Training exercises to test

The Joint Base Myer-Henderson Hall Directorate of Plans, Training Mobilization and Security will be performing two separate full scale exercises Sept. 17 to ensure that personnel are prepared for potential active shooter and biological attack scenarios.

In conjunction with staff from JBM-HH's Andrew Rader U.S. Army Health Clinic, joint base employees will participate in a closed point of dispensing exercise, during which emergency responders will practice distributing medication to volunteers pretending to be victims of an anthrax situation.

"It's usually implemented when there is a biological release of anthrax," said Malanya Westmoreland, emergency management specialist for JBM-HH DPTMS. "We're trying to make sure that everybody gets a seven- to 10-day supply of meds to counteract any contact with anthrax."

Since there have been anthrax incidents in the National Capital Region in the last few years, Westmoreland said the exercise would be a valuable tool for the joint base community.

"It rounds out how personnel may come in contact with anthrax, how it enters the body and some of the effects anthrax has," she said.

Anthrax can enter a person's bloodstream through inhalation or digestion, with symptoms beginning to show anywhere from five to 10 days after exposure, according to Westmoreland.

The Arlington County Health Department is partnered with the joint base to assist with the exercise, she said.

"We work really closely with them," Westmoreland said. "They're an excellent source of support for us. We try to train as we fight and that means incorporating all of our partners on the installation as well as in the community."

And while the closed point of dispensing exercise is taking place, an active shooter exercise will be play out elsewhere on the joint base. However, the two scenarios will be loosely tied together: The active shooter will be spurred from an incident stemming during treatment of those possibly exposed to the anthrax.

In light of the shooting at Navy Yard and the more recent attack at a Marine recruiting center in Chattanooga, Tennessee, Westmoreland said it's crucial for community members to know how to react in such a scenario.

"In an active shooter situation that means running, hiding, locking the door, calling 911 and giving as much information as you possibly can to help the authorities to save lives," she said.

In the event of an active shooter, the base will go into lockdown. According to the Department of Homeland Security, the following are good practices for an active shooter situation:

Be aware of your environment and any possible dangers.

Take note of the two nearest exits in any facility you visit.

If you are in an office, stay there and secure the door.

If you are in a hallway, get into a room and secure the door.

As a last resort, attempt to take the active shooter down. When the shooter is at close range and you cannot flee, your chance of survival is much greater if you try to incapacitate him/her.

With three different locations comprising JBM-HH, Westmoreland said that safety was a community effort.

"Everyone has a responsibility to report suspicious activity in order to help keep the community safe," she said. "We know no one is going to be a super hero, but should they should know how to react."

The exercise will use the joint mass notification system to keep personnel updated about what's happening through email, text messaging and pop-up capabilities, as well as the "giant voice," a system of outdoor loudspeakers for community members who may not be indoors.

Accounting for personnel will be a top priority during the active shooter exercise, Westmoreland said.

"Assist your supervisor to account for all personnel," she said. "We have a lot of directorates who have a lot of personnel that don't work in front of a computer. They rely heavily on cellphones and walkie-talkies to find out what's going on."

Westmoreland encouraged the joint base community to read about emergency preparedness as well.

"Being ready is being in the know," she said.

For more information about emergency preparedness, visit ready.gov.

For more information specifically about active shooter scenarios, visit www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/active_shooter_booklet.pdf .

More information regarding next month's closed point of dispensing and active shooter exercises at JBM-HH will be available soon via a memorandum of instruction from DPTMS.