CARG Participates in Exercise Brunswick Bravo

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The Codiac Amateur Radio Group (CARG) provided communications for the New Brunswick Emergency Measures Organization (NB EMO) during the province wide exercise Brunswick Bravo (BB). CARG provided communications for EMO Regions 6 and 7 which are composed of Kent and Westmorland counties. Net control was established at Regional EOC 7 which is located at CCNB in Dieppe. Primary means of communications was by NB government TMR radio system, with amateur radio as a backup.

Since exercise inputs are injected by email or telephone, CARG volunteers quickly become bored with the lack of radio activity. As a result, CARG held its own communication exercise within BB. Net control, located at REOC 7 established the net at 0800 hrs and was active until 1530 hrs. CARG volunteers provided communications in the following EOCs: City of Moncton, City of Dieppe, Town of Riverview, and Village of Salisbury. 

During the exercise, some 25 messages were exchanged between the various EOCs. As well, participants were required to move to a simplex frequency when the repeater that was being used for the exercise went off the air (simulated).  A number of simplex links were tried in order to determine reception between the various EOCs. As a result, we identified a couple of antenna issues that will need to be corrected. 

We also tested out our mobile emergency repeater, VE9MER, which is located next to the water tower in Riverview. Recently, we’ve been having battery issues, but these were resolved by Tobie, VE9XAB with the help of Andre, VE9ARG prior to the exercise. At two different times during the exercise, all EOCs switched to the IRG System in order to check into the special EMO BB Net. 
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Participating amateurs were: Ross, VE9CGS, Mike, VE9MWB, Michel, VE9JFL, Andre, VE9ARG, Oscar, VE9OSK, Mike, VE9MTV, and Jim, VE1ASR.