Why ARRL & ARES Have SET?   

          Message from Tom KF2GC NNY-SM and  Steve Ewald-WV1X

      Hello fellow NNY-Amateurs, Yes Please, "Participate in/with SET: an ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) this Fall Classic It’s Just Ahead, October 2^nd thru 5th 2021." Now for more info on why we do this please check out the ARRL website at: http://www.arrl.org/news/get-with-the-set-arrl-simulated-emergency-test-set-fall-classic-just-ahead "The weekend for the 2021 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is only days away,

      October 2^nd 3rd thru 5^th.  The primary League-sponsored national emergency exercise is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of ARES and other organizations involved with emergency and disaster response." Our own NNY Section ARES team has come up with the scenario-Nor’easter Snow Blizzard Storm we’ll work with served agencies and partner organizations during the SET. I plan to be on the Airwaves, First on HF in the morning & again in the afternoon 10am - 2pm at the EOC in Lewis, NY or Saranac Lake,residence. And then on the 2nd - 5thth here at my QTH. As ARES- EC Essex Co. it’s always a good Idea to make sure our local Emergency Services has a working Amateur Station in the times of a county activation. It’s important for the people there know that we can be counted on in the times when we are needed the most. Yes, Amateur Radio has and will be called upon to carry out needed communications in Emergency situations. As of late it will be necessary to have someone in another location carry out the VHF/UHF portions of the band while I’m logging the contacts on HF. This way more folks can get to check in and we can simultaneously work to cover our Sections large rural & wilderness regions in NNY. We want you to get involved and help in running a local repeater net or on a simplex frequency. both are welcome. Also, other modes like APRS will be used to communicate also. A Basic information message will be passed, we endeavor to keep exchanges short and to the point. Relay’s only when all else fails. My APRS will most likely be relays through digipeater-relays, so I anticipate using an auto reply; TNX for Contact during our NNY-SET, 2021 and remember time w/ date stamps are automatic. Mainly, to see if our communication paths are possible. Other logging formats or recording of contact sheets have been sent out and are available before this SET. So, ECs DECs and Emergency groups should have received them in plenty of time for the exercise. Once, you have them for the NNY-SET you can keep track of your contacts during your participation on VHF, HF or A Digital Mode, APRS or FLDIGI or Andflmsg etc. Later we can share our contacted information and assess our effectiveness for PRIMARILY inside our 10 Counties or outside our NNY-Section too. Steve Ewald said. “The SET invites all radio amateurs to become aware of emergency preparedness and available training, Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES), Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), National Traffic System (NTS), SKYWARN, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN), MAR’s and other allied groups and public service-oriented radio amateurs are encouraged to participate.”

     “The objective of the annual nationwide exercise is to test training and skills and to try out new methods. It’s a time to work with partner organizations and served agencies to get to know them better and to determine their needs before an emergency or disaster strikes, Steve Ewald, said. “Knowing whom to contact within partner groups with the planned procedures will help everyone accomplish their goals and succeed in their missions. Getting to know these organizations at the local, section, and state levels and how to work together for effective emergency and disaster with the procedures for response service are important, Ewald said. The annual Simulated Emergency Test provides the chance, for you and the radio amateurs of your community help make it happen. To get involved, contact your local ARRL Emergency Coordinator or Net Manager.” See the ARRL Sections pages or get in touch with your ARRL Section Manager.”