Naval Base Ventura County in Port Hueneme has been placed on lockdown amid a “potentially hazardous situation,” the platform announced on Facebook. “NBVC Port Hueneme is currently on Lockdown to investigate a report of a potentially hazardous situation. Immediately seek shelter and remain indoors until further notice,” the post reads.
Netizens reacted to the announcement in the comment section of the post. “I’m concerned as to why base residents were not notified about this sooner, especially since there were people and children outside at the time. Please prioritize timely communication in the future to help keep everyone safe,” one user wrote. “I heard they caught one guy. I’m hearing there are 3 people involved,” another claimed. “Why was there no announcement over the speakers?” one user questioned, while another asked, “Are the booms weve been hearing due to it?”
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Some Facebook users claimed the lockdown was lifted shortly after being put in place. A user said they got a text from Command Staff, which said, “PORT HUENEME. Secure from lockdown. Outbound lanes open. Administrative checks in progress, expect delays.” “Lockdown just lifted,” one user wrote, while another said, “I hope everyone is safe”. A user asked, “Should civilians in surrounding neighborhoods be concerned?”
Naval Base Ventura County shared a “base emergency lockdown guide” on Facebook a few days ago, explaining that during certain emergencies, “it may become necessary to “Lockdown” a building on an installation to protect lives and minimize the exposure to danger.” “A Lockdown, similar to Shelter-in-Place, is a temporary sheltering technique to limit exposure to threat, usually an Anti-Terrorism Force Protection incident such as an Active Shooter Incident,” the post said.
“It is immediate movement or removal of all personnel from the outside to inside structures. When alerted, occupants of any building within the subject area will lock all access, windows, doors, etc., to prevent entry or exit to anyone until the “all-clear” has sounded. A Lockdown can last a few minutes or several hours, depending on the severity of the situation,” it added.
What we know about Naval Base Ventura County
Naval Base Ventura County says on its website that it is a “major shore warfighting platform” that provides “sustained ready forces to deploy, fight, and win.” “Composed of three operating facilities: Point Mugu, Port Hueneme and San Nicolas Island and home of the Pacific Seabees, West Coast E-2D Hawkeyes, 3 warfare centers and 110 tenant commands,” the website states.
It adds, “NBVC is strategically located in the coastal area of Southern California which provides direct access to the Point Mugu Sea Range, the largest instrumented Sea Range in the world. NBVC is home to three warfare centers: Naval Air Warfare Center Weapons Division, Naval Surface Warfare Center PHD, and Naval Facilities Engineering Command Engineering & Expeditionary Warfare Center.”