Where this began

This exercise started off a few years back as a method to raise Earthquake Awareness and Safety Protocols. Amateur radio operators have early adopted the event as an on-the-air Simulated Emergency Test (SET).

Where We Are Today

The simple net Check-In has grown to much more. This year FEMA is a major sponsor of the exercise.

Last year, using the WinLink 2000 Express (WL2k) system, many Amateur operators used by the USGS form to send in exercise reports. Some counties’ of the ARRL’s Emergency Coordinators (ECs) will go further and ask for Field Situation Reports (FSR) to be sent to the county’s EC.

This year, we are asking all amateur operators are being asked to make the United States Geological Survey’s (USGS ) Did You Feel It report using WL2K’s built-in form.

Before you say you don’t have a radio that can do digital, I will tell you if you are using a Windows-based computer, You can use the Telnet feature built into the program.

Detailed Information is available on Winlink’s ShakeOut Page: https://winlink.org/content/shakeout

If you elect to do this and need help, we can set up a Zoom session

Also it is requested reports be CCed to: QUAKE-23, and SJC-EC. This allows the Amateur ECs to practice using the Geographic Information Systems (GIS) mapping feature.

Please see the links on the bottom of the page.

I have received a series of letters reproduced below.

First Letter

All,

Attached on this email are the UPDATED and proper instructions for the October 19, 2023, “Great SHAKEOUT” Exercise. There are multiple purpose of this exercise:

– USGS needs the data for exercising their ability to deal with incoming data from the “DYFI Reports” to calculate the severity using the Modified Mercalli Intensity Scale.

– FEMA Regions (spawned by Region 4) want “any data” that illustrates the value of Winlink in bringing in situational awareness “ground truth” from specific areas where other methods may not be available.

– State and local civil authorities, as well as their NGO partners also want to provide methods for obtaining situational awareness information, mainly, but not only, through volunteer resources. They also want the incoming data to test their GIS capabilities.

– Winlink wants to test its ability to provide requested information as efficiently and effectively as possible, given the resources that we have available.

Bottom line: Hopefully, these instructions will be sent to your greater RECCWG list, and not just to the “AuxComm” community.” The Winlink Development Team did not build the template process only for individual volunteers. We built EmComm features in order that they also be used and understood by those who manage their jurisdiction’s emergency needs, directly, and through the use of volunteers.

Please send Donnie’s comments and the attached instructions to your RECCWG email list. These instructions for the October 19, Great SHAKEOUT exercise are also available on the main page of the Winlink Website.

Donnie Monette

Regional Emergency Communications Coordinator | Response Division | FEMA Region 04

Office: 770-220-5361 | Mobile: 404-938-7961

Donnie.Monette@fema.dhs.gov

r04-rrcc-dcbd@fema.dhs.gov

SECOND LETTER

FYI all.

We have two weeks to get our Volunteers up to speed with the latest version of the DYFI.

Downloadable PDF details are available at: https://winlink.org/content/shakeout

Telnet mode for new WL2K users is acceptable & encouraged for this Nationwide 2023 Great SHAKEOUT Exercise.

You can call me or your EC (or designee) if you have questions after reading the step by step Instructions.

You can also CC: us (or each other) on the CC: line of your test DYFI’s between now & October 18 so long as “EXERCISE” is selected in those DYFIs and put any questions after entering “THIS IS A DRILL” in the comments at the bottom of the DYFI Form.

Cheers & 73,

…dan sohn

1.209.628.2242

sohn@sti.net or wl7coo @ winlink.org