FCARC members and hams from Hampden and Hampshire Counties provided backup communications support for an Emergency Dispensing Drill in Whately, MA, on April 18, 2009. This is the third such drill since Fall 2008 in which hams have participated, and hams from as far away as East Dover VT, Ware MA, and Blandford MA participated in this one. FCARC's WA1TVS, recovering from surgery, also participated from his home (in Whately) as a backup for the net control. For some participants, it is the second drill within the week, the other being the Vermont Yankee drill on April 15.

In addition to ham radio operators, CERT (Community Emergency Response Team) and MRC (Medical Reserve Corps) members also participated.

Emergency Dispensing drills such as this one and the ones held recently in Conway and Sunderland are designed to test responders' ability to go door to door to every resident delivering an emergency preparedness fact sheet, a packet of simulated medication (candy) and detailed contact information for residents interested in helping with future events. Additionally such drills seek to further identify special needs of each town, such as (our concern) communications difficulties due to local terrain.

For the Whately drill the KD1XP 145.130 MHz and 443.450 MHz repeaters in Deerfield were used, as well as WinLink on 145.050 Mhz simplex.