Amateurs across Massachusetts participated in the “Hurricane Hudson” emergency exercise on August 2, 2010. The two hour exercise involved members of the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) members from both Western and Eastern Massachusetts, the Military Auxiliary Radio System (MARS), Emergency Management Agencies (EMAs) in towns and cities, as well as the National Weather Service in Taunton.
The exercise scenario, designed by Eastern MA Section Emergency Coordinator Rob Macedo, KD1CY, and other MRAS leaders, called for significant infrastructure damage to landline and cellular telephone, and loss of commercial power. EMAs were encouraged to report damage assessments to state and federal authorities as well as practicing simulated recovery operations at their discretion as a training opportunity.
The exercise utilized a wide variety of communications modes, including: RACES nets, the Echolink *NEW-ENG* conference node, the IRLP Reflector, the MEMA VHF Radio system on non-amateur frequencies for cities, towns and agencies, the MA Web EOC, and the MA Health and Homeland Alert Network. At various times during the drill, RACES nets were forced to reconvene to simplex frequencies due to simulated repeater outages.
Tom Kinahan, N1CPE and a team of Amateurs staffed the Massachusetts State EOC. Terry Stader, KA8SCP and a team of Amateurs staffed the MEMA Region 1 Tewksbury office. Bob Mims, WA1OEZ and a team of operators staffed the MEMA Region 2 office. Steve Rodowicz, N1SR, and others staffed the MEMA Region 3 office, while John Ruggerio, N2YHK and a team of amateurs staffed the Worcester City Emergency Operations Center which supports the MEMA Region 3 office. The National Weather Service in Taunton was staffed by Rob Macedo, KD1CY along with four other amateurs. Many local city and town Emergency Operation Centers were also staffed. ARES Command Centers were staffed at the local town of Bridgewater EOC, local town of Acushnet EOC and the Clay Center Observatory in Brookline, Massachusetts through the efforts of Carl Aveni, N1FY in Bridgewater; Ed Caron, KA1RSY in Acushnet; and Marek Kozubal, KB1NCG in Brookline.
Several Amateur operators from neighboring states, including Connecticut and New Hampshire participated in the exercise as well as hams from the Maritime provinces of New Brunswick and Nova Scotia, Canada. In addition, Amateur Radio Coordinators from WX4NHC, the Amateur Radio Station at the National Hurricane Center checked in and montiored drill operations from their home locations. They extended their thanks and support to the region for conducting hurricane drill operations.
Thanks, KD1CY
Photos: top, right: Phil McLaughlin, KB1CYO; Steve Schwarm, W3EVE; Rob Macedo, KD1CY; Jim Tynan, KC1JET at the National Weather Service in Taunton; bottom left: Frank O’Laughlin, WQ1O operates the Barnstable ARC’s club station, K1PBO at Hyannis American Red Cross Hq.