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CAW News & Events
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Thursday, March 22, 2012
Domestic Preparedness Support Initiative approves funding for CAW to demonstrate the Field Information Support Tool (FIST) in Coastal Trident 2012 exercise -
Tuesday, February 14, 2012
CAW briefs use of unmanned technologies in wildland firefighting and emergency response at the Channel Islands Chapter of the AUVSI -
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
DoD receives authorization to fund CAW to evaluate the Field Information Support Tool (FIST) in Coastal Trident 2012 exercise -
Wednesday, February 1, 2012
PACOM receives approval to fund CAW to facilitate the next phase of disaster preparedness workshops and training in the Lower Mekong Delta in 2012 -
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
FBI funds CAW to develop a private-sector Infrastructure Liaison Program -
Tuesday, January 24, 2012
CAW briefs on "Asymmetric Warfare Collaboration" at the 42nd Annual Electronic Warfare Symposium at the Ronald Reagan Presidential Library -
Wednesday, April 27, 2011
Offshore Platform Security and Response Subject Matter Expertise Exchange in Ventura County, CA -
Wednesday, April 20, 2011
HURREX/Citadel Gale 2011 Exercise for Gulf Coast and East Coast Navy installations and Fleet units -
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Hampton Roads Full-Scale Exercise 2011 Final Planning Conference at VMASC, Suffolk, VA -
Tuesday, April 5, 2011
HURREX/Citadel Gale 2011 Final Planning Conference in Norfolk, VA -
Tuesday, March 29, 2011
CAW and Coastal Trident 2011 featured in Oxnard Harbor District's "The Port of Hueneme News" -
Thursday, March 24, 2011
CAW and the AUVSI Firefighting Tabletop Exercise featured in Emergency Management Magazine -
Wednesday, March 23, 2011
Coastal Trident 2011 Exercise at the Port of Hueneme, CA -
Tuesday, March 22, 2011
DHS Integrated Chemical, Biological, Radiological, Nuclear, and High-Yield Explosives (ICBRNE) Webcast -
Thursday, March 17, 2011
Lihue County Emergency Management All-Hazards Preparedness Program in Lihue, HI
Products & Services
CAW recognizes that developing the ability to effectively respond to a crisis is critical to the safety and security of our nation and our allies. This capability can only be maintained when supported by an integrated assessment, training, and exercise program that allows organizations to develop, improve, and validate capabilities according to an authoritative set of requirements.
We utilize a comprehensive systems engineering approach to ensure the development and maintenance of the most appropriate levels of capability, given the operational environment and the unique situational requirements of our partner organizations. This approach is scalable enough to be used at any level of operation and flexible enough to fit any requirement involving people, products, or processes.
Whether the focus is training of personnel, development of plans and procedures, or integration of technology, this methodology is repeatable, standardized, and comprehensive to ensure success.Development of Requirements and Operational Thresholds
In the first stage of a program, we develop a set of requirements that meet
the needs of our partners through:
At CAW, we recognize that procuring technologies and expending valuable
fiscal and personnel resources in training and exercise programs is only
important if there is a need for it. When we complete this step in the process,
those needs will be clearly identified and will serve as the focus of our concept of operations.
- Identification of the required capabilities
- Examination of the intended purpose for these capabilities
- Definition of the operational environment, based on scenarios or missions
- Assessment of the application of comparable existing systems or capabilities for potential savings in budget and schedule
Assessment of Capabilities
We understand that each organization has a unique set of baseline capabilities to be used as a starting point. With a robust concept of operations and requirements identified, CAW will work with you to perform a broad spectrum review and evaluation of current plans, processes, personnel, and infrastructure to clearly define that baseline and identify gaps between demonstrated capabilities and required operational thresholds.
Once this deficiency has been characterized, CAW can initiate development of a customized solution to fit the unique needs of our partner organizations and close the operational gap.
