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Multi-million dollar rifle range inoperable due to San Diego fires

5 Dec 2003 | Cpl. Kristen Tull Marine Corps Air Station Miramar-EMS

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MARINE CORPS AIR STATION MIRAMAR, Calif. -- The San Diego wildfires that stretched across Camp Elliott, located east of Miramar, did approximately $1 million worth of damage to the multi-million dollar rifle range. The land is charred on all sides of the range grounds, but nothing is charred inside the gates.

"It literally split the range," said Chief Warrant Officer 2 Timothy Brewer, Miramar range officer.

Although 10 number boards at the 500-yard line burned and slid down the hill, a majority of the damage came from intense heat.

"The rubber targets closest to the fence melted off," said Brewer.

The fiber optic cameras, used by the Provost Marshal's Office to monitor the range during the off hours, melted  as well as the wires used to transmit the electricity used to run the range.

"This range relies completely on electricity, without that, I can't operate the range," said Brewer. "It's intermittent right now, working one minute, and then it's down for the next few hours."

Besides the cost of repairs, the fires severely interrupted training.

"So far training has been put back four details."

According to Gunnery Sgt. Cedell Morris, Marine Air Control Group 38 training chief, his Marines have been pushed back three weeks on the pistol range and two months on the rifle range.

According to Brewer, the range should be up working in the next few weeks. For more information contact the Miramar training office.

POLICY

The most important starting point for an EMS* is the development of an environmental policy. ISO14001 requires local governments to implement their own environmental policy. The environmental policy acts as a basis for the environmental management system.

PLANNING

ISO14001 requires that an environmental management system is planned properly. It requires the organization to consider the following carefully: Environmental Aspects; Legal and Other Aspects; Objectives and Targets; and an Environmental Management Program.

IMPLEMENTATION

The two requirements for implementation of an EMS is to define, document, and communicate roles, responsibilities and authorities, and to allocate the resources needed to implement and control the EMS.

CHECKING

The key requirement in this EMS step is to regularly monitor and measure key characteristics of activities and operations that could have a significant impact on the environment. Changes to EMS procedures may become necessary in order to deal with nonconformances with the EMS, with mitigating environmental impacts, or corrective and preventive action.

REVIEW

The management review process ensure that information is collected to enable management to carry out proper review. Top management review the need for changes to policy, objectives and targets, and ensure that a commitment to continual improvement is being demonstrated.

Marine Corps Air Station Miramar-EMS