Photo By Bruce Cummins | PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Naval Security Forces (NSF)...... read more read more
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By Ens. Angelique Therrien, Naval Air Station Pensacola public affairs
PENSACOLA, Fla. -- Naval Air Station (NAS) Pensacola Navy Security Forces (NSF) personnel, along with local first responders, participated in a scheduled drill June 27 at the Navy Exchange Mall onboard Corry Station.
The three-part exercise activated the air station’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC), as well as involved multiple area first responder agencies, including Fire and Emergency Services Gulf Coast; the Escambia County Sherriff’s Office (ECSO) Special Weapons and Tactics (SWAT) unit; Escambia County Fire Rescue and volunteer service members in the two-hour evolution. The formation of a Hostile Event Rescue Team (HERT) among agencies participated in a simulated active-shooter scenario, a simulated hostage situation and ultimately discovered a simulated improvised explosive device (IED) in an administrative area of the shopping plaza.
NAS Pensacola Installation Training Team (ITT) Coordinator Trent Hathaway said exercises such as this is to prepare installation and partner first responders on joint tactics and procedures.
“Law enforcement and first responders are often put in the line of danger – it's inherent with the nature of their jobs,” he said. “This joint training involves all actions first responders must go through, and to conduct a training exercise such as this with area first responders enhances the capability for our NSF to respond to any issue at any time.”
NAS Pensacola NSF personnel partnered with ESCO personnel and entered the training area after being notified of a simulated active shooter (an NSF volunteer) and provided real-time updates to other responders and command post personnel while moving through the area and being assessed on response and procedure by ITT personnel.
After successfully neutralizing the simulated active shooter, other exercise participants, including the ESCO SWAT team, engaged a simulated hostage taker (an active duty individual) in the facility, resulting in a half-hour standoff designed to test responder’s capability of effectively defusing a potential crisis situation.
Additionally, NAS Pensacola Military Working Dog (MWD) responded to an area determined to have a simulated IED in place, providing an opportunity for the installation’s K-9 teams to engage in the exercise.
Hathaway added that responders were successful in neutralizing the various threats, and said other elements of the exercise were equally effective.
“Participants were able to quickly neutralize and apprehend our role players during this scenario,” he said. “And Fire and Emergency Services Gulf Coast triaged victims and provided transport. This drill gave everyone the chance to see how they could work together in the unlikely event a real-world response is ever needed.”
The ITT is designed to provide realistic training scenarios for service members stationed at the air station, and Hathaway added that evolutions such as this are intended to ensure the safety of the personnel and property at the facility. According to Hathaway, exercises such as this are conducted regularly at various locations using a wide range of scenarios to test NSF personnel and perfect tactics and procedures in coordination with area first responders.
NAS Pensacola, referred to as the "Cradle of Naval Aviation," is designed to support operational and training missions of tenant commands, including the Naval Aviation Technical Training Center (NATTC); Naval Aviation Schools Command (NASC); Marine Aviation Training Support Groups (MATSG) 21 and 23 and serves as the headquarters for Naval Education and Training Command (NETC).
| Date Taken: | 06.27.2023 |
| Date Posted: | 06.29.2023 09:48 |
| Story ID: | 448270 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 244 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
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