The October ARES Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is a longstanding ARRL opportunity for Sections to come together and evaluate how hams can contribute value to statewide preparedness efforts. Are we organized, reliable, disciplined? A supportive and inclusive team able to problem solve in real time, and collaborate with a sincere interest to provide a public service? Is this a team served agencies can trust to turn to?
Each July QST issue has, for decades, highlighted each Section ARES and other teams that have come together to participate in the annual October SET challenge. It is one measure of a Section’s preparedness maturity to be able to follow up in this way and self-report their own progress year over year. RI ARES has not been in a place to report results for at least a decade. But the good news is that is changing in October 2023.
The RI ARES official SET started this Saturday October 21 and will run until Sunday at 10pm. We held two nets so far this weekend, with this summary of Saturday reports to date:
- 15 check-ins
- 8 airport weather traffic reports for 4 RI airports
- accurately passed to at least 2 MARS members
- via 80m and 2m voice, and so open to all license classes,
- including a new Technician ham licensed less than 2 months. (wow!)
The Sunday SET nets will begin October 22nd at Noon, with the last one at 10pm.
Want to join the momentum? Please see RIARES.org and the Incident Action Plan put together by A-SEC, Jeremy Taylor, K1JST.
For more on the Practice Exercise held two weeks ago , please see:
Join the RI ARES MARS Airport Weather Exercise starting this weekend