October 1st ARES SET - Detailed Instructions for Delaware County ARES
I put together some step by step instructions for Delco ARES participation in the EPA section SET scheduled for October 1st.
Safety First
As always, safety is our first priority. When deployed, ensure ARES team members use known safety protocols. When erecting antennas, keep them away from overhead power lines or other electrical power sources. When routing cables, ensure they do not present tripping hazards for ARES personnel as well as other people in the area. If using gasoline or combustible fuel generators, ensure they are well ventilated and powered off during refueling operations.
Winlink Communications
For Winlink communications, using the Telnet option over the Internet is ok if you don't have your computer & radio hooked up together to communicate over RF. Please use WInlink for the ICS-309 log files and to check in and out of the exercise if at all possible.
If you can use your radio RF for Winlink, this would be preferred. These are the VARA FM Winlink stations around the area, ones in bold are ones you are most likely going to be able to use :
Winlink VARA FM Gateways in Philadelphia Area
| Callsign | Frequency | Grid Square (Location) |
|---|---|---|
| AA3E-10 | 145.05 | FN20GD (Eagleville) |
| W3CTK-10 | 145.67 | FN20HA (Villanova) |
| K3FZT-10 | 145.67 | FN20JA (Mt. Airy) |
| N3MEL-10 | 145.67 | FM29DX (Thorndale) |
| KB3PCY-10 | 145.67 | FM29EV (Pocopson) |
Winlink RMS Station Map: Live System Information | Winlink Global Radio Email
Note: We may also have the W3AEC-10 Winlink station running again for the southern part of the county, located at Mercy Fitz hospital or the DES training center. I will update if we are able to do this. You can always use the Update Channel List over Internet to get a sorted list of the closest Winlink stations to your position.
Exercise Instructions
There are a number of steps, but I wanted to make an easy to follow step-by-step plan for everyone. The entire exercise should be able to be completed in under an hour or so. Most activity will be from 10/11am through 2/3pm.
Please feel free to operate from home or a location of your choice, keeping your safety in mind at all times.
| Who | What | When | Where | Why/How/Details | Done |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Sign up on Galaxy Digital Mission | As soon as possible. | Link: ARES Annual EPA Section SET (Simulated Emergency Test) (1-Oct-2022) | Citizen Corps of Delaware County (delcocitizencorps.org) | Mission is used to track those that will be participating and your hours. Contact w3ctk@delcoares.net or kc3mtt@delcoares.net if you need help or have any questions. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Setup Winlink, configure and send test message | Anytime before 10/1. | Download Winlink: https://downloads.winlink.org/User%20Programs/Winlink_Express_install_1-7-1-0.zip Winlink overview instructions: Please send a test message or form to w3ctk@delcoares.net before Saturday and expect a reply to confirm everything is working. | Using Winlink to communicate with our served agencies is one of the goals of the SET. You CAN use Telnet/Internet if you don't have your computer and radio hooked up together, so a Windows computer with Internet connection is all that is needed. Contact w3ctk@delcoares.net if you need help or have any questions. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Check in to mission | 10/1 at or after 10am, as soon as you start to deploy or setup. | Link: ARES Annual EPA Section SET (Simulated Emergency Test) (1-Oct-2022) | Citizen Corps of Delaware County (delcocitizencorps.org) | Need to know who is active or deployed, and to track your hours. | |
| Deploy to DES Training Center | 10/1 At or Before 11am. | 1600 Calcon Hook Rd, Sharon Hill, PA 19079 Link: Delaware County Emergency Services Training Center - Home (delcoestc.org) | Take go kit, will be a simulated temporary EOC location. Will test the abilities of this location as an EOC. | ||
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Start ICS-309 Communications Log | 10/1 as soon as you are setup. | Recommend to use Winlink form: Message → New Message This should open up a HTML form in your default web browser. Keep this open and log all contact (voice and digital) here on this form. When completed at end of exercise, click on "Submit" green button, fill in w3ctk@delcoares.net and w3big@comcast.net in To field, and "Post to Outbox". Don't forget to "Open a Session" and click on "Start" to send the message out. You can also use the paper form, available here: | Need a log of failed and successful contacts made for after action report. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Check In | 10/1 immediately after you start your ICS-309 log. | Recommend to use Winlink form: Message → New Message This should open up a HTML form in your default web browser. Fill this out with your information. In comments, add the following information: Click on "Submit" green button, fill in w3ctk@delcoares.net, w3big@comcast.net, koernerd@co.delaware.pa.us and janice.winston@redcross.org in To field, and "Post to Outbox". Don't forget to "Open a Session" and click on "Start" to send the message out. Optionally, you can contact Delco ARES Net Control on the W3KG 446.775 repeater to check in. | Need to get check in confirmation of all participants in the SET. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Contact Delaware County Net Control | 10/1 after you Check In. | Tune to channel S1 TACTICAL (simplex 146.565). "Delco ARES Net Control, W3CTK, this is Callsign on Sierra One". