Active shooter exercise to disrupt normal base operations Tuesday Published June 6, 2012 By Airman 1st Class Heather Heiney 81st Training Wing Public affairs KEESLER AIR FORCE BASE, Miss. -- Visitors to Keesler Tuesday should expect to participate in an active shooter exercise. Active shooter exercises are required annually so that first responders and the base populace are prepared to respond and recover in the event of a real-world incident. The exercise will begin around 9 a.m. and may delay base operations for several hours. In this type of exercise, everyone on base should react as if there is a real gunman threatening their safety. If you hear gunshots or are notified that the base is being locked down, immediately seek cover in a place clear of direct fire. Lock doors and windows, barricade the access, turn off lights and make your location appear unoccupied. Safely and quietly use available means to contact your unit control center or chain of command with your location, status and personnel present. Then, stay where you are until authorities instruct you to move, or the lockdown has been lifted. Only take action against the gunman as a last resort if you are in immediate danger. Air Education and Training Command describes the exercise scenario as "a dynamic situation that evolves rapidly and demands immediate response from law enforcement to terminate the life-threatening situation. The immediate response of the first patrolmen on scene is to take aggressive action to find and stop the shooter(s). Rescue efforts will be delayed until the danger can either be mitigated or eliminated." After the threat has been neutralized, recovery efforts begin. Overall, the base will return to normal operations at this point, but individual organizations play a vital role in recovery efforts including security forces, investigators, medical teams, chaplains, commanders, first sergeants, the airman and family readiness center, public affairs and many others. It's important for people to understand that the exercise will affect all facilities on base. Despite the potential inconveniences locking down the base may cause, preparing for an active shooter incident is essential because in real life, preparation equals saved lives.