INDIAN ISLAND — Naval Magazine Indian Island has had a week of anti-terrorism training, complete with people posing as terrorists and an exercise in which an ordnance magazine was blown up — pretend only, of course.
The training exercise was part of a nationwide Exercise Solid Curtain/Citadel Shield 2010 from Washington, D.C., to Guam, which involved more than 250 training exercises at Navy facilities.
The exercises run through today, said Sheila Murray, Navy Region Northwest spokeswoman.
“One of reasons why the Navy does this type of exercise is to optimize security and reduce the threat,” Murray said.
“We treat it just like the real thing,” she added.
Besides having one of the magazines explode in a simulation exercise, mock intruders were enlisted.
“They actually had intruders access the base dressed as bad guys,” Murray said.
During the magazine explosion simulations, firefighters and the Navy’s Explosive Ordnance Disposal Team were used.
Murray said a Fireblaster, a mobile fire training unit, was used to simulate smoke in the mock explosion of the magazine.
Firefighters with the Naval Magazine and East Jefferson Fire-Rescue trained in the Fireblaster on Thursday.
The Fireblaster can simulate house fires with a computerized control system that can intensify propane-fed flames that firefighters can hose down.
Besides the Naval Magazine, the exercise also involved Whidbey Naval Air Station, Everett and Naval Base Kitsap in the region. Each base trained under different scenarios.
The only training off Indian Island in Port Townsend Bay involved the Coast Guard Cutter Osprey, based in Port Townsend, which provided support during the exercise.
The Navy reported that exercise scenarios across the country ranged from recognizing and countering base surveillance operations to active simulated emergencies such as small boat attacks on waterfront bases or cyber attacks on installations.
The annual security training exercise, coordinated by U.S. Fleet Forces Command, is the largest anti-terrorism/force-protection exercise conducted nationwide.
The exercise this week was not in response to any specific threat, Navy officials said, adding that it was intended to train troops in reporting, deterring, defending and recovering from an attack.
The exercise was a key measure for refining and improving Naval Magazine’s security and force protection posture and readiness, while working towards the top priority, which is to ensure the safety, security and welfare of people and assets, said Cmdr. Mark Loose, the naval magazine’s commanding officer.
“As always, safety is first and paramount in the conduct of this exercise and in everything done at NavMag,” Loose said.
The Naval Magazine installation gradually increased its security posture throughout the week.
Jefferson County Emergency Management Office participated at various times during the drill to execute standard notification procedures.
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Port Townsend-Jefferson County Editor Jeff Chew can be reached at 360-385-2335 or at jeff.chew@peninsuladailynews.com.
