With support from the Edmond Ham Club, Carl Abrahamson activated a VHF direct/simplex net at 10:00 a.m. as part of our emergency communications exercise. The goal was to simulate providing evacuation-notice updates to HOAs in the immediate area without relying on any repeaters, ensuring we could still function effectively in a grid-down or infrastructure-limited situation. We had a solid response, with eight stations checking in and providing their name, call sign, and map grid square, giving us a good snapshot of real-world coverage and participation.
At the same time, we’ve been forwarding resource requests via ham radio to the Edmond EOC. To my delight, the EOC has been fully engaged in the simulation, sending back detailed status updates on each request. This back-and-forth has created additional traffic on the net and added a valuable layer of realism to the exercise. Overall, it’s been a productive test of our capabilities and a great demonstration of how well amateur radio can support local emergency operations.
Lucien Jones, KD5LPV
