ATTN CW OPERATORS: Upcoming Disaster Exercise – June 8 & 9

1 June 2016

To: All NTS CW Nets

From: James Wades, NTS Central Area Staff

Re: Upcoming Disaster Exercise, June 8 and 9, 2016

MEMORANDUM

As many of you have heard, the National Traffic System will be participating in a major Federal Emergency Management Agency exercise on June 8 and 9, 2016. During this exercise, NTS will be testing communications between the FEMA National Response Coordinating Center at Washington, D.C. and a simulated disaster area involving Oregon, Washington, Idaho, Northern California and Alaska.

A preliminary exercise was conducted on May 28 and the results were very encouraging.

The upcoming exerc ise will utilize radiotelephone, radiotelegraph and digital (NTSD) modes. The latter two modes will carry the bulk of transcontinental message traffic between the simulated disaster area and the East Coast.

The exercise will run from approximately 1700Z to 0400Z on June 8 (081700Z to 090400Z Jun 2016) and again on June 9 from approximately 1400 to 1800Z (091400Z to 091800Z Jun 2016).

We respectfully request the cooperation of our Section, Region and Area Nets to accommodate this message traffic, particularly during NTS Cycle 4. While the exercise frequency management plan is designed to minimize the impact of the exercise on existing NTS operations , situat ions may arise in which one or more nets or schedules may need to be deferred to accommodate the exercise. Please take any necessary steps to avoid interference or conflict with exercise operations.

I have formatted a "QNC" announcement for transmission on NTS CW nets in advance of the exercise. Please forward this QNC message to CW nets throughout the US and Canada.

Thank you,

James Wades (WB8SIW)

Cascadia Rising Project Manager