Preparing for the Worst, Keeping Pax Safe

Shots were fired, and moments later Navy police rushed the Supply Department at Patuxent River Naval Air Station with guns drawn, while those nearby were held back by roadblocks. Soon the area was surrounded by back-up armored vehicles and civilian first responders.

Nobody was in any danger, however, as this was the first of many drills of several worst-case scenarios to be conducted for two weeks at Naval bases across the country, called the Solid Curtain-Citadel Shield 2014. The drills, involving base security, state police, and county emergency teams, ends Feb. 28.

In this case, Active Shooter Event Pax River Security Personnel set up a command station and responded to a mock threat at the Supply Department building on base. During this simulation, military and civilian emergency response teams worked together to ensure proper training in the event of an actual terrorist or active shooter threat at the Naval Air Station.

The active shooter event was a real-time scenario to train both employees and emergency responders, in part with the help of a mutual-aid agreement with police, fire and EMS teams from St. Mary’s and Charles counties..

During this mock scenario, a disgruntled worker infiltrated the building, “injuring” multiple workers and taking hostages. Local SWAT responders were given the opportunity to practice hostage negotiation, clearing a building and detonating a mock breach.

In order to ensure optimal training, “training time-outs” were called throughout the event. During these time outs, first responders switched out their ammunition for blanks, so that the event could maintain as realistic a feel as possible without endangering any participants. Those involved in the event were able to experience what it would sound like to have a gun fired in their building, in close proximity without the threat of live ammunition.

Live weapons were kept available as well so that in the case of a real emergency elsewhere those involved in the training exercise would be available to respond. Other training events held at NAS Pax River during these two weeks include scenarios such as suspicious packages, gate runners, unauthorized entry, and surveillance.