By Chief Mass Communications Specialist Rafael Martie

NAVIFOR Public Affairs

A Department of Defense installation in North Suffolk recently teamed up with Federal Protective Services and the Suffolk Police Department to conduct an active shooter exercise.

The exercise, held on Feb. 6, gave more than 300 participating sailors, government employees and contractors as well as local law enforcement an opportunity to familiarize themselves with the Navy’s Run-Hide-Fight training in a practice scenario.

The staff reacted swiftly and secured the building quickly as a role-playing active-shooter, armed with a simulated handgun, stomped through the hallways banging on office doors, shouting threats and pretending to shoot anyone within sight, both military members and civilians.

“An active shooter response drill is required by (Department of Defense) instruction to be performed twice every year for the purposes of staff training in the procedures and necessary actions to prevent massive loses of life at this command should a horrible act such as this take place,” said Robert Baldwin, Naval Information Forces physical security specialist/antiterrorism assistant. “Training on safe zone locations, evacuation procedures and emergency exit locations are some of the more critical aspects of this.”

“It was an effective drill, and we were able to identify areas of improvement,” said Chief Navy Career Counselor Monica Crumpvenn, one of the safety observers for the exercise. “It was also great to work with local law enforcement during the exercise and share best practices so we could be better prepared if an actual event were to occur.”

The active-shooter exercise is just one example of how the partnership between Naval Information Forces, Federal Protective Services and Suffolk Police Department are working together to provide a safe environment for sailors and staff civilians.

“We at (Naval Information Forces) are very fortunate to have such a close and highly cooperative relationship with the (Suffolk Police Department) as well as the (Federal Protective Services),” Baldwin said. “Our active shooter drill serves as a multi-faceted, integrated training platform for NAVIFOR staff but also for FPS and SPD who utilize this opportunity to exercise their interoperability in tactical response techniques.”

Naval Information Forces’ mission is to provide combat-ready information warfare forces to operational commanders, ashore and afloat, that are forward deployable, fully trained, properly manned, capably equipped, always ready, well-maintained and combat sustainable.

For more information on Naval Information Forces, visit the command’s website at www.navifor.navy.mil, its Navy News Web page at www.navy.mil/local/nidf or Facebook page at www.facebook.com/USNavyInformationDominanceForce.