Joint U.S. Navy and local Japanese emergency management officials from nine cities surrounding Naval Air Facility Atsugi assembled for a first-ever, local disaster preparedness symposium, Sept. 30.

The symposium defined and tightened roles and responsibilities of multiple emergency responders from both Japanese and Navy agencies to aid and protect both the local citizens of Japan surrounding NAF Atsugi, and the base's near 9,000 residents in case of disaster.

"Our intent is to build our mutual support agreements and training exercises to enhance interoperability should disaster take place," said Cmdr. Matthew Szoka, NAF Atsugi's executive officer.

In 2011, Szoka was the pilot of the first helicopter that delivered humanitarian aid to the Tohoku region of Japan following that country's most devastating earthquake in history.

"In the past 20 years, earthquakes in Japan have resulted in over 25,000 deaths," Szoka reported.

Since NAF Atsugi is the only airport within Kanagawa prefecture, it is perfectly positioned as a hub of transportation for evacuation and logistics delivery and distribution.

Chuck Kramer, NAF Atsugi's Training Director, and coordinator of the symposium said its geographic location also makes NAF Atsugi the perfect location to gather the most important leaders of local emergency management and community governance.

"This symposium brings the heads of Japanese and American leadership together in one room to speak on issues of national importance while also serving to reinforce valuable memorandums of agreement we have with nine cities and various Japanese governmental entities," Kramer said.

Keynote speaker for the event is noted climatologist Owen Shieh, Weather and Climate Program Manager with the National Disaster Preparedness Training Center in Pearl Harbor. Shieh agreed the symposium was a necessary and valuable opportunity in disaster preparedness.

"This is the bread and butter of the training world," he said. "Interagency work is some of the most important work we can do before any sort of disaster or destruction occurs."

Shieh said residents of Japan may receive weather emergency related information from a Japanese source, while Navy residents and contractors from another source, such as the Joint Typhoon Watch Center.

"So, these events go to the core of what it is to pre-plan and get to know the people and organizational structures in any emergency or event," Shieh said. "I think the clearest case of this would be the 2011 Great East Japan earthquake where the U.S. military was immediately prepared to deliver supplies and material; and that's a simple product of time and proximity that allowed them to be so efficient."

One of the closest cities bordering NAF Atsugi, Ebina, was represented by Vice Mayor Toyohiko Katou. He recalled the value of joint disaster preparedness.

"When the Tohoku earthquake (Great East Japan earthquake 2011) occurred, Ebina's sister city in the northern prefecture of Miyagi, Shiroishi City, was devastated by the destruction and damage," Katou said. "Ebina was the only city to call upon the NAF Atsugi to render aid, delivering water, rice, and providing transport."

Fellow municipal leader, Yamato City Vice Mayor Noboru Inoue, agreed.

"Because we have a standing memorandum of agreement, we want to communicate more clearly and operate more closely with our American counterparts in the event of disaster or calamity."

Ultimately, the greatest benefit of the symposium is for residents both on base and off base, said Szoka.

"Through this symposium it is our intent to foster relationships and alliances to aid the people of our respective communities and this great nation," Szoka said.

For more news from Naval Air Facility Atsugi, visit www.navy.mil/.