HANSCOM AIR FORCE BASE, Mass. -- Base officials will conduct readiness exercises, including an active shooter and public health scenario, from Sept. 9 to 13.
66th Air Base Group Inspector General’s office officials encourage base personnel to remain aware of these scenarios to ensure both safety and effective participation.
“These exercises are crucial for assessing the installation’s ability to maintain critical functions during emergencies,” said Master Sgt. Kenny Souheaver, IG superintendent. “By incorporating lessons learned from previous exercises, we can identify and address any shortfalls in key installation functions, ultimately improving our ability to react to and recover from emergencies.”
He added that the goal is for the IG to evaluate readiness on multiple fronts.
Officials will try to limit the impact on customer service functions and minimize traffic delays when entering or exiting the installation. However, officials do anticipate some disruptions to normal operations.
The IG emphasizes safety and will halt the exercise immediately if a real-world emergency occurs.
Wing Inspection Team members, identifiable by blue vests, will monitor all scenarios.
“If any member of Team Hanscom sees something they believe to be unsafe, they should report it to a WIT member immediately,” Souheaver said, noting that all WIT members have the authority to stop an event if safety is compromised.
If required as part of a scenario, personnel should dial 911 from a landline or cellular device and preface the call with “EXERCISE EXERCISE EXERCISE.”
For questions or concerns before the exercise, base personnel should contact the 66th Air Base Group Inspector General’s office at 66.ABG.IG.Workflow@us.af.mil.