Development of Plans, Processes, Personnel, and Infrastructure
The development of a capability to close an operational gap involves activity in multiple disciplines, including:
CAW consists of experts in field operations, emergency and consequence management, crisis and deliberate planning, systems acquisition, technical documentation, modeling and simulation, human and systems integration in both civilian and military operational environments. With these capabilities, we are uniquely positioned to adapt an existing capability or develop a new one to help our partners close any operational gap.
- Plans at the strategic, operational, or tactical levels
- Development of unique tactics, techniques, or procedures to address a new or evolving threat
- Addition of new knowledge, skills, and abilities for personnel
- Integration of new systems or infrastructure to support enhanced operational effectiveness and new missions.
Training and Education
As a satellite research center under the Naval Postgraduate School’s National Security Institute, CAW maintains a wealth of resources with which it conducts comprehensive training and education programs. CAW develops and conducts a wide variety of customized training and education programs, including:
With access to the world-class staff, technology, and distance education capabilities of the Naval Postgraduate School at its disposal, CAW can deliver training and education curricula to students anywhere in the world by recognized subject matter experts and instructors with operational experience.
- Crisis planning, response, and recovery including the National Incident Management System (NIMS) and Incident Command System (ICS)
- Operations center management and regional response coordination including Crisis Action Planning (CAP) and Defense Support of Civil Authorities (DSCA)
- Mass care and sheltering
- Hazardous materials and CBRNE (chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and high explosives) response
- Strategic policy development
Exercise and Evaluation of Capabilities
With extensive experience developing and conducting integrated exercise environments for its partner organizations, CAW’s foremost asset and center of gravity is excellence in test and evaluation. CAW’s staff consists of experts with decades of service in the development, implementation, integration, verification, and validation of technical systems and operational processes.
At CAW, we believe that the best method of developing, maintaining, and improving critical capabilities is through realistic, scenario-based challenges that validate requirements and specifications with measurable criteria. CAW is experienced in providing the full spectrum of products and services for the planning, conduct, and evaluation of verification and validation exercises, including the following:
Only through comprehensive test and unbiased evaluation, based in a realistic training and exercise environment can capabilities be safely and thoroughly validated. Based on the demonstrated strengths and weaknesses identified in these activities, improvements and adjustments can be made to ensure that plans and procedures, personnel, and infrastructure fulfill their requirements and provide seamless capability.
- Integration of multiple, diverse response and support agencies from local, state, federal and international government agencies; military; private industry and volunteer organizations; and academia
- Standardized documentation that follows Homeland Security Exercise and Evaluation Program (HSEEP) guidelines
- Comprehensive management of exercise planning activities from concept development to execution
- Facilitation of discussion-based seminars, tabletop exercises, and wargames
- Conduct and control of realistic, scenario-based functional or full-scale exercise events including securing access to exercise venues, incorporation of role-players and simulation props, safety and site security, and logistics coordination
- Evaluation of exercise activities and after action reporting
Incorporation of Operational Feedback
In order to ensure that plans and procedures, personnel, and infrastructure continue to meet their operational thresholds and operate in satisfaction of their requirements, the final step in an iterative assessment, training, and exercise program is improvement.
Based on the observations and conclusions of comprehensive test and evaluation activities, recommendations and corrective actions are incorporated to improve the performance and suitability of the system or process under test. The incorporation of these corrective actions will close operational gaps and improve capability relative to the concept of operations and requirements developed at the beginning of the process.
Following update and improvement based on this feedback, the process can begin anew, with a comprehensive assessment, demonstration, evaluation and improvement program being the cornerstone of a robust capability.
While we recognize that a comprehensive assessment, training, and exercise program is valuable in its completeness, we have specifically designed this process to be flexible and scalable enough to meet the unique requirements and needs of any organization. We will work closely with you to develop a program that is specifically tailored to your requirements.
For more information about products and services and how CAW can tailor a program to meet the unique needs of your organization, please contact CAW at cawcontacts@nps.edu.