NBSD Ready to Defend the Base
Naval Base San Diego, NBSD completed and passed a three-day anti-terrorism and force protection, ATFP assessment April 17.
The Final Evaluation Problem, or FEP as it is commonly referred to in the Navy, is a Commander, Naval Installations Command, CNIC tri-annual evaluation of the daily operations of the base and its ability to respond to an emergency.
“NBSD was exceptionally well prepared for FEP, executed the accomplishment of its security mission to standards and demonstrated satisfaction of all certification criteria,” wrote Capt. Philip E. Old, CNIC director of assessments in a report to CNIC Commander Vice Adm. Mary Jackson.
Training to respond to ATFP threats is an all-hands effort that involves civilians, federal emergency responders and service members working together to react to simulated dynamic threats to the base. The successful response to the evaluation was the culmination of months of training.
“The road to this successful event was not an easy task,” said NBSD Installation Training Officer Kyle Birmingham.
According to Birmingham, planning and training began almost six months ago with naval security force, NSF personnel actively training and educating themselves at a high operational tempo leading up to April.
“Many long nights and extended hours were put in by multiple personnel, both military and civilian,” he said. “This truly was a team effort from a number of groups across the base.”
NBSD passed FEP with a score of 89 out of a possible 100 points and proved the base’s capability to respond to a variety of complex security situations while continuing to operate with safety in mind.
NBSD had to score high enough in three major areas: CART (command assessment of readiness and training), RAS (regional assessment) and finally FEP to earn its AFTP certification. The evaluation checked security administration, watch standers’ knowledge, qualification of personnel and ended with a complex drill requiring the coordination of the base operations center, incident command posts and NSF.
The primary scenario included responding to a cascade of security threats which consisted of a burglary alarm at a high value location, a small-boat attack on the waterfront and an active-shooter on the base.
“We have 15 entry control points and we support about 50 thousand people coming onto this base almost every day,” said NBSD Commanding Officer Capt. Roy Love.
“Thank you all for the great work you do! NBSD continues to set standards,” said Love. “This is the greatest base in the Navy!”
