A simulated city wide communication failure caused by an unseasonable severe snow and ice storms was the back drop for the Seattle Auxiliary Communications Service (ACS), a group of unpaid amateur radio operators that assist the City of Seattle with back up emergency radio service, was used to test the groups skills in a Simulated Emergency Test (SET), Saturday October 7th.

During the drill, the group’s ability was tested to respond and establish communication networks at four city agencies and the cities Emergency Operations Center. The (SET) was put into operation after the Seattle Emergency Management Division declared an emergency for the simulated weather event.

Starting off the drill was a newly designed computer assisted call out system for ASC members to deploy Amateur Radio Communications Teams and set up amateur radio stations to assist the city, relaying simulated emergency messages. Networks were set up at the Seattle Department of Transportation; Seattle Parks and Recreation Department; Seattle City Light and the Seattle Public Utilities North Operations Center, relaying messages to the city’s Emergency Operation Center. The four member teams, staffed in two shifts, at each site provided emergency message handling, during the test that disrupted city services due to the weather related event that affected many streets and downed phone and power lines. ! The ACS radio amateurs also respond with a “Go Kit” that contains radio gear, shelter, food, water clothing an items able to sustain them in the field for a period of 72 hours.
 
The exercise tested the ACS group’s ability to enhance communications for the Seattle agencies using amateur radio frequencies in the UHF/VHF bands using three radio repeaters and two simplex frequencies from the cities Amateur Radio Civil Emergency Service (RACES) station W7ACS plus a radio repeater operated by the Puget Sound Repeater Group (W7VHY) according to Joel Ware (KD7QKK), ACS Incident Commander for the Event.
 
Also tested in the SET was the use of the Washington State, (RACES) plan and the ARRL Western Washington Emergency Communications plan for effective traffic handling with six districts using regional and section radio nets.
 
Mark Sheppard (K7LYE), ACS Director said, “This was really a good time to get people out with radios and they handled messages in a very professional manor, the members learned a lot and had a lot of fun doing it.”
 
The design team for this year's Seattle exercise is Joel Ware (KD7QKK), Boone Barker (KC7RK), Mark Sheppard (N7LYE), Hal Mueller (KE7BYN) George Boswell (K7YHB), Bill Dockstader (W7LSK)with Brian Daly (WB7OML) as Safety  Officer,  Mike Tyler (KE7DIF) for Technical radio support and Dave Mann (KD7ZYM) as PIO.
 
Measurement and evaluation of the exercise was conducted by Marina Zuetell (N7LSL) and Brian Daly (WB7OML) from the Medical Services Communication Team, a group of amateur radio operators that provide communications support to area hospitals. The newly appointed Communications Director for the Seattle chapter of the American Red Cross, Fred Kesler (KE7JBA) was an observer at the Emergency Operations Center for the ACS drill.
 
Radio amateurs receiving messages at the EOC were Joel Ware, communications center manager and operators: Mike Tyler (KE7DIF), net manager William Ehler (K7NZV), Matthew Thomas (KD7PPK), Tod Heuer (KE7IUR) and EOC logistics manager Bill Dockstader (W7LSK).
 
Amateur Radio Communications Teams at the four city agencies were comprised of ACS Director, Mark Sheppard (N7LYE); ACS Deputy Director Jim Doub (K6TKU); Field Operations Manager, George Boswell (K7YHB); Information Technology Manager Hal Mueller and members: (KD7BYN), Tammy Zoch (KD7GDP), John Lever (N7LVR), Don Deibert (AA7EF), Arthur Davis (WF7O), Bob Helling (K9PQ), John Pringle (W7RIY), Rob Ekl (N3UFW), Andy Morse (AB7AN), Lee Bond (K7KC), Bob Newhouse (KD7AGT), Steve Willey (KD7GXO), Donald Thornton W7THO), Frank Toles (KC7VZN), Carol Toles (KD7REP), Albert Buscio (KD7BAU), Paul Donnor (KD7SSD) and Steven Monsey (NOFPF).

Following the exercise was a debriefing at the Seattle Public Utilities North Operations Center for lessons-learned during the exercise. 

For more information About Seattle ACS organization and membership see the group’s Internet site: http://www.seattleacs.com.
 
The SET is an annual, nation wide event sponsored by ARRL, the national association for Amateur Radio, to Test the amateur radio response for emergency communications.