Residents on and around Fort Belvoir may want to keep some earplugs close at hand today (Thursday).
The U.S. Army installation will host an active shooter preparedness exercise starting at 10 a.m. that could last “several hours” and involve loud noises, including simulated gunshots.
“Please note that this exercise will involve simulated gunfire and other loud noises, which may be heard in the vicinity of Fort Belvoir,” the garrison said in an advisory. “We want to assure the public that this is a training exercise and not a real emergency.”
According to Fort Belvoir, participants in the exercise will include first responders and emergency management teams stationed at the base as well as the Missile Defense Agency, whose headquarters at 5700 18th Street (Building 245) will be the primary source of the simulated gunfire. Other partner agencies from around the D.C. region will be involved as well.
Residents and visitors should expect a large presence of law enforcement, fire and emergency medical services personnel, Fort Belvoir said, noting that the exercise areas and participants “will be clearly marked.”
“Any abnormal or suspicious activities observed beyond designated/marked areas should continue to be reported to Security,” the fort said in a social media post.
The exercise will simulate “a realistic scenario” to test the effectiveness of the installation’s emergency preparedness procedures and give personnel an opportunity to practice their responses.
Located in southeastern Fairfax County, Fort Belvoir hosts dozens of defense and intelligence agencies in addition to the Army and provides services to over 216,050 military service members, civilians, retirees and families. Services on the base include fire stations and a community hospital.
The base was the site of a domestic violence-related shooting in August 2000, where a man fatally shot his ex-girlfriend, an Army staff sergeant, before shooting and killing himself.
