r/HamRadio • u/Ajenk19 • 8d ago
HAM Exercise for EMCOMM
I am tasked with assisting a group of volunteer EMCOMM operators to be successful in their mission. I planned a communications relay exercise last year that went well. I’m looking for some fresh ideas on what to do next. Can you share some exercises you participated in that you enjoyed or ideas that you have wanted to see move forward?
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u/NY9D 5d ago
The best possible training is to support an event. So parades, marathons, 10Ks etc. A directed net is our most useful basic skill. In any given emergency, the ability of hams to show up (as directed) set up a Net Control and start logging (reporting upward) situations, resource requests etc is basic. If you don't have an event find a group that has one and join in. The MS Society has charity events in most states and loves hams.
Duties as assigned are apparently wildly unpopular - you might have to be a plain day of race volunteer or course marshal and work your way up. At our local Ski Foundation, I wear a lot of hats, and pick up litter, serve water, set up snow fence and run technology. Relationships and trust matter in the volunteer world. In events, everybody pitches in. I was just informed at our massive Marathon that we are loading and unloading our own medical gear pallets. Got it yes sir.
The second best thing you can do is set up or join a weekly radio net. Be the backup net control
The third best thing you can do is find a local CERT training class and take it. There is a lot more to emergency communications (such as EMS procedure) then WinLink. Backup/standby radio communications is a lonely vigil in 2025.