Annual Communication Drill
Regulatory references (licensing, frequencies, equipment certification) reflect US rules (FCC) unless otherwise noted. Requirements differ outside the US — verify with your national radio authority before operating. Full disclaimer →
A drill that reveals three equipment failures and two operator training gaps is more valuable than a drill where everything works perfectly. The goal is not to pass — it's to discover what will fail in an emergency, on your own terms, when the stakes are low.
Before the Drill
Define the scenario
Choose a realistic scenario for your area: power outage, severe weather, earthquake, extended grid failure. Define what infrastructure is "unavailable" for the drill (cellular, internet, grid power). Define the objectives: what should the network accomplish during the drill?
Notify participants
Give 2–4 weeks notice. Specify:
- Date, start time, and expected duration (2–4 hours for most neighborhood-scale drills)
- The scenario
- What equipment to bring
- Assigned roles (, sector coordinators, observers/evaluators)
Prepare evaluation criteria
Before the drill, write down what success looks like. Suggested metrics:
- What percentage of core team members checked in?
- How long from activation call to first net check-in?
- Were all communication paths tested (radio + + backup)?
- Were any equipment failures discovered?
- Did all operators know their roles without being prompted?
During the Drill
Activate as if it's real
Use actual equipment — not simulated. Follow your actual communication plans. If safe to do so, disconnect from grid power to test . Test all communication paths, not just your primary.
Inject problems
The most valuable drills introduce complications:
- Have an observer "fail" a or node mid-drill (simply turn it off)
- Simulate a key operator being unavailable (ask them to arrive 30 minutes late)
- Simulate a resource request that requires coordination between multiple locations
- Introduce a time-sensitive message that requires priority handling
Document everything
Assign at least one person as an observer/evaluator who is not participating in the net. They should log:
- All transmissions (approximate time, station, content summary)
- Equipment failures and workarounds
- Operator confusion or errors
- Anything that required improvisation
After the Drill
Debrief immediately
Gather all participants within 30 minutes of drill end, while impressions are fresh. Go around the room:
- What worked?
- What didn't work?
- What surprised you?
- What would you do differently?
Do not skip the debrief. It is the most important part of the drill.
Written after-action report
Within one week, produce a brief written report:
- Summary of drill objectives and outcomes against evaluation criteria
- Equipment issues discovered (with owner and fix deadline)
- Operator training gaps identified (with plan to address)
- Recommended changes to communication plan (with decision deadline)
Update and improve
- Fix equipment issues — set deadlines and follow up
- Update communication plans based on what the drill revealed
- Schedule training for identified skill gaps
- Set the date for the next drill before the current one's after-action report is distributed
Common Drill Findings
These problems surface in almost every first drill. If you find them, you're doing it right:
| Finding | What it means | Fix |
|---|---|---|
| Radios not programmed consistently | Members programmed their own radios | Designate one person to program all radios from a master list |
| Net control doesn't know who to call | No current roster with callsigns | Maintain a current roster; print copies for net control |
| Batteries dead or degraded | Equipment stored without maintenance | Annual battery check; rotate batteries; test under load |
| Meshtastic nodes not reaching each other | Poor node placement | Elevate nodes; identify and fill coverage gaps |
| Operators don't know the frequencies | Frequency cards not distributed or not current | Print and laminate frequency cards; update after every repeater change |
| Nobody knows the out-of-area contact | Never practiced the escalation path | Include out-of-area contact check in every drill |
Not yet set up? Start with the Neighborhood Network playbook →