[Oremem] STATE AAR OREGON/IDAHO- VA ECOM EXERCISE QUAKEX-02

Sat, 12 Oct 2002 00:30:54 -0700

DE AAA0OR # 302
RR 120022Z OCT 02 ZEU ZEN 
FM JEWKES/ AAA0OR OR/AAA0ID ID
TO WAMC/ AAA9W AZ
INFO ZEN ALL OREGON/IDAHO ARMARS STATIONS
ZEN NNN0EHG OR NMCM ECOM OPNS/ASK-3
ZEN NNN0JBG/GPB NMCM OR SMD
ZEN AFA5AH RGN 5 ALT ECOM OPNS
BT
UNCLAS
MARS EXERCISE
SUBJECT: AAR OREGON STATE ECOM EXERCISE QUAKEX-02 (VA)
MARS EXERCISE
1. PARTICIPATING STATIONS 10 MARS/18 HAM OPERATORS
2. OPERATORS 0 (ZERO) MILITARY 4 MARS (SMD, 1 BOISE, 1 
KFALLS, 1 SEATTLE)
3. VAMC VANCOUVER (VISN20) (SMD), BOISE ID VAMC (AAR0TC 
ID), WHITE CITY (PHONE) MEDFORD (PHONE) (AAR0LQ OR), 
SEATTLE WA VAMC AND AMERICAN LAKE WA CLINIC (AAR0DF WA). 
4. EMERGENCY POWER USAGE: 
BATTERY/MOBILE 3
GENERATOR/SOLAR 2
5. OPERATIONS:
A. BRIEF DESCRIPTION:
THIS EXERCISE WAS DESIGNED BY VETERANS ADMINISTRATION 
INFORMATION SERVICES NETWORK (VISN) GROUP 20, TO TEST THE 
FEASABILITY OF UTILIZING AMATEUR AND/OR MARS SYSTEMS THAT 
ALREADY EXIST IN THE EVENT OF A NATURAL DISASTER. IT WAS 
DETERMINED THAT TO PREVENT ACCIDENTAL MEDIA FRENZY OR FEAR 
BY GENERAL LISTENING PUBLIC, TO REFRAIN FROM USING A HIDDEN 
SHADOW OR BAD BUG AS TEST. INSTEAD, A MOCK QUAKE OF LARGE 
MAGNITUDE HIT THE PORTLAND OR AND VANCOUVER WA VAMC AREAS 
DAMAGING AND DESTROYING MANY PUBLIC FACILITIES. EXERCISE 
WAS ON SHORT NOTICE AND SHORT DURATION COVERING THE PERIOD 
OF 031901Z OCT 02 TO 032301Z OCT 02. HAM AND MARS OPERATORS 
COORDINATED AT THE VARIOUS SITES VIA THEIR ONE 'DUALLY' 
ACCESSIBLE MEANS: HAM FREQUENCIES WITH HAM CALLSIGNS. MARS 
NETS WERE ESTABLISHED AS WELL FOR THOSE WHO ARE MARS AS A 
SECOND AVENUE OF COMMUNICATION. ARES/RACES MEMBERS (SOME 
ARE ALSO MARS) QUICKLY SET ABOUT THE TASK OF MAKING INITIAL 
CONTACT BETWEEN FACILITIES. EOC FOR EACH HOSPITAL AND/OR 
CLINIC WAS SETUP BY PRIOR SEALED INSTRUCTIONS AS TO 
RESOURCES, AREAS DAMAGED, ETC. SIMULATED NEEDS ASSESSMENT 
AND DAMAGE ASSESSMENTS WERE SENT VIA HF, VHF AND MARS RELAY 
AS APPROPRIATE AND UPDATES REQUESTED FROM OUTER AREA VAMC'S 
TO DETERMINE THEIR LEVEL OF RESPONSE. 
