Previous Story
Annual Konfitma exercise takes place this week
The CNMI Office of Homeland Security & Emergency Management, in cooperation with the Army National Guard and other state and federal agencies, will be participating in the annual Konfitma training exercises this week.
The activity, which aims to use the training of the islands’ first responders and critical response agencies, will take place from June 12 to 16, throughout a 24-hour period and encompass an islandwide area where different emergency scenarios (i.e. bioterrorism, active shooter alerts, etc.) will play out.
“This training is comprehensive, with our first responders applying what they’ve learned as they have progressed through their initial training and through their time in the ranks, and in some cases, they’re presented with scenarios they’ve never come across. Everything they know will come full circle in this exercise,” said acting Special Assistant for HSEM Pete Leon Guerrero.
Training venues will be scattered around Saipan, and exercises will generate some speculation and curiosity, so Leon Guerrero and trainers assisting in Konfitma’s facilitation are asking the public for cooperation as training proceeds.
The trainings may cause some alarm and may cause people to start spreading rumors of what exactly is going on.
“We want to emphasize and let everyone know not to be alarmed and remain calm if you see our police officers and firefighters and other first responders out in the villages,” said Leon Guerrero
Konfitma trainer Raymond Toves said, “This is a training that definitely plays out on a big scale, and it will take a lot of time to carry through. So to the people of Saipan, please do not panic, this is only a training exercise, but we thank you for your patience as we carry through with this annual activity.”
For more information, contact the Emergency Operations Center at 237-8000, or log on to the HSEM’s website at http://www.cnmihsem.gov.mp.
