The Western Massachusetts Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) section recently concluded its annual Simulated Emergency Test (SET), demonstrating outstanding readiness across all four WMA counties. Organized under Section Emergency Coordinator leadership, the exercise simulated a severe regional grid collapse and widespread telecommunications blackout across the Commonwealth.
More than 70 emergency communications volunteers deployed to local hospitals, municipal emergency management agencies, and American Red Cross shelters. Operators utilized portable generators, solar power stations, and temporary wire antennas to establish HF NVIS and VHF/UHF tactical radio links within minutes of activation.
During the exercise, operators successfully passed over 150 formal ICS-213 traffic messages using voice and Winlink digital modes. The test confirmed WMA ARES’s position as a highly disciplined, emergency-ready auxiliary communications resource for Western Massachusetts public safety partners.
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