Statewide Emergency Management Test

[RAA9595]

I had my Pro-93 turned down lowat about 9:15am this morning and I heard the weekly test on SEMA 3. (42896 SEMA 3 Statewide Emergency Management -- Cross Band link to 155.235MHz)

That was the first time I had ever heard that. There were many counties and cities cheked in on, and some answered and some did not. I heard Jefferson County EOC, Enid, Shawnee, Linclon County, Norman and Tulsa NWS, and more but I was too busy looking through the Database to pay attention to them all. The person calling off the counties and cities said at about 9:26 am that that concluded the tests for this week and that they would be held next week at the same time.

 

[NeFire242]

Is that a NAWAS rebroadcast then?

 

[RAA9595]

I do not know. That was the first time I've ever heard that.

 

[KK5FM]

They do this test every wednesday. They do two tests: One on the State EM VHF frequency 155.235, and then another on the 800 system. Quite a neat setup. In the Stillwater area, for example, there is supposed to be a crossband repeater, that has a one-talkgroup 800 radio. It receives on 800, and then transmits out on 155.235. If a fella, or fella-ette, goes in on 155.235, it comes back to OKC on 800. This is another well thought-out gazinta/gazouta setup.
The test drives me nuts, though, because it is never at the same time week to week. Soapbox message: I think they would have more check-ins if it was precisely at 9:30am week to week.

 

[K5MAR]

They do this test every wednesday. They do two tests: One on the State EM VHF frequency 155.235, and then another on the 800 system. Quite a neat setup. In the Stillwater area, for example, there is supposed to be a crossband repeater, that has a one-talkgroup 800 radio. It receives on 800, and then transmits out on 155.235. If a fella, or fella-ette, goes in on 155.235, it comes back to OKC on 800. This is another well thought-out gazinta/gazouta setup.

Yes, the xband link is still active here in Stillwater.

The test drives me nuts, though, because it is never at the same time week to week. Soapbox message: I think they would have more check-ins if it was precisely at 9:30am week to week.

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are looking solely for a high number of check-ins, then have it at the same time every week. If you are instead trying to see how many agencies are actually paying attention, then you vary the time. That's why the NAWAS test time is randomized. That damn bell always scared the **** out of me when it went off in the middle of the night!

The sad part is even knowing the test will be in that one hour time frame, there are a lot of agencies failing to check-in. When was the last time an actual emergency was scheduled to occur at a specific time? :roll:

Mark S.

 

[OkRob]

The Oklahoma State Dept of Health is also doing weekly radio tests on the 800 side, calling many stations weekly for a radio check. I don't know who all they're calling, but they've been calling us once a week for a month or so now.

- Rob

 

[KK5FM]

Depends on what you are trying to accomplish. If you are looking solely for a high number of check-ins, then have it at the same time every week. If you are instead trying to see how many agencies are actually paying attention, then you vary the time.
Mark S.

So, the Payne County ARES net has a random start time?

 

[K5MAR]

Never said it did, but #1. I don't control the net. #2. The ARES Net is a strictly unpaid, voluntary group. I personally hold paid professionals to a higher standard than unpaid volunteers. Don't you?

Mark S.

 

[KK5FM]

I personally hold paid professionals to a higher standard than unpaid volunteers. Don't you?
Mark S.

Me, too. That's why I would expect them to be able to look at a clock. But about the paid professional part. There's only a handful of people in the state who are actually paid to be in emergency management. Most wear several hats, or are volunteers just like you and I. The ones that are paid, like the Oklahoma County EM director, are heavily involved in meetings all day, every day, (or so I'm told.) So he's supposed to block out an entire half hour each week every wednesday so he can tell the state office the radio works? Not a very effective use of a busy person's time...

 

[Gilligan]

The Oklahoma State Dept of Health is also doing weekly radio tests on the 800 side

I can't find the talkgroup for this agency. What TG is it on the DPS system?

 

[OkRob]

I don't know Gilligan. They may not have their own talkgroup, but just have radios and call other agencies on their talkgroups. I just know they started calling some agencies doing a weekly radio test about a month ago. I had never heard them on there before that.

- Rob

 

[K5MAR]

Me, too. That's why I would expect them to be able to look at a clock. But about the paid professional part. There's only a handful of people in the state who are actually paid to be in emergency management. Most wear several hats, or are volunteers just like you and I. The ones that are paid, like the Oklahoma County EM director, are heavily involved in meetings all day, every day, (or so I'm told.) So he's supposed to block out an entire half hour each week every wednesday so he can tell the state office the radio works? Not a very effective use of a busy person's time...

Yeah, I guess a whole half hour out of a 40 hour week IS asking way too much of a person whose job is to prepare for the unexpected. I bet they have the same problem going to lunch each day.

Mark S.

 

[fast2okc]

State Health Dept

The Oklahoma State Dept of Health is also doing weekly radio tests on the 800 side

I can't find the talkgroup for this agency. What TG is it on the DPS system?

I have heard the State Health Department weekly radio checks with Tulsa EMSA on TG 30288. The transmissions are analog.

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