NAVFAC Southeast CERT Participates in HURREX Citadel Gale 2010

From Naval Facilities Engineering Command Southeast Public Affairs

JACKSONVILLE, Fla. (NNS) -- The Contingency Engineering Response Team (CERT) of Naval Facilities Engineering Command (NAVFAC) Southeast participated in HURREX Citadel Gale 2010 May 11 on board Naval Air Station (NAS) Jacksonville, Fla. as part of a disaster preparedness drill.

NAVFAC CERTs are part of the key tools in recovery, consisting of one or more Disaster Assessment Teams (DATs). DATs are made up of personnel who enable installation recovery efforts, including other agency representatives. The teams consist of active duty civil engineer corps officers, civilian engineers, architects, public affairs officers, project managers, facilities managers and contract specialists.

"As we enter the 2010 hurricane season, it is imperative to exercise our ability to respond to natural disasters throughout the NAVFAC Southeast area of responsibility," said Lt. Cmdr. Jose Deliz, staff officer, NAVFAC Contingency office-in-charge of construction.

This was the first year the Mobile Command Vehicle (MCV) was used in this exercise. The MCV, a large recreational vehicle, is specifically equipped with a full communications suite, video conferencing, workspaces, weather gauges and other equipment. In the event of a disaster, the MCV would provide critical support to the CERT through maintaining effective communications and data collection and processing.

During the HURREX, NAVFAC Southeast flexed its CERT capabilities by simulating a personnel deployment as would be done in a real-word scenario. As part of the simulation, the base requested damage assessment support from the Region and the CERT team was put in to action. The basic concept was to run through the motion as it if were real. This involved recall of CERT personnel, processing orders, immunization checks, issuance of gear, deployment of the MCV and other rental vehicles, onsite arrival/staging. Once the team arrives on site, damage assessments are conducted with subsequent reporting and cost estimating.

For this exercise, several facilities were identified for assessment. DATs proceeded to each facility and assessed structural damage, recording findings both electronically as well as through hard copies. Proper placards were placed at each facility indicating status for occupancy. Props were installed to depict notional damage to be discovered via inspection. Appropriate site information was obtained through the use of GPS and digital photography. Once all buildings were assessed, the team reconvened at the MCV for a quick debrief, gear retrograde, and vehicle turn-in.

Communications were continuous during convoy and field activities. Several means of communications were employed during this evolution, including satellite phones, cellular phones, NMCI computer access, and Enterprise Land Mobile Radios. The CERT maintained communications with the NAVFAC Southeast Emergency Operations Center, established communications with base personnel, and communicated as needed with NAVFAC personnel for reach back support.

"As we implement improvements to our equipment or processes, it is prudent to test them in a simulated environment so that any problems are identified and corrected before a real-life event," said Deliz.