WRIGHT-PATTERSON AIR FORCE BASE — Although 2018’s fourth-quarter base-wide exercises did not impact most Wright-Patterson Air Force Base members, behind the scenes several exercise activities still tested a variety of base responders during the week-long exercises.
Exercise events started early on Monday with a recall of the Emergency Family Assistance Center. According to the installation’s Family Readiness plan, the EFAC is a location where families can “obtain disaster relief information, contingency information and emergency or urgent services. Its primary mission is to handle the practical and emotional needs of individuals impacted by a disaster.”
The Wright-Patt Club served as the venue for the exercise and representatives who would staff the center converged to face a series of scenarios that they might encounter during a real-world recall of the center.
Later in the week, “table-top” exercises were held at different locations around the base. Table-top exercises are settings where the principal players would gather to be questioned on their responses to activities generated by a given emergency.
One table-top exercise served to evaluate the base’s response to an aircraft hijacking and another exercise examined responses to an epidemic scenario. Both provided valuable information on the complexities of such contingencies and also demonstrated the interplay between the many base organizations who would respond to a real-world event.
At the conclusion of the week, Wing Inspection Team members reviewed information collected from their observations of each of the events and then prepared reports which will help evaluate the base’s ability to respond to emergencies such as the ones simulated during the exercise.
The next base-wide exercise is scheduled for Feb. 4-8.