Military and civilian personnel assigned to Naval District Washington (NDW) completed the Regional Operation Center (ROC) Training Course on the Washington Navy Yard, August 19, 2022.
The two-day course was conducted to ensure NDW personnel are capable and ready to respond quickly and professionally to any crisis that could happen within the region.
“The most important part of this course is life safety support, and the number one job of every commanding officer ashore at Commander Navy Installations Command (CNIC) is to protect his or her protected population,” said Michael Crocket, the shore operations training group chief for CNIC. “Responding to a situation during that first golden hour is crucial, and we must ensure all of our tenant commands are taken care of.”
Over the course of two days, NDW personnel assigned to the regional Crisis Action Teams (CAT) faced simulated scenarios such as major weather events affecting installations, mass casualty, and triage control situations.
These simulated exercises involve all sections and aspects of crisis response, testing the skills and knowledge of different teams within the CAT, such as operations, logistics, planning, and more.
“It really is incredible to see how all of our personnel who work in their respective areas on a daily basis come together and work flawlessly as a team,” said NDW Executive Director Rae Sullivan as she addressed the CAT at the conclusion of the course. “It shows how knowledgeable and capable we are when it comes to responding to crisis situations.”
The ROC training course only happens at NDW every three years. Aside from this training, the NDW CAT is periodically activated for other pop-up scenarios to stay vigilant.
“Honestly I think we have one of the best CATs in the entire Navy enterprise,” said NDW Regional Program Director of Emergency Management Jeff Sanford. “Whenever our team is activated and called upon, they always deliver no matter how tough the situation they’re facing is.”
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