CONTACT: Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186

FOR RELEASE: Wednesday, Mar 23, 2011

LATHAM, NY (03/24/2011)(readMedia)-- The New York State Division of Military and Naval Affairs tested the ability of its state, federal, and military employees to function from alternate work locations across the Capital Region during an exercise that began Tuesday, March 22 and ended on Wednesday, March 23. The drill, which involved 100 people-- a quarter of the workforce at agency headquarters here-- tested the agency’s continuity of operations plan. The plan allows the agency to continue to function if the New York National Guard headquarters building were damaged or rendered uninhabitable. The Division of Military and Naval Affairs is the state agency responsible for administering the 16,000-member New York Army and Air National Guard as well as New York’s two state defense forces, the New York Guard and New York Naval Militia. The agency oversees five Air National Guard bases and more than 50 Army National Guard facilities across the state. The exercise scenario outlined a situation in wh a package containing a white powder which could have been anthrax toxin was discovered in an office. This forced the evacuation of the division’s headquarters facility. Alternate work locations were established at Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, Watervliet Arsenal, and the South Lake Avenue Armory in Troy. Soldiers, Airmen, federal and state employees from across the agency spent the last nine months preparing operational continuity plans. These plans spelled out which key employees set up operations at which locations, and what communications and computer equipment they needed. "It is critical to our state leadership and for our forces across the state to know that this headquarters will continue to operate in any situation," said Maj. Gen. Patrick Murphy, the New York State Adjutant General. "Our New York State Military Forces rely on this agency for leadership, directives and administration. Training for continuity of operations improves our readiness and responsiveness during any crisis for our state," Murphy said. Continuity of Operations allows for a government office to relocate or operate during a crisis and still provide the essential functions for the public. In the exercise, representatives from across the agency’s various directorates received notice of the notional incident at the Latham facility on Monday through e-mails, computer screen notices, and automated phone messages. These messages said that a suspect material was discovered in the building, forcing evacuation to alternate locations until adequate sampling and testing could determine the nature of the substance and potential harm to the employees in the building. Anthrax concerns have forced numerous government buildings in the past to close temporarily for sampling and testing. The heightened concern followed the actual Anthrax attacks in Washington, DC, New York City, Trenton, New Jersey and Boca Raton, Fla. in 2001. Establishing temporary headquarters at the Stratton Air National Guard Base in Scotia, the leadership of the New York National Guard quickly established a joint operations center to monitor statewide activities of the agency and respond to needs of state government. Each directorate of the Division of Military and Naval Affairs, representing military intelligence, operations, planning, personnel, logistics, finance, human resources, aviation, communications, administrative support and special staff functions such as safety, legal, inspector general or family programs all established themselves at alternate sites. The exercise was referred to as a "50 percent event" because it impacted half of each staff directorate’s critical personnel, allowing routine operations to continue at the National Guard facility during the rehearsal exercise. "In the military, we talk about conducting training using a crawl, walk and run model," said Lt. Col. Richard Sloma, operations planner responsible for the exercise plan. "Last year our staff representatives all crawled through their planning and leaders walked through a reconnaissance of off-site locations this winter. This week’s exercise was a great run for office personnel who must be prepared to establish their capabilities away from our main headquarters should an incident ever occur," he said. "Rehearsing continuity of operations gives members of the National Guard and all the civilian employees of the agency a new appreciation for their important role in supporting forces across the state," said Brig. Gen. Renwick Payne, Director of the Joint Staff and overall director of the training exercise. The scenario concluded late Wednesday with a simulated report of results of laboratory testing revealing no hazard or threat to the agency. Employees relocated back to the main facility on Thursday, March 24 and will conduct an after-action review of the events to improve their plans for the future. -------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Want to create your own news and distribute it in minutes? Sign up now! News From New York State Division of Military & Naval Affairs Contact Information Eric Durr, 518-786-4581 or (cell) 518-429-5186 Share this News Print Email Click here to embed this news release on your own website. 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