Makani ‘Ino Hurricane Drill July 16, 2022 using WINLINK - HAWAII

KHON2 had a June 22 video report on our upcoming Hurricane drill. https://youtu.be/d-Z-P_MTQ1s
KITV4 did a more general story on Amateur Radio on June 29, that included coverage of the Hurricane drill. https://youtu.be/vUsxSz6yD2M

Makani 'Ino is a drill to test the ability of volunteer Amateur Radio operators (HAMS) to establish emergency radio communications in the event of severe infrastructure failure. Hams will use their radios and computers with the Winlink Global Radio Email®️ system to send simulated messages around the islands including Winlink Hurricane Reports, Check-Ins, Check-Outs, Field Situation Report, Damage Reports, Request for Assistance, and Red Cross Shelter Reports.

The statewide goal of this drill is to reinforce and test the operator’s ability to deploy stations using off-grid power (if possible), and work together to prioritize and push forward simulated reports and messages. As the simulated hurricane impacts each island, electrical power, Internet, and cell phone service are assumed to fail due to catastrophic weather.

The volunteer operators will use the Incident Command System (ICS), a standardized management tool that meets the demands of small or large emergency and non-emergency situations. It represents best practices in emergency management across the United States.

Hawaii ARES® operators wish to be prepared to help people in our communities by supporting emergency communications in a worst-case scenario. Amateur Radio is not a replacement for normal communications channels (such as phone and Internet) used by Public Safety or governmental agencies. It acts to serve agencies in a subordinate capacity when those channels have been destroyed or compromised, enabling Public Safety agencies to focus on their primary role, maintaining critical services.

Amateur Radio also serves private agencies such as American Red Cross and Salvation Army whose disaster relief efforts would be hampered by not being able to communicate effectively.
There are over 778,000 Amateur Radio operators in the United States, Guam, Virgin Islands, and Puerto Rico, and over 3,800 in Hawaii.