Authority Having Jurisdiction

Los Angeles County EMS Agency

Annual Medical and Health Exercise

Date: November 19, 2026

Time: 0800 - 1200

Place: Los Angeles County 911 Receiving Hospitals

Web: https://dhs.lacounty.gov/emergency-medical-services-agency/home/disaster-programs/exercise-drills/#1687377561836-cb2bc8fd-14c2

Scenario: Critical Infrastructure – Targeted Violence and Power Outage

Pre-Exercise Threat Intelligence (T-3 to T-1 Days)

Local law enforcement issues a Be on the Lookout (BOLO) advisory regarding heightened threats across three critical infrastructure sectors in Los Angeles during the 2028 Summer Olympics:

• Commercial Facilities Sector: Sports arenas and Olympic venues.

• Energy Sector: Power plants and electrical substations.

• Healthcare and Public Health Sector: Regional hospitals and medical centers.

  • Facilities heighten security posture and review facility access, surge capacity, and auxiliary power protocols.

Day of Exercise (November 19, 2026)

Phase 1 – UAS Targeted Strike & Patient Surge (MCI):

• An Unmanned Aircraft System (UAS) drone attack targets a crowded Olympic event venue in the vicinity of local facilities.

• The attack triggers an immediate mass casualty incident (MCI), resulting in a sudden surge of walk-in and EMS casualties into regional emergency departments.

• Participating hospitals activate Surge Plans and internal Incident Command structures to manage triage and capacity.

Phase 2 – Secondary UAS Strike & Grid Failure (Power Outage):

• A coordinated secondary UAS strike hits a local electrical substation feeding the surrounding healthcare district.

• Commercial electrical power fails across the local grid, forcing facilities to transition immediately to emergency backup generator power or manage partial/total power loss.

• Facilities face compounding operational constraints: managing mass trauma intake while troubleshooting critical infrastructure, internal electrical loads, and localized telemetry/communications disruptions.

Amateur Radio Objectives

Source: https://file.lacounty.gov/SDSInter/dhs/1214807_2026ARESObjectives-ADA.pdf

• Objective 1 - Maintain continuous voice and digital communications for 911 receiving hospital partners and the Medical Alert Center throughout the entire defined operational period (as specified in the exercise timeline) without commercial power. (Capability 2)

• Objective 2 – Establish and operate an internet-independent and grid power independent HAM radio network capable of transmitting HAvBED reports and Resource Requests to the Medical Alert Center within the exercise’s designated reporting intervals, achieving at least a 95% successful transmission rate during the operational period. (Capability 2)

• Objective 3 - Provide and update color-coded hospital service level status reports at intervals defined by the exercise (e.g., every 30 minutes), ensuring all updates are successfully transmitted to maintain a shared common operating picture while operating without commercial power. (Capability 2)

⏳ The MAC net control conducts hourly hospital service level polls during the exercise on the DARN system. 

These are exercise reports and do not reflect the actual service level.

⚠️ Before You Start: Form Setup Reminder

Do not use the built-in standard Winlink templates, as they are outdated. You must use the updated custom HTML forms for all HAvBED, Resource Request, and ICS-213 reports.

Step 1: Voice Net Check-Ins & Status Reports

● Check-In / Check-Out: Check in with the MAC net control station at least once an hour on the DARN system (DARN 3 preferred). Check out when the exercise ends or when directed.

● Hospital Service Level: Report your facility's service level once an hour.

○ Voice: Report over the voice net if possible.

○ APRS: Stations with APRS and VARA FM on LAX303 should beacon the service level hourly.

Step 2: Routing Your Traffic (Quick Reference)

● Voice Traffic NOT Supported/Accepted for Heavy Reports: The MAC stations will not accept HAvBED reports, polls, or resource requests be supported or accepted via voice. Voice transmissions of heavy reports introduce unacceptable inaccuracies and reflect a lack of operational discipline. All heavy traffic must be transmitted strictly using designated digital modes. Districts with voice-only operators are responsible for consolidating voice reports to digital messages before passing traffic to the MAC.

● If you have Winlink: Send your traffic directly to LAC-MAC;LAXNORTHEAST.

● If you have VARA Chat: Send your traffic directly to the station designated by Net Control.

● If you are Voice-Only: Pass your voice traffic to your district digital traffic station. They will relay it via Winlink or VARA Chat to the MAC station.

Step 3: Digital Mode & Frequency Quick-Reference

● Primary Digital Channel: LAX303 (145.030 MHz) is reserved for APRS with VARA FM and VARA CHAT P2P connections (use digipeaters if necessary).

● Mode Clarification: VARA Chat and tactical APRS use VARA FM, not Packet.

Step 4: Documentation (End of Shift)

● Every station must maintain an ICS-214 Activity Log throughout the operational period.

● Submit your completed ICS-214 log to LAC-MAC;LAXNORTHEAST via Winlink or via VARA Chat  directly to the station designated by Net Control at the end of your shift.

Success Criteria

● Voice Net Operations: All hospital stations successfully check in and check out of the regional voice net, maintaining proper net discipline and adherence to net control procedures throughout the operational period.

● Message Accuracy: All hospital stations transmit required traffic (HBED reports, status updates, and resource requests) with 100% accuracy and completeness, using approved formats and designated digital modes.

● Digital Relay Performance: All digital traffic is transmitted, received, and relayed without error or data loss, demonstrating full interoperability