Flip through the latest issue of Gulf Weekly.
AROUND 1,200 personnel assigned to US Naval Support Activity Bahrain and the kingdom's ministries of interior, defence and health conducted a joint emergency response exercise at the Bahrain School.
The 'Crisis Response Exercise' was designed to test and evaluate the navy's crisis and consequence management and emergency response procedures, along with those of the Bahraini government.
As part of the exercise, security at US naval facilities and the US Embassy was increased.
The communities living near the base experienced increased activity, but the exercise was not disruptive to the outside area. Emergency and first responders from Naval Support Activity Bahrain, Salmaniya Medical Complex and Defence Fire Service responded to the scene and provide simulated "casualty extraction", medical care and transport to area hospitals.
The exercise allowed Naval Support Activity Bahrain and Bahraini government officials to exercise shared and command responses to an emergency situation. After the exercise, teams discussed how to improve and refine their response based on their findings.
The US Navy and Bahraini officials had spent months planning this exercise.
A Naval Support Activity Bahrain's emergency services co-ordinator said the purpose of the exercise was to provide "an environment in which the US Navy and the government of Bahrain can test co-operative capabilities to effectively respond to a crisis".
