Quarterly base-wide exercise begins Feb. 1

  • Published
  • By Will Huntington
  • 88th Air Base Wing
WRIGHT-PATTERSON AFB, Ohio --  Wright-Patterson Air Force Base will flex its emergency response muscles starting Feb. 1 as the base holds its first quarterly exercises of 2016.

Emergency response personnel and the base populace in general, will be evaluated on their actions and reactions to a variety of scenarios depicting situations that could impact the base at any time.

Base-integrated defense, active shooter response, force protection condition changes and more are among the activities for the week. In addition, some base personnel will be tested on the use of an automated external defibrillator.

Active shooter response is especially important in light of recent events as reported in the nation's news media. All personnel should expect close scrutiny from the installation's exercise evaluation team. Active shooter response plans should be reviewed, shared with co-workers and committed to memory for use should the need to employ them ever arise. The correct actions of those facing an active shooter situation could mean the difference between life and death.

While many methods have been used in the past for base-wide alerting of an active shooter for people outdoors, personnel will now hear an announcement transmitted by the base's "Giant Voice" public address system in the event of an active shooter.

The official phrase of "lockdown, lockdown, lockdown" repeated three times will be announced base-wide. The "alarm" signifies that an active shooter event is in progress. Base personnel should immediately implement lockdown procedures based on their location.

A new visual aid depicting the current U.S. Air Force Emergency Notification Signals, including the new active shooter warning, is being posted throughout the installation.

All personnel are reminded to be alert to risks and potential hazards associated with the exercise's increased activity and, as always, employ sound safety practices in all operations.

During these week-long exercises, Wright-Patterson AFB personnel could expect the following actions to happen at various times:
* Security measures will be increased.
* "Giant Voice" might be activated.
* Telephonic and electronic notification methods will be utilized.
* Emergency response vehicles will be moving around the base.
* Travel may be congested.
* Some roadways may be temporarily blocked.
* Gate traffic could be backed up or rerouted to other entry control points if the gate is closed.

Residents of the base's neighboring communities may notice increased emergency vehicle activity, as well as sirens and public address announcements, as the exercise plays itself out through the course of the week.