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. If you can not make contact over simplex, then use the W3KG 446.775 repeater to check in. | Need to confirm simplex communications with Net Control. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Contact DES Training Center | 10/1 between 11a and 2p. | Tune to channel S1 TACTICAL (simplex 146.565). "DES Training Center, KC3KIB, this is Callsign on Sierra One". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. | Need to confirm simplex communications with the DES training center location. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Contact Chester County | 10/1 between 10am - noon. | Tune to channel CC R1 W3EOC WEST CHESTER or CC R2 W3EOC BUCKTOWN or CC R3 W3EOC OXFORD. "W3EOC Chester County, this is Callsign Delco ARES". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. | Need to confirm communications with Chester County. Please note due to other activities, Chester County will be operating from 10a to noon. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Contact Montgomery County | 10/1 between 10am - Noon. | Tune 147.560 88.5 PL. "AA3E Montgomery County, this is Callsign Delco ARES". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. | Need to confirm communications with Montgomery County. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Contact Philadelphia County | 10/1 between 2pm - 3pm. | Tune to simplex 146.535 (Primary aka DC S2 TACTICAL) or 146.565 (Secondary, aka DC S1 TACTICAL). "Philadelphia County ARES Simplex Drill, this is Callsign Delco ARES". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. | Need to confirm communications with Philadelphia County. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Check In with Philadelphia County via Repeater | 10/1 between 1pm - 3pm. | Tune to DA WB3JOE NEWTOWN SQUARE (147.06, + offset, 131.8 PL). "Philadelphia County ARES Repeater Drill, this is Callsign Delco ARES". Verify contact and record in your ICS-309 log. | Need to confirm communications with Philadelphia County. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Other Activities | 10/1 | Feel free to try any other communications exercises and Winlink forms that you would like, keeping in mind the main focus and practical applications listed below: Focus
Practical Applications
| General SET exercise objectives. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Complete ICS-309 Communications Log | 10/1 as soon as you finished and at or before 3pm. | Go to your ICS-309 form on your web browser, and click on "Submit" green button, fill in w3ctk@delcoares.net and w3big@comcast.net in To field, and "Post to Outbox". Don't forget to "Open a Session" and click on "Start" to send the message out. If you used a paper form, please attach it to a Winlink message or email to the addresses above. | Need a log of failed and successful contacts made for after action report. | |
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Check Out | 10/1 immediate after you complete your ICS-309 log. | Recommend to use Winlink form: Message → New Message This should open up a HTML form in your default web browser. Fill this out with your information. Click on "Submit" green button, fill in w3ctk@delcoares.net and w3big@comcast.net in To field, and "Post to Outbox". Don't forget to "Open a Session" and click on "Start" to send the message out. Optionally, you can contact Delco ARES Net Control on the W3KG 446.775 repeater to check out. | Need to get check out confirmation of all participants in the SET. | |
| Return home | 10/1 | From Sharon Hill, PA. | Travel safely. | ||
| All Delco ARES Members that will be participating in the SET | Check out of mission | 10/1 As soon as you safely return home from deployment, or end exercise and have Checked Out. | Link: ARES Annual EPA Section SET (Simulated Emergency Test) (1-Oct-2022) | Citizen Corps of Delaware County (delcocitizencorps.org) | Need to make sure everyone is safely back at home and to know your hours. | |
Chris Kelleher | HF Check In for County | 10/1 at Noon, 2pm, 4pm, 6pm. | Tune to 7.2275 MHz. Check in and pass a brief status message including the following information:
| Overview awareness of exercise to EPA leadership before reports are compiled and submitted. | |
Chris Kelleher | HF Check In for County | 10/1 | Tune to 3.9180 MHz. Check in and pass a brief status message including the following information:
| Overview awareness of exercise to EPA leadership before reports are compiled and submitted. | |
Chris Kelleher | Send reports to ARRL and EPA Leadership | After completion of the exercise. | There is a new reporting protocol for SET participation. County ECs should use the link in the paragraph below provided by ARRL Field Services Manager Mike Walters, W8ZY, to report SET activity with the form detailed in the link. In addition to the ARRL, please send a copy of your SET report to both SM George Miller ( W3GWM@ptd.net ) and SEC Bob Wilson ( W3BIG@comcast.net ). This year we are introducing a new way to file the reports. The following website has been created ARRL SET Data Forms . From this page there are three options, File Form A – The EC Report, File Form B – The Net Manager Report, and a third option to upload supporting documents. This is meant to allow anyone from the section, especially PIC’s and PIO’s, to upload press releases and pictures. All three forms allow you to select your section and enter email addresses. Reports will go to the emails entered and all will come to headquarters where they are entered into a database. This will allow us to pull reports from the database for each section and see just what reports have been entered. This will also make the process of reporting the SET results much easier. | Need to provide visibility of the exercise to EPA Leadership and the ARRL. |