YOKOSUKA, Japan (April 30, 2020) Navy Installations across Commander Naval Forces Japan and Navy Region Japan are adapting to the “new normal” during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes preparing for the upcoming typhoon season.
Typhoon season in Japan runs from June through October, with August and September being the most likely to have typhoons. This year’s Exercise Reliant Gale took place April 30 at bases across the region and consisted of modified drills to test readiness.
With typhoon season just around the corner preparing for it within the current challenges of the pandemic forced installation emergency managers to update emergency plans and operations to account for physical distancing and develop plans that protect first responders.
David Johnston, Commander Fleet Activities Sasebo’s (CFAS) emergency management officer, said leveraging technology to involve all stakeholders allows CFAS to be ready for typhoons, even in the current COVID-19 environment.
"Despite our ongoing real world response to corona virus, it's still imperative that we prepare, train, and be ready to respond to other hazards like typhoons. This year we had to adapt by mostly conducting Exercise Reliant Gale virtually, but we were still able to involve all of our departments and 48 tenant commands and exercise our emergency plans and procedures in a compressed timeline to ensure we are ready for the upcoming typhoon season," Johnston said.
According to Chief Hull Maintenance Technician Gregory Otteson, Naval Air Facility Misawa’s installation training officer, preparing for typhoon season in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic has required adjustments in order to maintain health protection measures. “Due to the upcoming typhoon season, it is important that we practice and prepare. Refreshing ourselves with our respective responsibilities, and how we would adjust to HPCON Delta being set, is a situation we may have to encounter. This table top exercise has given us the opportunity to prepare better and protect our families and Sailors on the installation while still practicing proper COVID-19 safety precautions,” Otteson said.
Installations in the region continue to operate in the current environment to support the fleet, warfighters, and their families. For more information on how to prepare for typhoon season visit your installation’s website and Facebook page. For information about how to create a typhoon preparedness kit visit https://www.cnic.navy.mil/regions/cnrse/om/emergency_management/hurricane_kit.html
| Date Taken: | 05.01.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.01.2020 02:21 |
| Story ID: | 368966 |
| Location: | JP |
| Web Views: | 58 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, Navy Region Japan Prepares for Typhoon Season, by Matthew Bradley, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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