Toronto EmComm
Emergency radio communications exercise held from Saturday June 27 07:00 to Sunday June 28 15:00. 

Over 60 personnel participated in this Toronto based exercise representing multiple organizations including:
- Toronto Office of Emergency Management
- 709 (Toronto) Communication Regiment
- 700 Communications Squadron
- 705 Communication Squadron
- Toronto Police Services 
- Toronto EmComm
- York Region EmComm
- Emergency Management Ontario

The exercise was open to the public to observe or even try out the radios.  We were in communicating with radio stations all over North America.  This is an annual exercise to help better prepare the City of Toronto for numerous types of emergencies.

Over 350 contacts were made during the 24 hour exercise which included the following locations;

Canada:
Ontario, Quebec, Nova Scotia, Newfoundland, Manitoba and British Columbia.

USA:
Alabama, California, Connecticut, Delaware, Florida, Georgia, Illinois, Indiana, Kentucky, Louisiana, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, Mississippi, Missouri, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Ohio, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Carolina, Tennessee, Utah, Vermont, Virginia, Washington, West Virginia and Wisconsin.

Location
Our goal was to set up a mobile field communication centre in playing field area at Marc Garneau CI 135 Overlea Boulevard, 
consisting of four CP tents including DRASH shelter, three CP trucks, sleeping and feeding tent plus support vehicles.  This is an excellent site for radio antennas, security to the area was augmented by the military and Toronto Police Service. 

Antennae farm was made up in the central area of field consisting of; 
2 - Alpha Delta DXCC's (Toronto OEM)
1 - HF BD1 HF Broadband Folded Dipole (Toronto OEM)
1- Comet CHA-250B HF Vertical  (Toronto OEM)

Radio Equipment
2- Kenwood 570D HF transeivers (Toronto OEM)
1- Kenwood 450 HF transeiver (709 Comms)
1- Digital HF Station (York Region OEM) 
3- 16 Channel VHF Motorla transeivers (Toronto Police Service) for on-site communications 
Note: 25 - VHF 16 Channel Motorola radios along with programming computer were donated to Toronto EmComm & 709 Communication Regiment by Toronto Police Service when they upgrade their Metro-Net Service to digital.

Operational Classification
A total of four stations set-up for Field Day operations;
- two HF stations operating Class-A (2A) VA3TSR (Toronto Signals Regiment)
- one HF station operating GOTA VA3EOT (Emergency Operations Toronto)
- one digital station operating Class-A (1A) VE3YRE (York Region Emergency)
(See attachment fd-2009-rules.pdf)

Operating Frequencies
- 80 Metres: 3.600 - 4.000 MHz.
- 40 Metres: 7.125 - 7.300 MHz.
- 20 Metres: 14.150 - 14.350 MHz.
- 15 Metres: 21.200 - 21.450 MHz.
- Talk-in: 146.460 MHz. Simplex

Deployment & Operations

- Saturday June 27 07:00 to 13:00 hrs: Arrived at exercise site, setup command post, masting, antennas, generators, tables, sleeping area, setup and test radio equipment.
- Saturday June 27 13:00 to 14:00: Briefing meeting, work assignments.
- Saturday June 27 14:00 to Sunday June 28 14:00 hrs: exercise
- Sunday June 28 14:00 to 15:00 hrs: end exercise, breakdown equipment.

Notes: 
1- The emphasis this year was on our ability for rapid deployment and operations setup (how long before we are up and operational from boots on the ground) 5 hours.
2- The ability to provide continuous multiple communications networks over a 24 hour period.
3- Logging and Message handling accuracy

STAFFING

Toronto Emcomm Supervisors
- Jim Taylor, VA3KU
- Ted Cowie, VE3AAP
- Dean Cassar, VA3SUG
- Gord Hewit, VE3GIH (York Region EmComm)
- Joe Cusimano, VE3OV (Toronto ARES)

709 Communications Regiment Leadership
- Maj Greg Stasyna (CO)
- Capt Hal Buller
- Lt Suganya Lee (OPI)
- Lt Mike Tu
- 2Lt Justin Hood
- WO Rob Carter 
- Sgt Jason Bromstad (Supervising Officer)
- Sgt Tommy Lo
- MCpl David Spessot

