U.S. Naval Base Guam’s (NBG) Fleet and Family Support Center (FFSC) activated the Emergency Family Assistance Center (EFAC) as part of the Annual Exercise Typhoon Pakyo, June 5.

The annual exercise is held to enhance readiness and preparedness of the military and local agencies for heavy weather conditions. To test NBG’s readiness, the EFAC was activated.  The center’s primary purpose is to provide a consolidated staging area where Navy families and personnel can receive disaster relief assistance and/or support, information from their leadership, and contingency services.

The EFAC can be activated following either a natural-disaster or traumatic incident. Historically the EFAC was established for Hurricane Katrina, the Southern California Wildfires, and the Washington Navy Yard shootings.

“The purpose of the EFAC is that following a disaster, manmade or natural – there’s a lot of possible damage, there’s a lot of chaos, there’s a lot of confusion and people have a variety of different needs,” said Marcy Baza, director for NBG FFSC. “Family members and service members can come to the EFAC. They’ll fill out a needs assessment so we know just what their needs are, we’ll prioritize those needs and then they’re able to visit the various community organization tables to get those needs met.”

NBG resident, Jennifer Burke, was one of dozens of volunteers who came out in support of the exercise. She was a role-player and was given a scenario for the exercise where she lost her home and car in the storm. As part of the exercise, she needed assistance in finding a place to stay for her husband, children, and two cats and help with finding transportation. Her children would need new uniforms that were also lost in the storm.

“Everyone was very welcoming and showed us where to go and what to fill out, how to help us along, they took care of my kids which was really nice,” Burke said. “There is a great sense of relief knowing that if something were to happen, that it’s going to be taken care of.”

This year, the EFAC was staged at the Charles King Fitness Center on base. The space was ideal for compartmentalizing the many different participating services. This year’s participants included the Navy Exchange, NBG Family and Unaccompanied Housing, NBG Chapel, Navy-Marine Corps Relief Society, and Navy Legal Service Office.

“This is a step across all of our readiness pillars that we must maintain as a fighting force for the protection of Guam and our country,” said NBG Commanding Officer Capt. Jeffrey Grimes. “This networking is one way we support the One Guam Initiative and support for the overall community.”

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