Marshall Medical Emergency Management, in collaboration with the El Dorado County Amateur Radio Club (EDCARC) Amateur Radio Emergency Services (ARES) members, is planning a critical simulated hospital evacuation exercise.

This 7-hour exercise will provide EDCARC ARES members with an invaluable opportunity to operate within a real-world emergency management context alongside a critical community partner. It will serve as a practical demonstration of the versatility and reliability of multiple communication modes in a crisis.

Simulating a local wildland fire, the exercise will trigger a full activation of Marshall's Hosptial Command Center (HCC), engage various main campus departments, and include participation from offsite partner agencies. The drill will rigorously test several components of the Hospital Incident Command System (HICS), with a strong focus on:

• Diverse Communication Channels: Exercising voice, data, internal radio systems, and a range of amateur radio communication methods.
• Strategic Data Relay: Practicing UHF/VHF voice and data/packet communications, including Winlink, for critical information exchange with off-site locations.

This exercise is crucial for enhancing emergency preparedness, inter-agency coordination, and validating critical communication pathways within our community.