Saturday June 27 07:00 to 13:00
- Jim Taylor, VA3KU
- Dean Cassar, VA3SUG
- Gord Hewit, VE3GIH
- Ted Cowie, VE3AAP
- Joe Cusimano, VE3OV
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Peter Burke, VA3EMF
- Capt Hal Buller, VA3HFB  (10:00 - 17:00)
- Fikru Azzene, VE3FKA
- Jana Arunachalan, VE3BFU
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl McMillan
- Cpl Pringle
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Lt Courtland Elliott

Saturday June 27 14:00 – 18:00
- Joe Cusimano, VE3OV
- Peter Wetton, VA3PRW
- Peter Burke, VA3EMF
- Teresa Taylor, VA3TNP
- Karen Dmytryshyn, VA3DMY
- Lesly Taylor, VE3VLT
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Capt Hal Buller, VA3HFB
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl McMillan
- Cpl Pringle
- Pte Dimitrov
- Pte Semionov 
- Lt Courtland Elliott

Saturday June 27 18:00 – 22:00
- Peter Burke, VA3EMF
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl McMillan
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov 

Saturday June 27 22:00 – Sunday June 28 02:00
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl McMillan
- Cpl Pringle
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov 

Sunday June 28  02:00 – 06:00
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Joe Cusimano, VE3OV
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl Pringle
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov 

Sunday June 28 06:00 – 10:00
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Peter Wetton, VA3PRW
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov 

Sunday June 28 10:00 – 14:00
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Teresa Taylor, VA3TNP
- Peter Wetton, VA3PRW
- Capt Hal Buller, VA3HFB (10:00 - 17:00)
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl Pringle 
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov

Sunday 14:00 to 15:00:
- Jim Taylor, VA3KU
- Dean Cassar, VA3SUG
- Gord Hewit, VE3GIH
- Dan Sandor, VA3GOV
- Joe Cusimano, VE3OV
- Peter Wetton, VA3PRW
- Capt Hal Buller, VA3HFB
- Cpl Pham
- Cpl Bassan
- Cpl Kim
- Cpl Pringle
- Pte Dimitrov 
- Pte Semionov

Equipment - 709 Communications Regiment

Shelter:
- LSVW shelter x 2
- DRASH
- Modular tent front
- Modular tent center x 3
- Modular tent rear
- Modular A-frame x 4
- Modular perlin x 9

Power / light:
- 5 kW generator x 2
- Generator to truck AC cable x 2
- Generator to Hubbel cable
- Hubbel extension cable
- Hubbel power distribution box
- 25' extension cord x 4
- 15' green extension cord with 3 outlets spaced 4' apart x 2
- 6-outlet power bar x 4
- Ground rod x 4
- Fluorescent light x 4

Work area:
- 6' table x 4
- Folding chair x 8
- Easel
- White board
- White board markers
- Map board
- Tacks
- Signal log x 4

Communications:
- Kenwood 450 HF radio station
- Motorola VHF radio station x 3
- VIXAM mast x 5
- Mast kit bag x 5
- Barker & Williamson antenna x 3
- RF patch cable / adaptor N-type female to PL-259 male x 4 *
- 50' HF coax cable x 4 *
- HF barrel connector x 4 *
- GMRS radio x 6
- RA-2000 x 4
- 1/4 mile line reel

Comfort
- Coffee pot
- Cot x 8
- Stove

- Kenwood 570D HF radio station x 2
- Kenwood Desk Mike x 2
- Power Supply 35 amp x 2
- HF folded dipole antenna x 1
- HF vertical antenna x 1
- HF Alpha Delta DXCC antenna x 2
- Antenna support rope 250’ x 2
- Log-sheets x 50
- Radiograms x 50
- Pencils x 1 box
- Pens x 1 box

- York Region Digital Station
- Coax cable, RG-213 100ft x 4
- Power Cables 50ft x 4
- Antenna Support Rope 400ft
- First Aid Kit x 1
- Tent 10ft x 10ft x 1
- Generator 3 kilowatt x 1
- Fuel x 36 hours
- Lighting 12volt x 1

- Gord Hewit VE3GIH who not only provide excellent training information on HF digital communications but also provided all the coax for our operation and also set-up an excellent mess area providing omelets for our Sunday breakfast and campsite chili for our Sunday lunch.

- Major Greg Stasyna VA3VAB for coordinating military operations and also providing Pizza for Satuday supper.

- Karen Dmytryshyn VA3DMY and Lesly Taylor VE3VLT from Toronto Police Services for arranging police patrols of the operations area and also participating in the exercise.

Jim Taylor, VA3KU
EmComm Coordinator
jim.taylor@emergencyradio.ca