73 de the FLEMA SET Committee

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Dominick Edwards
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1 1 You are invited to participate in this unique event because you have expressed in interest in Basic NBEMS, or your group may have endorsed it. As you know, it is a productivity tool to enhance voice communications during emergency or traffic nets. WHY YOU SHOULD PARTICIPATE IN THIS SPECIAL SET First and foremost, take this opportunity to demonstrate the skills you have learned in workshops or practiced on NBEMS nets. It is also a great opportunity to educate fellow hams about NBEMS. Many have no clue as to how easy and reliable this no-cost methodology really is. Just last week the second highest SFL Section ARRL official sadly demonstrated his ignorance by publicly pooh-poohing NBEMS. He appeared to be unaware of advances in NBEMS that make it ideal for the typical ham. These have been well documented in QST and proven on-the-air by his own ARES staff members including the ARES District Emergency Net Manager and Chairman of the ARES Digital Committee! And, that Section official obviously has not monitored the popular, weekly combined voice+nbem nets that have grown to become some of the largest in this area. So let s have a great SET with lots of participation it only takes a few minutes to receive and respond to an ICS 213! AJ1Q Chris K4ZXR - Joel KA7NOO Mike KC4WAM - Bill 73 de the FLEMA SET Committee KG4GLS George KK4TSP Keith KM4CMY - Brian KS4NB Larry

2 IMPORTANT OPERATIONAL DETAILS & HIGHLIGHTS A SET Communications Hub will be at an elevated site providing extended range. Simplex and repeater modes on VHF/UHF are permitted under the scenario. Participants can use one or both modes. Relays with Autosend practiced on our nets are encouraged. Traffic into and out of the region will primarily be conducted on HF. Operations and time schedules are below, and The scenario with messaging information is on page 3. SIMPLEX OPERATIONS - MT63-2KL No Tone: Primary freq: MHz Secondary Freq: The SET Communications Hub will use a 2 meter directional antenna that will be pointed north and south on the following time schedule: ALL TIMES EDST SOUTH NORTH 9:00-9:20 X 9:30-9:50 X 10:00 10:20 X 10:30 10:50 X 11:00 11:20 X 11:30 11:50* X *Continued operation after noon is possible if the demand for traffic is heavy. REPEATER OPERATIONS - MT63-2KL Continuous 9am to Noon PRIMARY: MHz plus offset CTCSS tone Emergency powered with an extended timeout timer MONITORED SECONDARY REPEATERS: Miami PL 88.5 & Pt St. Lucie PL and 20 METER OPERATION SSB & MT63-1KL/1500Hz Center A 40 meter NVIS antenna will be used for skip Florida communications. A 20 meter yagi at 30 feet will be installed for more distant and out-of-state communications. Contact with the Hub must first be made on voice/ssb and the control operator will provide instructions to QSY to a data frequency most likely or MHz. IF THERE NO RESPONSE TO YOUR FIRST CALL, PLEASE STANDBY. THE HUB STATION MAY BE ON THE DATA FREQUENCY BUT WILL RETURN. ALL TIMES EDST / /- 9:00-9:20 X 9:30-9:50 X 10:00 10:20 X 10:30 10:50 X 11:00 11:20 X 11:30 11:50* X *Continued operation after noon is possible if the demand for traffic is heavy. 2

3 3 SCENARIO NARRATIVE: Florida Emergency Messaging Associates WIDE AREA BASIC NBEMS SIMULATED EMERGENCY TEST HACK ATTACK IN PARADISE 25 OCT AM TO NOON Unknown assailants engage in malevolent cyber attacks on Internet-connected devices in South Florida which systematically shut down and/or damage these devices. Those devices directly affected will, in many cases, result in cascading failures in other systems. The first wave of trouble shows up as a failure of the electrical grid, statewide. The hackers have gained control of all of the switches used at the major substations and power plants in South Florida. All substations go off line from Indian River County and points south. All South Florida power generating facilities, including nuclear power plants, are shut down, either as a result of the substation failures or because they were directed to shut down by the hackers Within a few minutes, a different group of hackers gain control of the SCADA (Supervisory Control and Data Acquisition) systems controlling the flow of natural gas thru pipelines and their associated pumping stations. All natural gas pumping stations in South Florida shut down as valves close. Some explosions and fires result. There are almost 12,000 miles of these pipelines in the state. All facilities running electrical generation systems which rely upon natural gas are rendered useless. The third phase of the attack has two parts. o First, the loss of AC power and natural gas has caused an immediate and network- crushing overload of the landline and cellular communications systems (which are operating on battery power). o Second, the hackers target the relay points and switching stations that handle telecommunications, bringing all IP-connected systems down. All South Florida media outlets TV, CATV, satellite providers, AM and FM radio are off the air as a result of the loss of IP-remote connections between studios and transmitters and/or the loss of network capabilities. The Emergency Action System (EAS) is inoperable as no networks are available with which to communicate to the transmitters. In short, all of the technology upon which we rely, is unavailable in South Florida. TIMELINE: All of the above takes place in the 60 minutes PRECEDING the opening of the drill. In other words, the damage has been done, the infrastructure is down, and, in some cases, irreparably so. Very few repeaters have backup power left.

