NSA Philadelphia Conducts RTT Event

PHILADELPHIA (NNS) -- Approximately 300 people participated in the Naval Support Activity Philadelphia's Installation Training Team (ITT) exercise, July 18.

The exerise was coordinated with the Defense Logistics Agency (DLA), Human Resource Service Center Northeast (HRSC NE), and several city emergency response organizations. The NSA ITT exercise was evaluated by members of the Regional Training Team (RTT) on their ability to develop, execute, and assess an integrated training event (ITE).

"The exercise went very well," said Sam Phillips, NSA emergency management officer. "It was a safe evolution, and it provided an opportunity for recently relocated HRSC personnel in Building 9 to learn what to expect from police during an active shooter event on NSA Philadelphia.

"It also provided recently arrived Navy Security Force members familiarization with city of Philadelphia tactics; and likewise, the city of Philadelphia gained familiarity with one of the base's newest buildings. Members of the base's Emergency Operations Center continued to gain experience in handling emergency situations and working with City of Philadelphia on-scene commanders," Phillips added.

The exercise consisted of two separate events that tested not only the responsiveness of the base security forces, but also the effectiveness of the NSA Emergency Operations Center team.

NSA's master-at-arms were called to respond and eliminate the threat of a simulated active shooter inside HRSC NE's Building 9. To make the exercise more realistic, several employees from HRSC NE acted as victims.

While responding to the active shooter exercise, a series of suspicious packages were found near DLA's Building 5. The first-responders were tasked with evacuating buildings in case the packages were explosive devices.

For both incidents, local Philadelphia emergency services assisted base security in neutralizing the simulated threats. Philadelphia Police, Fire, Homeland Security, and SWAT all had members playing active roles in the exercise.

"The inclusion of city assets is an important component of any drill on the installation as our base falls into the jurisdiction of Philadelphia city," said Steve Michael, NSA installation training officer. "Including those response disciplines during our drills provides them with firsthand knowledge of our installation in the event that they have to respond to an incident and emergency, developing those relationships prior is paramount to a successful operation," he added.

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