BEACON: Building Emergency Area Communications, Operations, and Networks

Auxiliary Communications (AuxComm) is the term adopted by the federal Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) to refer to volunteer led backup communications networks. AuxComm has been a component of the National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) since 2014, and states are asked to adopt AuxComm in their state plans. California adopted AuxComm in the California Statewide Interoperability Communications Plan (CalSCIP) in 2022.

BEACON unites the volunteer auxiliary communications community with the career professionals that rely on them to augment incident communications. The Exercise focuses on the expected roles, responsibilities, and outcomes that define effective auxiliary communications from the neighborhoods and cities up to the state and beyond, including mutual aid practices, official forms, and processes that ensure vital two-way communications to operational area partners that include NGOs, schools, hospitals, CERT, and other partners.

BEACON draws on real experience learned across the US, from hurricanes in the east, derechos and tornadoes in the midwest, and wildfires in the west. To many in the auxiliary communications community, this exercise will be very different because it integrates the methods and practices followed by career emergency management professionals. The exercise is no longer theory, but practice.

As a professionally developed Homeland Security Exercise Evaluation Program (HSEEP) exercise, BEACON offers a standardized and performance-based methodology that allows agencies to assess and validate the policies, plans, procedures, training, equipment, assumptions, and interagency agreements. This assessment helps identify gaps, deficiencies, and vulnerabilities before a real incident occurs.

Agencies also meet part of their Emergency Management Performance Grant (EMPG) funding requirements by participating in HSEEP programs. 

Nets

Amateur radio:
1st Wednesday of the month @ 11:00 Pacific, 7.2380 MHz LSB

SHARES:
2nd Wednesday of the month @ 11:00 Pacific, SFA0 (zero)