you want to be involved, you can deploy with the mobile team to give reports, assist in the emergency operation center (EOC), and provide other support to those who are physically participating in the exercise.
Question 6
How does the SET work?
How does the SET work?
Answer
If you are an ARES member participating, then before the day of the SET you are normally given either a breakdown of what will be occurring during the exercise if you are the emergency coordinator (EC) or assistant emergency coordinator (AEC) of the group or you will be given a rundown on the day’s events by the EC of your group. If you are part of a served agency, you will be given an assignment of where to go (for mobile teams) and what to report or your job in the EOC (for stationary teams).
If you are an ARES member participating, then before the day of the SET you are normally given either a breakdown of what will be occurring during the exercise if you are the emergency coordinator (EC) or assistant emergency coordinator (AEC) of the group or you will be given a rundown on the day’s events by the EC of your group. If you are part of a served agency, you will be given an assignment of where to go (for mobile teams) and what to report or your job in the EOC (for stationary teams).
Question 7
How does all of this help?
How does all of this help?
Answer
While there’s no real way to prepare for disasters, we do our best to practice how we communicate and deploy resources. To do this, we follow that list of exercises I mentioned in the answer to the first question (i.e. Seminar, Workshop, Tabletop, Games, Operation-based (drills), Functional and Full-Scale). This allows us to find weaknesses or places for improvement in our plan to handle disasters. The plan referred to is often something like a county’s Local Emergency Operations Plan, the ARES Emergency Action Plan, and so on. We will post both of these plans here on our website for our county/group.
While there’s no real way to prepare for disasters, we do our best to practice how we communicate and deploy resources. To do this, we follow that list of exercises I mentioned in the answer to the first question (i.e. Seminar, Workshop, Tabletop, Games, Operation-based (drills), Functional and Full-Scale). This allows us to find weaknesses or places for improvement in our plan to handle disasters. The plan referred to is often something like a county’s Local Emergency Operations Plan, the ARES Emergency Action Plan, and so on. We will post both of these plans here on our website for our county/group.
Question 8
What is traffic?
What is traffic?
Answer
The term “traffic” in amateur radio is simply a message, so passing “traffic” means passing a message over the radio. There is a difference between traffic and emergency traffic. Traffic is applied to standard health and wellness message, routine messages, and any other non-emergency messages which need to be relayed. Emergency Traffic are any message having life and death urgency to any person or group of persons, which is transmitted by Amateur Radio in the absence of regular commercial facilities. This includes official messages of welfare agencies during emergencies requesting supplies, materials or instructions vital to the relief of stricken populace in emergency areas. During normal times, it will be very rare. On CW/RTTY, this designation will always be spelled out. When in doubt, do not use it. Below, you will find a pdf and png of the ARRL’s official listing of the types of traffic.
The term “traffic” in amateur radio is simply a message, so passing “traffic” means passing a message over the radio. There is a difference between traffic and emergency traffic. Traffic is applied to standard health and wellness message, routine messages, and any other non-emergency messages which need to be relayed. Emergency Traffic are any message having life and death urgency to any person or group of persons, which is transmitted by Amateur Radio in the absence of regular commercial facilities. This includes official messages of welfare agencies during emergencies requesting supplies, materials or instructions vital to the relief of stricken populace in emergency areas. During normal times, it will be very rare. On CW/RTTY, this designation will always be spelled out. When in doubt, do not use it. Below, you will find a pdf and png of the ARRL’s official listing of the types of traffic.
Question 9
HOW is traffic passed?
HOW is traffic passed?
Answer
How traffic is passed during the SET depends on the exercise controller.
How traffic is passed during the SET depends on the exercise controller.
Some groups use the federal form ICS-213. Below you will find the pdf and png of this form.
Some groups use the FSD-244. Below you will find the pdf and png of this form.
Finally, some groups use the good old ARRL Radiogram. Below you will find the pdf and png of this form.
Question 10
Where can I find more information about the SET?
Where can I find more information about the SET?
Answer
The first location to find information on the ARRL’s SET is at www.arrl.org and use their search bar to pull up all of the information they have archived about the SETs of the past. On that website, they use this handbook as an example.
The St. Louis ARES has an extensive website and they hold an annual SET. You can find them here.
Next, we have Boone County, MO ARES example found here. For smaller counties or those with less amateur radio operators involved, this is a fantastic example and resource!
Finally, here is Hawaii’s SET plan for 2018.
The first location to find information on the ARRL’s SET is at www.arrl.org and use their search bar to pull up all of the information they have archived about the SETs of the past. On that website, they use this handbook as an example.
The St. Louis ARES has an extensive website and they hold an annual SET. You can find them here.
Next, we have Boone County, MO ARES example found here. For smaller counties or those with less amateur radio operators involved, this is a fantastic example and resource!
Finally, here is Hawaii’s SET plan for 2018.
Question 11
Why is there so much dead air or quiet time on the net?
Why is there so much dead air or quiet time on the net?
Answer
Unlike practice or weekly nets, chatter is eliminated from Emergency Nets. Long periods of silence are expected so the frequency is open for when the emergency traffic needs to be passed. Don’t worry. Silence is normal.
Unlike practice or weekly nets, chatter is eliminated from Emergency Nets. Long periods of silence are expected so the frequency is open for when the emergency traffic needs to be passed. Don’t worry. Silence is normal.
Being able to observe the differences in how large or small the “manuals” on different SETs are is a perfect way to get an idea of how detailed or vague the exercise can be. Some groups like a loose overview and they will inject things into their scenario, while others like to have every single thing planned down to the quarter hour. The biggest thing you can do is be active with your local ARES or EmComm group and get involved!
As we get more FAQs, we will keep adding to this list!
73,
Sam Henley (KE0LMY)
Sam Henley (KE0LMY)
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