Regional Communications Drills are conducted to test the ability of hospitals to communicate with their local jurisdiction and with each other in the event of phone and email failure. All members of the Hospital Preparedness Program are required to participate in one Redundant Communications Drill in 2022 and one Drill in 2023 during the next program year starting July 1, 2022 – June 30, 2023.  Redundant Communications Drills are generally held on the last Friday of every other month. Testing of redundant communications can be achieved through the following methods during the drill time frame (10:00 am to 12:00 pm).

• Jurisdictional Commercial Radio – If you have a commercial radio to test as part of the monthly communications drill, please make prior arrangements with your local jurisdiction to arrange the test. Your jurisdictional representative will need to send an email to ncttrac_emcc@ncttrac.org confirming the date and method that the contract was made (with you copied into the email).
• Amateur Radio – Amateur radio testing will be conducted via a directed radio net through NCTTRAC.  Exact frequencies may vary based on repeater availability; reference the email reminder from NCTTRAC EMCC for a specific month’s frequencies. We will be conducting a Roll Call by the county at the beginning of each group’s time slot and using Tactical Call Signs for facility identification.
• DFW-Wide – If you have a DFW-Wide system you may contact either us or your local jurisdiction. If you contact your local jurisdiction then the rules for credit are the same as for the Jurisdictional Commercial Radio. DFW-Wide will check-in using the assigned time slots listed in the table below by County.
• DFW-Connct – If you have the DFW-Connct Overlay, you may check in with us on the NCTRG-1 Talkgroup, or you can check in with your local jurisdiction and have them email us at ncttrac_emcc@ncttrac.org.
• Satellite Phones– For those testing satellite phones, please contact NCTTRAC EMCC at 817-607-7020 during the drill (10:00 am to 12:00 pm).
• MSAT – For those that have the MSAT system, please contact NCTTRAC EMCC on the NCTTRAC1 talk group. Please do not use the MSAT to dial 817-607-7020 for drilling purposes.
• EMResource & WebEOC – Regional drill instructions vary from month to month for Crisis Applications. Please refer to the NCTTRAC EMCC email that is dispatched two weeks prior and the day of the drill.