ARES Drill

Kingsport Lifesaving Crew's Mule
Sullivan County Emergency Management Agency Vehicle
Our Team
Our Set Up; Radios, Back Up Radios, Back Up Power, Pens, Paper, and CAFFEINE!
Sullivan County Emergency Management Agency Team and Set Up, Computers with Internet.

Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) consists of licensed amateurs who have voluntarily registered their qualifications and equipment for communications duty in the public service when disaster strikes.

A Net is when all operators report to one person in charge, which is called Net Control.

Operation in an emergency net is little different from operation in any other net, requires preparation and training. This includes training in handling of written messages--that is, what is generally known as "traffic handling.

Today I was involved in an ARES Drill. It covered 8 of the North East Counties in Tennessee. A Ham Operator was placed in the ER in every Hospital. They reported on 2 meter radio to ARES Net Control, telling how many ER beds that were available. I was at the Civic Auditorium in Kingsport. Our job was to pass messages that were handed to us, by Sullivan Co Emergency Management Agency. We passed the message by 2 meter simplex ham radio, to another station. This Station had HF capabilities. HF is High Frequency Band for making a long distance communications. They were to pass the message to Nashville. The day before the contact was made. But today the weather changed and different time of the day, so the contact didn't make it.

All in all, they said we did great. This was a Trial Drill, April 30th will be the Big Drill, Wish us LUCK!!!