Colorado ARES Statewide Simulated Emergency Test (SET)

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This is a simulated emergency exercise. The scenario described below is fictional.

Imagine a Colorado without power or internet. A coordinated cyber-attack has taken down the state’s electrical grid and internet infrastructure, and blackouts stretch from the Eastern Plains to the Western Slope. The phones, apps, and networks most people depend on stop working. That is the scenario Colorado ARES will work through during Operation Dull Lightning, the section’s statewide Simulated Emergency Test (SET).

Event Details

  • Event: Operation Dull Lightning, Colorado ARES Statewide Simulated Emergency Test
  • Date: Saturday, October 24, 2026
  • Time: Approximately 8:00 AM – 12:00 PM (Mountain Time)
  • Where: Statewide, across all ten Colorado ARES regions
  • Who: Colorado ARES members and licensed amateur radio operators

The Scenario

Nearly every modern communication system depends on two things: commercial power and the internet. Remove both, and cell service, email, and online coordination tools fail with them. Amateur radio does not share that dependency. An operator with a charged battery, a working antenna, and a practiced plan can pass messages when everything else is dark. Operation Dull Lightning tests whether that capability holds up across the entire state, under realistic conditions, with every region participating at the same time.

Why It Matters

County emergency managers, hospitals, and public safety agencies count on ARES when normal communications fail. That trust is earned before a real emergency, not during one. An exercise is the place to discover a dead battery, an untested antenna, or an outdated contact list, while finding the problem costs nothing. Every station that participates adds to a clearer picture of how ready Colorado really is.

Get Ready Now

Your District Emergency Coordinator will provide exercise-specific instructions. In the meantime, use the next few weeks to check your readiness:

  • Charge and test your batteries. Know how long your station can actually run on them.
  • Operate on backup power. Test your station on battery, generator, or solar, not just commercial power.
  • Inspect your go-kit. Check radios, antennas, feedline, adapters, headphones, paper logs, and pens.
  • Plan to work offline. The scenario assumes no internet, so keep printed or offline copies of frequencies, net schedules, and contact lists.
  • Know your chain of contact. Review your district’s plan and confirm how to reach your EC.

Mark Your Calendar

Saturday, October 24, 2026, starting at 8:00 AM Mountain Time.

Contact your District Emergency Coordinator for assignments, nets, frequencies, and reporting instructions. Find your district and its EC on the Colorado ARES Section Map.

Licensed but not yet an ARES member? Learn how to join Colorado ARES.

Every operator who checks in, deploys, or simply tests a station at home makes Colorado better prepared. Thank you for giving your time and skill to this exercise. We will see you on the air.

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