so i finally got activated for real last weekend, not just a drill. there was bad flooding about 30 miles east of here and the county EOC requested ARES support for about 18 hours. ive been a member for almost two years and done maybe 6 or 7 training exercises but nothing had ever gone live before so i wasnt totally sure how it would actually feel.

honestly the biggest thing i noticed was how different the pace is compared to drills. during drills everyone kind of knows its not real and theres this low-key relaxed vibe even when we're pretending to be serious. but when the net control at the EOC was passing actual shelter locations and real headcounts it just felt different. i was way more focused and also weirdly more calm than i expected, like the training actually kicked in.

one thing that tripped me up was my logging. i use whatever the standard ICS 214 form is but i hadnt really practiced filling it out fast under actual pressure and i fell behind a couple times. nothing major but my EC noticed and we talked about it after. also had a brief issue with my simplex frequency not being heard at one of the outlying sites but we worked around it pretty quick.

anyway just wanted to share because i remember reading posts like this when i was newer and wondering what a real activation would be like. if youre in ARES and havent been activated yet, the drills really do matter even when they feel repetitive.

that logging thing is so real. i messed up my first ICS 214 during an actual event and felt terrible about it, but honestly the forms are one of those things where muscle memory only really builds under pressure. after that i started keeping a blank 214 taped inside my go kit lid so i could glance at the field order without having to think. small thing but it helped.

glad your first one went well overall. the calm-under-pressure thing surprises a lot of people, i think the structured net format does more than we realize to keep people from panicking. you kinda just fall into the rhythm of it.

this is making me want to actually show up to more of my local ARES meetings lol. ive been a general for about 8 months and joined the group but only made it to like two nets so far. do you find the training nets are pretty welcoming if youre still figuring things out? i dont want to slow anyone down during an exercise or whatever