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Mid-Atlantic Gets Crisis Planning Training

Navy NewsStand

Story Number: NNS080215-15
Release Date: 2/15/2008 1:22:00 PM

By Stacey Byington, Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic Public Affairs

NORFOLK (NNS) -- Commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic (CNRMA) Crisis Action Team took part in three days of command, control and communications training, and participated in an integrated exercise in Norfolk, Feb. 12-15.

The training was designed to instill standardized crisis-action planning processes throughout the region and the shore installation environment and was part of the annual sustainment of the regional operations center.

The CNRMA Crisis Action Team is made up of subject matter experts at all levels of installation management. Designed to instill standardized crisis action planning processes, the training is administered at all regions and implements a certification process to establish an appropriate level of readiness across all regions based on approved Navy mission essential tasks

"This is a method to implement command and control ashore," said Capt. B.J. Keepers, CNIC N72 Shore Response Plan branch head, and leader of the mobile training team. "The Commander, Navy Installations Command, wants to create regional operations centers which are aligned with fleet processes and terminology."

Crisis action planning is a tool to seize initiative prior to and during a crisis situation, and is a way to operationalize region missions, tailoring them to local situations, and generate workable plans prior to and during a crisis.

"The overall goal is to be able to respond to all hazards quickly, effectively and efficiently, to support the fleet, fighter and family," said Keepers.

Rear Admiral Mark Boensel, commander, Navy Region Mid-Atlantic, welcomed the trainers and trainees, and emphasized the importance of the exercise.

"The time to practice is before you do it. If you are prepared to respond, the end product will be much better," said Boensel.

"The purpose of crisis action planning is to better prepare the staff to respond to all hazards, crises, and incidents," said Marty Allard, one of the mobile training team instructors.

The exercise crisis the CNRMA team faced was a hurricane coming ashore in the vicinity of Naval Weapons Station Earle and Naval Air Engineering Station Lakehurst, N.J., and potentially impacting Naval Submarine Base New London, Conn., Naval Station Newport, R.I., and other North Atlantic Navy shore installations.

"The CNRMA staff is very prepared to deal with complex incidents, to conduct complex analysis, and develop different courses of actions," said Hal Kemper, another CNIC trainer. "The staff has a very positive attitude, was very engaged in the training, and they learned a great deal."

For more news from Commander, Navy Region Mid Atlantic, visit www.news.navy.mil/local/cnrma/.