For two days in September, Commander, Navy Installation Command, Regions Southwest and Northwest along with their installations and tenant commands will be testing their abilities to respond to a major earthquake and what follows next.

The exercise, called Citadel Rumble 2018, will test Navy installations’ capabilities to prepare for, respond to and recover from “all-hazards” scenarios, which basically means that if an earthquake isn’t hazardous enough, it triggers other hazardous event scenarios.

The exercise, spearheaded by Commander, Navy Installations Command, will be conducted in collaboration with local and federal authorities at bases within Navy Region Southwest and Navy Region Northwest Sept. 5 - 7.

"Citadel Rumble is an annual fully integrated disaster preparedness, response and recovery exercise to evaluate Shore Emergency Management program readiness," said Mike Velasquez, deputy emergency management director. "This exercise will provide the shore enterprise the opportunity to exercise emergency management teams, processes, procedures and partnerships with local mutual aid agencies to be better prepared in the response to real-world disasters."

The installations, along with their tenant commands, will test various procedures, including damage assessment, evacuation plans, disaster preparedness, recovery and consequence management plans, and accounting for Sailors and Navy families in the affected regions through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System (NFAAS).

This participation will include reviewing and exercising earthquake instructions and procedures, as well as fully accounting for Sailors and Navy families in the affected regions through the Navy.

In addition, the exercise will further enhance the Navy’s readiness to deploy forces even under the most adverse conditions.

“We hope to minimize any impact to the public," said Velasquez, “but if anyone has concerns or wonders if something is real or part of the exercise, we encourage them to their contact public affairs.

Navy Installations Command is comprised of approximately 53,000 military and civilian personnel worldwide responsible for the operations, maintenance, and quality of life programs to support the Navy’s fleet, fighters, and their families. 

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