Net Control Station (NCS) Operators are needed for the 2017 Sunday Night VHF/UHF nets.

NCS operators call the net to order at its designated start time, periodically call for participants to join, listen for check-ins, keep track of the roster of stations for that particular net session, and generally orchestrate the operation of the net.

The ARRL Simulated Emergency Test (SET), conducted on October 1st and 2nd, 2016, was a national emergency exercise “aimed at testing the skills and preparedness of Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES) and other organizations that are called into action in actual emergency situations.”[1]

During the 2016 SET the Red River Radio Amateurs (RRRA) conducted tests of HF and VHF coverage in the Red River Valley. The Net Control Stations periodically polled the W0ILO repeaters, the VHF National Calling Frequency, and 3.860MHz, logging the call-signs and locations of check-ins.

MARS-Amateur Radio Interoperability Exercise to Test “Very Bad Day” Scenario: From October 30 through Novembe... https://t.co/0Dpnd1etc1

— ARRL (@arrl) October 19, 2016

“All too often, victims of active shooter or mass-casualty incidents bleed to death waiting for medical treatment. … Most of these shooting events are over in 15 minutes and people can bleed to death within five minutes from these severe injuries.”[1]

Unfortunately it can take more than five minutes for professional first responders to arrive at an incident scene; this is where Immediate Responders, “civilian bystanders … who perform external bleeding control for victims at the point of wounding before the arrival of professional responders”[2], are critical for victim survival. As Amateur Radio Operators we are often present at incidents where Immediate Responders may be needed

An Amateur Radio-military interoperability exercise will take place October 31 and November 1. The event will begin at 1200 UTC on October 31 and continue through 2359 UTC on November 1 on 60 meter channels 1-4—5.3305 MHz, 5.3465 MHz, 5.357 MHz, and 5.3715 MHz, respectively.

During this exercise, military stations will attempt to make radio contact with stations in as many of the 3007 US counties as possible. Radio amateurs providing “county status” information will receive a US Department of Defense “interoperability QSL card.”

Contact the Military Auxiliary Radio Service (MARS) for more information.

(From: ARRL: Amateur Radio-Military Interoperability Exercise Set for October 31-November 1)