B. AGENCIES SUPPORTED/COORDINATED WITH:
DEPT. OF VETERANS AFFAIRS HOSPITALS IN WA, ID, OR, AK, NM
NDMS COORDINATORS OFFICE FOR FEMA RGN X
CLARK COUNTY EOC (WASHINGTON STATE)
MULTNOMAH COUNTY EOC (OREGON STATE)
BOISE ID EOC
OREGON STATE OFFICE OF EMERGENCY MANAGEMENT
KING COUNTY EOC (WASHINGTON)
ARES/RACES MEMBERS IN ALL AREAS (OR,WA,ID)
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, OREGON (SIMULATED)
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, WASHINGTON (SIMULATED)
OFFICE OF THE GOVERNOR, IDAHO (SIMULATED)
OFFICE OF EMERGENCY PLANNING, ALASKA (SIMULATED)
C. A GOAL OF THIS EXERCISE WAS TO TEST REGIONAL ABILITY TO 
COMMUNICATE VIA HAM AND/OR MARS FREQUENCIES IN SUPPORT OF 
AGENCIES LISTED IN ITEM BRAVO ABOVE. ANOTHER GOAL, EXPAND 
THE MARS CONTACTS WITH LOCAL AND REGION AGENCIES, AS WELL 
AS WITHIN THE HAM COMMUNITY. INTENDED WAS ALSO TO TEST THE 
PHONE TREE WITHIN OREGON ARMY MARS AND INTEROPERABILITY 
WITH HAM, NAVY-MARINE CORPS MARS AND US AIR FORCE MARS TO 
RESPOND TO/ASSIST IN MITIGATION OF DISASTERS LOCALLY AND IN 
A REGIONAL OCCURRENCE.
6. HOW AND WHEN WERE YOU NOTIFIED OF THE EMERGENCY? 
A. HOW WERE STATE/REGIONAL MEMBERS NOTIFIED? A NUMBER OF 
SMD BCST MESSAGES AND INFORMATION DURING SCHEDULED NETS AS 
WELL AS EMAIL CONTACT FOR OTHER SMD'S AND MARS OPERATORS AS 
IDENTIFIED IN ITEM 5(B) ABOVE. CONNECTION ERRORS DID NOT 
ALLOW A DAY OF EXERCISE NOTIFICATION TO GO OUT VIA THE 
EMAIL OR THE REGIONAL MARS GATEWAY AS INTENDED. THIS MADE 
FOR A LOWER MARS TURN OUT, AS MANY MEMBERS EXPRESSED THAT 
THEY THOUGHT IT HAD PERHAPS BEEN CANCELED, OR THAT THEY 
FORGOT ABOUT IT. 
B. HOW/WHEN WERE OPNS UPDATES PROVIDED THE MEMBERSHIP?
OPERATIONS UPDATES WERE PROVIDED VIA RELAY VIA NMCM 
STATIONS AS POSSIBLE, AT LEAST ONCE EVERY HOUR OF EXERCISE.
7. WEATHER: RAIN AND SCATTERED SHOWER ACTIVITY WITH 
MODERATE WINDS AT EXERCISE SCENE (15-20 MPH).
8. RADIO PROPAGATION: 
KFC: MEDIUM TO POOR.
KMH: NO CONTACT WITH AAA9USA/PRESUME NO PROPAGATION.
KZA: POOR BEYOND 30 MILES.
NMCM FREQ. 7381.0 USB DIAL FAIR TO GOOD. SOME ALE 
INTERFERENCE NOTED BETWEEN 2130Z AND 2230Z, BUT OVERALL NOT 
INHIBITIVE. 
NMCM FREQ. 4045.0 USB DIAL FAIR TO POOR. VERY UP AND DOWN.
NMCM VHF FREQUENCY 148.375 GOOD THROUGHOUT COVERAGE AREA.
HAM FREQUENCIES: 3 MHZ POOR OVERALL. 7 MHZ FAIR TO GOOD, 14 
MHZ FAIR TO POOR, 28 MHZ GOOD TO POOR AND 52 MHZ GOOD WITH 
STATIC CRASHES AND MODERATE INTERFERENCE.
9. WIRE BASED COMMUNICATIONS: 
USED FAX EQUIPMENT FROM VISN20 TO ALL VA FACILITIES AND 
PARTICIPATING AGENCIES ONLY AT STARTEX AND ENDEX TO LET ALL 
'PLAYERS' START AT SAME TIME AND END AT SAME TIME. TRIED TO 
USE TELEPHONES TO SET PHONE TREE INTO MOTION BUT UNKNOWN
INCOMPATIBILITY BETWEEN VA SYSTEM AND MY PHONE CARD DID NOT 
ALLOW THIS TO OCCUR. 
10. TOTAL MESSAGES PROCESSED: 61 (21 HAM, 12 MARS, 28 VA)
11. TOTAL MESSAGES ORIGINATED: 48 (13 CAME FROM HAM SIDE)
12. PROBLEMS/ISSUES/SUCCESSES:
A. INTERNAL TO THE VAMC SYSTEM, LACK OF COORDINATION WITH 
OTHER VA FACILITIES LEAD TO A SCRAMBLE AT STARTEX TO FIND 
QUALIFIED STAFF WITH HAM/MARS OR JUST HAM LICENSES. LACK OF 
INITIALLY COORDINATED FREQUENCIES AND TIME SEQUENCES PUT 
MANY OPERATORS OUT OF TOUCH AT FIRST. 
