Active Shooter Drill Trains Navy Base, Anne Arundel County On Emergency Response

ANNE ARUNDEL COUNTY, MD — The Navy practiced an active shooter drill recently in Anne Arundel County.

There was no true threat, nobody was hurt and there was not an actual active shooter. This was just to prepare in case there is ever a mass casualty event in or around the Naval Support Activity Annapolis installation.

The Feb. 15 drill included first responders from the Navy, the federal government, the State of Maryland, Anne Arundel County and the City of Annapolis.

The exercise featured multiple role players with injuries after an active shooter at the Navy base.

The drill trained security personnel to neutralize the threat and then stabilize casualties before taking victims to a local hospital.

"Training with our civilian counterparts not only strengthens our relationships but makes the scenario more realistic," Capt. Homer Denius, commanding officer of NSA Annapolis, said in a press release. "The scenario ran from the initial incident all the way through casualty stabilization. We could never do that on our own, and are thrilled with the broad participation from the local law enforcement and medical facilities."

Drill participants worked on treating as many victims as possible on the scene. Medics flew other patients to the Luminis Health Anne Arundel Medical Center in Annapolis and the University of Maryland Baltimore Washington Medical Center in Glen Burnie.

The Maryland State Police and the National Park Police provided medical evacuation helicopters.

"These drills are so important as they strengthen our existing relationships with response agencies and ensure we are all well-equipped and prepared to provide safe, high-quality care during a real emergency," said Diane Croghan, the vice president of community outreach and the chief of staff at Baltimore Washington Medical Center. "We are grateful to the NSA Annapolis and the many other agencies that organized and participated in this drill with us."

The hospitals treated role players for injuries ranging from cuts and bruises to open head wounds.

Emergency vehicles and helicopter crews worked on treating victims en route to the hospitals.

"While we regularly test and evaluate the hospital's emergency response and activation procedures, this drill allowed us to prepare on a much larger scale with our partners from the Navy, first responders, and other emergency personnel," said Steve Campbell, vice president of marketing and communications at Luminis Health. "Since seconds save lives in a real-life emergency, these community-wide drills are important to ensure we are all ready to respond appropriately during a mass casualty event."

The Navy emphasized the importance of teamwork with local officials during emergencies to assure timely responses.

These exercises are especially important in Annapolis, a small city with many governmental and cultural destinations.

"In addition to being our state capital, the City of Annapolis is home to numerous local, state, and federal agencies," said Kevin Simmons, director of the City of Annapolis Office of Emergency Management. "This makes these seven square miles of great strategic importance. Practice and preparation are essential for maintaining operations readiness to protect better and serve all who live, work, and play in Annapolis."

Every Navy base in the continental U.S. participates in this annual two-week anti-terrorism and force protection exercise called Citadel Shield/Solid Curtain.

Citadel Shield happens in the first week and is run by Commander, Navy Installations Command.

Solid Curtain spans the second week and is run by Commander, U.S. Fleet Forces Command.