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ARES to hold emergency drill
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Posted on Jan 19 2001
The CNMI Amateur Radio Emergency Service, a voluntary organization of FCC-licensed radio amateurs, yesterday announced it will hold an emergency drill on Jan. 28, 2001.
The organization’s members have registered their capabilities and equipment for the provision of emergency communications as a public service to the community.
ARES said the drill will combine the efforts and facilities of Saipan’s two amateur radio clubs — the Amateur Radio Club of Saipan (ARCS) and the MDX Amateur Radio Club (MDX)- and unaffiliated amateurs.
Members of ARES will meet at Micro Beach at 2:00pm for a pre-drilling briefing and then disperse across the island to establish emergency communications nets from 10 sites, including the Emergency Management Office, Red Cross Headquarters and the 7 designated Typhoon shelters on Saipan.
A unique aspect of this drill will be the inclusion of the island of Tinian for the first time in the communications nets. Because of the lack of radio amateurs, Rota and the Northern Islands can not be included at this time.
Initially, the facilities of the two clubs repeater stations on Mt. Tapochau and in Chalan Kanoa will be utilized. Later in the drill, the amateurs will simulate the loss of the repeater facilities and attempt to establish simplex communications, a difficult task with Saipan’s terrain.
Additional objectives of the drill are to provide the amateurs with experience in passing formal written traffic (telegrams) and to integrate amateurs on Tinian into the communications plan.
Following the drill will be a pot luck supper at either the Micro Beach site or at the Red Cross Headquarters.
For further information contact: Timothy F. Hayes, NHOH, District Emergency Coordinator at 322-3506; Genaro F. Fajilan, NHOF, Saipan Emergency Coordinator at 322-0477; Romeo D. Malasarte, KHOFX, Assistant Emergency Coordinator at 288-2550.
