MARS Winlink Provides Reliable Back-Up for Emergency Management Communications

[Posted with permission. This was originally published in the North Carolina Division of Emergency Management newsletter "MEMO", November 2009. The complete article is posted as a PDF for downloading at the botom of the page. ed.]

Most in the emergency management community are aware that amateur radio provides backup communications to support public safety agencies. In the past, amateur radio has consisted of voice messages; relaying tactical information or resource requests on behalf of other agencies. But technological advances are changing amateur radio operations.

As in other industries, much of the day-to-day work of public safety agencies is conducted via email and internet-based applications such as WebEOC. When these systems fail or become overloaded, public safety could be diminished because critical agencies are no longer able to receive and send vital information in a timely manner.

In late 2008, amateur radio volunteer operators began installing a backup email system in several NCEM facilities to provide basic email service using a unique system developed by the amateur radio community. This system, called Winlink, allows computers to communicate via shortwave radio instead of using the internet or other conventional networks.

Since long-haul radio is the communications mechanism, Winlink stations can communicate with other facilities hundreds or thousands of miles away, without any in-between infrastructure. Using shortwave radio, Winlink can bypass dead, damaged, overloaded or other non-functional infrastructure.

The Military Affiliate Radio System (amateur radio operations in support of the U.S. Department of Defense) began allowing governmental agencies to operate within the MARS Winlink system in 2008. The MARS Winlink system differs from the Amateur-only system in several ways, such as:

• Large number of dedicated Winlink-only frequencies in the military frequency bands

• Large number of remote mail servers, many in hardened facilities
• Ability to encrypt messages
• Can be connected to a Local Area Network
• Doesn’t require the presence of an amateur radio operator to use the system.

In December 2008, NCEM received agency licenses from MARS and began installing equipment. By June, NCEM three fixed terminals were installed and running in Raleigh, Kinston and Conover. The system uses a standard email program, similar to Outlook Express, so minimal training was required.

The amateur radio folks continued to tweak the system until they were satisfied that the maximum performance and reliability had been achieved. At that point, they were eager to test the new technology in an exercise.

As an active member of the State Emergency Response Team, the North Carolina Amateur Radio volunteers are often called upon to relay safety messages during storms or other disasters. Members of the group regularly work and train with local and state emergency management officials. And the statewide earthquake
exercise provided an ideal opportunity to test the new Winlink system.

In the exercise, an earthquake disabled all communications to Buncombe and surrounding counties. Within 10 minutes, the amateur radio partners established traditional voice communications with the affected areas, the western regional coordination center (RCC) and the state emergency operations center (EOC). They then used the Winlink system to establish email communications between amateur/MARS operators in the affected areas, the RCC and the EOC.

During the exercise two real-world problems made exercise participants even more dependent on amateur radio and the Winklink system. WebEOC developed some technical problems and contractors accidentally cut fiber optic lines at the western branch office, disabling the internet. Since the earthquake scenario rendered useless the phone lines, fax lines and VIPER radio at the western RCC, the only possible remaining communication with outside agencies was through amateur radio and Winlink.

Within a few minutes of the failure, messages were rapidly moving once again, this time over shortwave radio thanks to the MARS Winlink system. Since the Winlink system is connected to the LAN, NCEM personnel were able to conduct business directly from their regular operating positions without any intervention. It was email-business as usual, only the messages were transported by MARS Winlink instead of the internet.

“This exercise demonstrated the true capability of the MARS Winlink system by providing email service during a situation where all communication infrastructure would be destroyed” said Tom Brown, N4TAB, Amateur Radio Operator and Assistant Section Emergency Coordinator for North Carolina Amateur Radio Emergency Service.
“It was a busy exercise. Amateur radio had a lot of activity supported by volunteers across the state,” Brown said.

“Winlink gives the state reliable backup capability to ensure we maintain communications with our first responders and government agencies in the event of the unthinkable: the complete and total loss of conventional communications
technologies,” says Clay Benton, NCEM Communication Center Manager.

More information, see:
Amateur Radio: www.arrl.org/newham
MARS: www.netcom.army.mil/mars
Winlink: www.winlink.org