The Ohio Amateur Radio Emergency Service (ARES®) just completed a dry-run exercise for the Perry Nuclear Power Plant in Lake County, Ohio. ARRL Ohio Section Emergency Coordinator Stan Broadway, N8BHL, said the drill was practice for the federally judged exercise scheduled for September.

The Ohio Emergency Operations Center (EOC) amateur station, W8SGT, was utilized and on the air to communicate with several counties in northeast Ohio. Amateur radio serves in the emergency planning as a backup communications resource. The actual exercise is focused more on the power plant and its operation, but the state EOC is involved for the process.

"In real life, this was a low-key type of exercise for us. It does not involve a lot of hams or activity, just establishes the line of communication," said Broadway. "It's satisfying to know, through many conversations during the planning stage, that amateur radio is a key ingredient to assure communication with the state."

Ohio ARES is also working on a Simulated Emergency Test (SET) drill for October 1, 2022. For more information about the Amateur Radio Emergency Service®, visit www.arrl.org/ares.