Naval Magazine Indian Island and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island are among the U.S. Navy installations in the Northwest region conducting an earthquake response and recovery exercise through Aug. 9. The annual exercise, called “Citadel Rumble,” began Aug. 5 and also includes Naval Base Kitsap and Naval Station Everett. The participating installations are being tested on how capable they are of preparing for, responding to and recovering from an exercise scenario that includes multiple hazards. This year, simulated major earthquakes are triggering other simulated hazardous events. Those near one of the aforementioned Navy installations may see or hear activities related to the multi-day exercise, but Julianne Stafford, public affairs officer for Naval Magazine Indian Island, reported the Navy does not expect this activity to impact the public outside of Navy property. Exercise activity that could potentially be observed include messages played over the Navy’s emergency notification loudspeaker system, and increased emergency response vehicle and personnel activity, although Stafford noted the Navy aims to minimize its impacts to the public as much as possible during such exercises. According to Stafford, this exercise is designed to provide Navy personnel the opportunity to exercise emergency management teams, processes, procedures and partnerships with local mutual aid agencies, to be better prepared to respond to real-world disasters. “The exercise will also further enhance the Navy’s readiness and ability to deploy forces even under the most adverse conditions,” Stafford stated. Installations including Naval Magazine Indian Island and Naval Air Station Whidbey Island, along with their tenant commands, are testing various procedures, including damage assessment and preparedness, evacuation plans, recovery and consequence management plans, and accounting for sailors and Navy families in the affected regions, through the Navy Family Accountability and Assessment System. Citadel Rumble, spearheaded by Commander, Navy Installations Command, is an annual fully-integrated disaster preparedness, response and recovery exercise that evaluates Navy Shore Emergency Management program readiness.