MVARA participated in the Simulated Emergency Test (SET) on October 4 – 5, 2025. This nationwide exercise is the chance to test our emergency-operating skills and the readiness of our communications equipment and accessories in a simulated emergency-like deployment.
The Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES), the National Traffic System (NTS), the Radio Amateur Civil Emergency Service (RACES), SKYWARN, Community Emergency Response Team (CERT), Salvation Army Team Emergency Radio Network (SATERN), and other allied groups and public-service oriented radio amateurs are among those who are eligible to participate in the simulated exercise and to practice emergency operation plans, nets and procedures.
La Crosse ARES was active from 9:00 AM to 11:00 AM Saturday, mostly on the 146.97 repeater, testing equipment plus sending and receiving messages. Some of our club and member plans for the SET included:
- Vic WT9Q (La Crosse Co. EC will be passing messages up the ARES / RACES chain of command)
- Rick KD9GVS Net Control
- Wayne K0WLO & Tom WA9TS will be operating at the La Crosse National Weather Service
- Rob W9LUP Mayo Hospital La Crosse
- Eric K0BTW Passing messages and traffic via VARA HF
- Dan W9FCC Passing Messages and traffic to the Badger Emergency Net
- Craig N9ETD, Bill N9FDE & Greg KD9TMZ transported and setup the MVARA bus in Arcadia to act as a relay to Eau Claire County.
- Ron KD9OHQ will be operating the Whitehall hospital radio if he and Vic are able to get it working before the exercise.
- Jason N9MOE will be operating from his home.
Overall, everyone felt it was a successful event. More information from the ARRL about the SET: https://www.arrl.org/simulated-emergency-test
A few member-submitted photos (including a couple tongue-in-cheeks) are below:
