SET Overview
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Nationally. The 2021 ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET) is just ahead. The primary ARRL-sponsored national emergency exercise is designed to assess the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service® (ARES®) volunteers, as well as those affiliated with other organizations involved with emergency and disaster response. The primary SET weekend is October 2-3. The annual SET encourages maximum participation by all amateur radio operators, partner organizations, and national, state, and local officials who typically engage in emergency or disaster response.
In addition to ARES volunteers, radio amateurs active in the National Traffic System, Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), SKYWARN™, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), and a variety of other allied groups and public service-oriented radio amateurs are needed to fulfill important roles in this nationwide exercise.
The SET allows volunteers to test equipment, modes, and skills under simulated emergency conditions and scenarios. Individuals can use the time to update a “go-kit” for use during deployments and to ensure their home station’s operational capability in an emergency or disaster.
Metro KC. The MECC 2021 SET on October 2, 2021 is a Full Scale Exercise, planned for 4 hours throughout the Kansas City Metro Region. Exercise play is intended for jurisdictions and agencies identified in this plan, however, other jurisdictions may be conducting their own exercises and may participate with this exercise in a support role. Kansas City Metropolitan Emergency Communications Council (MECC) and the Metropolitan Emergency Manager’s Committee (MEMC). This exercise will include amateur radio groups and hospitals from the following jurisdictions: Platte County, MO., Clay County, MO., Independence, MO., Jackson County, MO., Johnson County, KS., Wyandotte County, KS., Leavenworth County, KS., This will also include the following state or regional organizations: Kansas RACES and Salvation Army (SATERN).
Leavenworth, KS. We have two primary Served Agencies: Leavenworth County Office of Emergency Management and Saint John Hospital. Neither will be participating in the MECC 2021 SET. We still need to exercise our capabilities in a scenario that simulates, as close as possible, the tasks we will likely be asked to perform. Since many of our members have not participated in an exercise of this scope before and many others have not been involved in an exercise for some time, we will engage in mutual aid of other jurisdictions. This relieves us of having to manage a scenario and, instead, concentrate on communications skills enhancement.