NWNM EMCOMM Great ShakeOut 2026
EMCOMM/ARES Leaders and Partners,
NWNM EMCOMM invites your group to participate in the NWNM EMCOMM Great ShakeOut 2026 Exercise on Thursday, October 15, 2026. The standby net will open at 9:45 AM MDT, the simulated earthquake will occur at 10:15 AM MDT, and exercise communications are scheduled to conclude by approximately 11:45 AM MDT.
This exercise will be in addition to any National level Shakeout requests, DYFI forms to the USGS etc.
The communications-functional tabletop/field net exercise is based on a simulated magnitude 6.7 earthquake near Sunshine Valley, north of Questa, affecting the northern Rio Grande Rift and surrounding communities. Exercise injects will also include simulated smoke and possible hydrogen sulfide odors from new cracks in the Valles Caldera floor. Participating stations may operate from their local nets, assigned locations, or safe home stations.
We are seeking participation from EMCOMM/ARES groups that can support one or more of the following:
Activate or monitor local VHF voice nets and exchange concise tactical reports.
Monitor the MEGALINK for related traffic statewide, (pre-approval received from John Choc)
Submit Winlink SITREPs and simulated USGS Did You Feel It?–style observations.
Provide HF voice or HF Winlink liaison for regional and state-level traffic.
Practice ARC 213 message handling with Red Cross or designated participating exercise partners.
Share information across county and state boundaries and provide relay support when assigned.
Record communications gaps, forms issues, routing problems, and lessons for the after-action review.
Exercise assumptions and safety requirements:
This is a communications exercise only. All earthquake, volcanic gas, smoke, infrastructure damage, casualty, and resource reports are simulated unless clearly identified otherwise.
All voice and digital traffic must begin and end with “THIS IS A DRILL or EXERCISE.”
Do not self-deploy. Operate only from assigned locations or safe home stations.
Do not transmit personally identifiable medical information or unverified real-world hazard reports.
Do not represent simulated gas or smoke conditions as confirmed toxic levels or actual volcanic unrest.
Net control or exercise control may pause, modify, or stop the exercise at any time for a real emergency.
Please reply by [RSVP deadline] with your group name, primary point of contact, counties or communities represented, estimated number of operators, planned operating modes, Winlink and HF capabilities, and whether your group can provide net control, liaison, or relay support. Participating groups will receive the final frequency plan, Winlink addressing instructions, forms, and controller information before the exercise.
Coordination contact: AL MASSARO / KF5SMH
Email: [email protected]
Phone: 505-609-0748
We welcome your participation and look forward to exercising interoperable communications across northern New Mexico and neighboring areas.