Purpose
Drills are used to exercise specific operational skills, practice digital and voice network operations, and assess user performance. Each Drill will be narrowly focused on a small set of skills and will be designed to require one hour or less to complete. Drills will be the primary tool used to certify user performance.
Implementation
- On the Tuesday prior to the Drill, the weekly ACS training net will be used to distribute information and field questions about the Drill. When the drill requires detailed information to be distributed, the information will be posted on this page of the Pinellas ACS web site and distributed via email and Winlink.
- As a rule, users will participate in Drills from their home QTH.
Schedule
Drills will take place on the forth Thursday of each month except during those months in which a Functional Test, Simulated Emergency Test, or Full-Scale Exercise is scheduled.
Drill Activity
February 2022
Title: Low Power Simplex Mode Operation
This Drill has three objectives.
- Establish a county wide simplex net using normal RF power levels in accordance with the procedures documented in the Pinellas ACS/ARES® Emergency Communications and Standard Operating Procedures document.
- Transition the simplex net to a low RF power setting and back-up DC power sources (If available).
- Exchange message traffic and network operations data within a simplex net.
Support Material
September 2021
Title: Simplex Mode Operation
The ACS/ARES® Tactical-Resource Net will be established at ACTIVATION LEVEL 1 using the primary ACS repeater system, W4ACS. Once the net is established, the drill will begin. The three phases of the drill are listed below.
- Part 1: Transition to a county wide simplex net.
- Part 2: Send an announcement to all simplex net participants and verify receipt.
- Part 3: Return to the W4ACS repeater system for closing remarks and net deactivation.
This drill has two objectives.
- Provide training to the membership on Simplex mode operation.
- Identify the appropriate number of relay stations, and practice relaying information between net participants.
August 2021
Title: Simplex Mode Operation
The ACS/ARES® Tactical-Resource Net will be established at ACTIVATION LEVEL 1 using the primary ACS repeater system, W4ACS. Once the net is established, the drill will begin. The three phases of the drill are listed below.
- Part 1: Transition to a county wide simplex net.
- Part 2: Send an announcement to all simplex net participants and verify receipt.
- Part 3: Return to the W4ACS repeater system for closing remarks and net deactivation.
This drill has two objectives.
- Provide training to the membership on Simplex mode operation.
- Identify the appropriate number of relay stations, and practice relaying information between net participants.
July 2021
Title: Contingency Mode – Primary and Secondary Repeater Failure
The ACS/ARES® Tactical-Resource Net will be established at ACTIVATION LEVEL 1 using the primary ACS repeater system, W4ACS. Once the net is established, the drill will begin. The three phases of the drill are listed below.
- Phase 1: Simulate a failure of the W4ACS Primary Repeater System. Then transition to the WD4SCD back-up repeater system.
- Phase 2: Simulate a failure of the WD4SCD Back-up Repeater System. Then, transition to a county wide simplex net.
- Phase 3: Return to the W4ACS repeater system for closing remarks and net deactivation.
