In January, the DHS SHARES OPERATION DEEP FREEZE 2026 exercise was conducted, requesting voluntary activation of all statewide NY/NJ SHARES REGION 2 HF radio stations to provide County Status Messages in conjunction with the predicted winter storm expected to dump 10-14 inches of snow in portions of the region.
In February, a nor’easter blizzard provided the opportunity for OPERATION BLIZZARD WATCH 2026.
Both of these exercises utilized actual events as training in the use of the SHARES R2 HF network to collect situational awareness information of value to emergency response planners. Had these storms knocked out power and communications over a wide area, the information collected would have been useful to NYS DHSES and local agencies in planning and coordinating emergency response.
As part of these exercises, Amateur Radio operators were requested to interoperate with SHARES stations using the Winlink radio email system and/or by providing information directly to SHARES operators who were also licensed Amateurs. Involving the Amateur Radio community greatly enhances the ability to obtain the required information.
The After Action Reviews for these exercises are provided here:
AAR SHARES-ARS REGION 2 OPERATION DEEP FREEZE 2026.pdf
AAR SHARES-ARS REGION 2 BLIZZARD WATCH 2026.pdf
The DHS SHARES (SHAred RESources High Frequency Radio Program) provides interoperability for government agencies and others which do not have their own inherent HF ECOMM radio system. SHARES provides an additional means for users with a national security and emergency preparedness mission to communicate beyond line-of-sight or the range of local infrastructure-based VHF/UHF/700/800Mz systems when landline and cellular communications are unavailable.