BOSTON – The Coast Guard, along with other state and local responders, is scheduled to conduct a two-day pollution response exercise at the Barnstable County Complex in Barnstable, Massachusetts, June 10-11, 2014.
This government-led exercise is being conducted to test the Area Contingency Plan as well as state and industry oil spill response plans as part of the National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program, required under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
A unified command post will be established. Most equipment and personnel deployment will be simulated during the two days.
"I look forward to these opportunities to strengthen partnerships while evaluating our response capabilities to a large scale oil spill,” said Capt. John Kondratowicz, commanding officer of Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England. “By putting our Area Contingency Plan in play, we can identify areas for improvement."
The Coast Guard, alongside federal and local area partners, conducts emergency preparedness and pollution response exercises each year as part of established, multi-year strategies to build capabilities and improve readiness levels. Planning, training and exercising are important components of the nation’s homeland security strategy and response capabilities.
Any media interested in attending should contact the 1st Coast Guard District public affairs office at 617-223-8515.
Who: Coast Guard Sector Southeastern New England and partner agencies
What: Two-day National Preparedness for Response Exercise Program exercise, or PREPEX
Where: Barnstable County Complex in Barnstable, Massachusetts
When: June 10-11, 2014
For more information about the command structure used during these exercises, visit www.fema.gov.