B. SUCCESS IN SHOWING PROOF OF CONCEPT COMMUNICATIONS IN 
THE EVENT OF LOSS OF PHONES AND NETWORK COMPUTING DURING A 
REAL DISASTER. THIS WAS HELPED BY FAILURE (REAL) OF 3 OF 10 
SATELLITE PHONES AT VA FACILITIES TO INITIALIZE AND/OR 
CONNECT WITH OTHER SATELLITE PHONES. 
C. SOME EOC STAFF AND SOME VA STAFF WERE UNAWARE OF THE E- 
COM EXERCISE AND SLOWED RESPONSE AND SETUP OF HAMS/MARS 
MEMBERS AWAITING SECURITY APPROVALS. 
D. LACK OF IDENTIFICATION CARDS FOR MARS MEMBERS SIMILAR TO 
THOSE USED BY NMCM AND US AIR FORCE MARS ALSO HELPED TO 
SLOW PROCESSING DOWN- NATIONAL ISSUE FOR WAMC AND ABOVE TO 
ADVISE ON POSSIBILITY. 
E. INITIAL AGREEMENT BY VISN AND NDMS COORDINATORS TO HELP 
PLAN FUTURE EVENTS AND REAL-TIME RESPONSES. INCLUDED IN 
THIS WERE WAYS FOR MARS STATIONS TO REMAIN AT HOME YET 
ACCESS REMOTELY EQUIPMENT AND INFORMATION IN A SECURE 
MANNER. 
F. AGREEMENT WITH MEMBERS AND OFFICIALS OF CLARK COUNTY 
WASHINGTON AND PORTLAND OR AREA ARES/RACES AND MARS TO LOOK 
INTO WAYS OF PASSING HAM TRAFFIC VIA MARS AND MARS TRAFFIC 
VIA HAM WHEN AND IF NEEDED. THIS INCLUDES SETTING UP HAM 
DIGITAL BOARDS TO FORWARD TO MARS STATIONS, VIA THEIR HAM 
CALLS AND HAM FREQUENCIES, MESSAGES INTENDED TO EVENTUALLY 
ENTER THE MMCS FOR DELIVERY EITHER TO MILITARY OR FEDERAL 
UNITS. (CONCEPTUAL AGREEMENT).
G. BASIC AGREEMENT BASED ON EXERCISE EXPERIENCES TO COVER 
MANY VARIOUS CONTINGENCIES IN FUTURE PLANNING AND EXERCISE 
EVENTS BETWEEN ALL INVOLVED STATIONS AND PARTIES. 
H. HAVE RECEIVED MULTIPLE INQUIRIES FROM HAMS, LOCAL AND 
STATE LEVEL AGENCIES, (INCLUDING MANY THAT DID NOT 
PARTICIPATE IN THE EXERCISE, BUT HAD OBSERVERS PRESENT) AS 
TO HOW DIFFICULT TO BECOME HAM/MARS/GEAR TYPES/ETC. 
I. CONTINGENCY FOR PHONE TREE NEEDS TO BE ADDRESSED TO 
ALLOW FOR VARIOUS MEMBERS OTHER THAN JUST THE SMD TO START 
THE BALL ROLLING. 
J. POTENTIAL EXISTS FOR ESTABLISHING MARS/VA CLUB STATIONS 
AND HAM CLUB STATIONS AT VAMC FACILITIES. VA PERSONNEL ARE 
EXCITED AT THE POSSIBILITY OF GIVING THEIR PATIENTS FASTER 
ACCESS TO THE MMCS/ANY VETERAN AND MARSGRAMS TO HOME THAN 
IS CURRENTLY FEASIBLE. 
K. OVERALL THIS WAS A POSTIVE AND UPLIFTING EXERCISE FOR 
ALL WHO PARTICIPATED, AND ENLIGHTENING AS WELL. ADDITIONAL 
CURVE WAS THROWN IN BY VA VISN20 STAFF. SMD WAS TO BE AT A 
VA FACILITY (VANCOUVER CLINIC) AND BE LIMITED TO 15 WATTS 
INPUT DUE TO A FALLEN POLE ON VEHICLE. THIS MADE RELAY OF 
MUCH GREATER IMPORTANCE, AND AFFECTED SMD ABILITY TO BE THE 
NCS FOR BOTH HAM AND MARS NETS (HAM UNDER DIRECTION OF 
AC7RU- ALLOWING ALL BAND ACCESS). ERP OF MY HF GEAR WAS <10 
WATTS PEP ON HAM AND <12 WATTS ON MARS.
SGD JOHN JEWKES, SMD OREGON/IDAHO ARMY MARS.
MARS EXERCISE
BT
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/EX

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