WHITEXMAS22

A major winter storm moved through much of the United States just as many people were preparing for and in the middle of travel for the holiday. Real-world conditions became favorable for emergency response, as well as a need for communication in challenging conditions.

The BLACKSWAN Net activated in a no-notice exercise, simulating Ohio agencies in need of service and relying on their auxiliary communications (AUXCOMM) capabilities. The activation was issued via radio message injected from commercial wireless service by a participant watching the developing situation from several states away.

Between the start of the first special session net held on Friday 23 December 2022 and the last regularly-held net session of that weekend on Monday 26 December, activity for the Net was:

• Sessions: 9
  Fri 23 Dec: 1900 (Ohio time)
  Sat 24 Dec: 0700, 1300, 1900
  Sun 25 Dec: 0700, 1300, 1900
  Mon 26 Dec: 0700, 1900

• Unique stations: 9
  Paul Brandt, W8PAB, Jefferson Co., OH
  Lee Coyle, N2LC, Noble Co., OH
  C. Matthew Curtin, KD8TTE, Franklin Co., OH
  Ted Jacobson, W8KVK, Athens Co., OH
  Rex Lehman, WB8TDG, Greene Co., OH
  Gary Oliver, KD8OSI, Noble Co., OH
  Monte Pettengill, WD8IIJ, Jefferson Co., OH
  Rick Shuster, WD8SAB, Jefferson Co., OH
  Joe Wigal, W8JTW, Washington Co., OH

• Net operating time: 6 hours and 8 minutes

• Message relays: 143 total, of various precedence:
  Z / Flash: 5
  O / Immediate: 19
  P / Priority: 74
  R / Routine: 45

Real-world communications events did in fact arise, including loss of Ohio EMA's web site, from which alerts were being distributed and an interruption of service for the net's web site. Radio messages from the exercise operating period are compiled in the report below.