4 DISCUSSION OF THE SCENARIO: This scenario is ripped from today s headlines. Cyber attacks are very much at the forefront of U.S. emergency and military planners.

4 4 DISCUSSION OF THE SCENARIO: This scenario is ripped from today s headlines. Cyber attacks are very much at the forefront of U.S. emergency and military planners. PURPOSE OF THIS EXERCISE: To encourage Emergency Communicators and their organizations to plan for and execute a communications response plan (or plans) to meet the perceived complex document needs of their served agencies and communities in the event of a disaster. EXERCISE OBJECTIVES: To test groups and individuals abilities to communicate strictly using RF means both simplex and via repeaters on emergency power. To test organization s abilities to move complex documents, data and messages within and between local communities, as well as to/from stations outside the affected areas, including those in other states, that can rapidly relay via conventional means. The traffic can include NBEMS station profiles, infrastructure reports, and health and welfare content. An attempt will be made to start a Basic NBEMS database including geographical, emergency power and simplex range information. PARTICIPATION: Individuals and groups are invited to participate. All participants submitting their address will receive an 8½ x11 certificate commemorating the event and their participation. Allow up to 5 weeks for delivery. A reduced size sample is shown.

5 5 GUIDELINES FOR EXERCISE PLAY: Individuals Any Basic NBEMS station can send traffic they originate to the FLEMA Emcomm Hub and others on frequency; or, they can request to receive an ICS-213 from the Hub but must complete the Responder section to transmit back to the Hub. Other documents/messages are acceptable and described below. Groups As each local FLEMA group, singly and collectively, possesses unique abilities, and each organization has it s own roster of served agencies, demographic and geological features, all Florida emergency communicators are free to work within the framework of the scenario to add elements, injects, and/or challenges as they see fit. This exercise scenario is a framework and defines the general exercise parameters. How this type of disaster would affect a particular local community depends upon the community and each participating group will determine the nature of the needs in their respective area. Having said that, groups are strongly encouraged to look outside their own jurisdiction to determine how they can help their neighboring jurisdictions and groups, i.e., offering mutual aid. Groups are also encouraged to play this as a real event. In the first few hours of such an event, HF communications by voice and data will be the norm. MESSAGING: As the event wears on the need for data comm s will become more apparent and, digital communications between local agencies and state agencies will become of primary importance. For that reason, each participating group is asked to field at least one station, if not as many as possible, capable of sending traffic via MT63-2KL digital means if on VHF or MT63-1KL if on HF. If messages are for specialized groups such as the Red Cross, National Weather Service, MARS or others, they maybe in any standard NBEMS/FLMSG pre-formatted forms. If messages are sent via the NTS, then, ARRL Radiogram format is preferred. However, it is expected that FEMA s ICS-213 and spreadsheets will form the bulk of traffic in a real emergency. ALL MESSAGES SHALL CONTAIN THE DISCLAIMER: THIS IS A SIMULATED EMERGENCY MESSAGE Also Please insert the following comma separated info in your first message regardless of the type complex document: Callsign,Name,Zip,Town,State,Emergency Power (y/n),estimated Simplex Range, EXAMPLE KS4NB,Larry,33414,Wellington,FL,Y,10,larry33414@aol.com (We will use the zip code info to plot the locations of capable and willing communications volunteers on a map, to be used for planning or database purposes). REPORTING REQUIREMENTS: An After Action Report is requested from each participating entity. Individual participants can send in comments about their exercise experience. SIMPLEX OPERATION, RELAY STATIONS & REPEATER INFO IS ON PAGE 2.

WELCOME TO PASSAIC COUNTY ARES

WELCOME TO PASSAIC COUNTY ARES ABOUT THE INSTRUCTOR: Name: Aly Badawy Callsign: AL0Y (Alfa Lima Zero Yankee) ARES District Emergency Coordinator for Passaic County ARRL Official Relay Station Registered