CLEVELAND — The Coast Guard’s Marine Safety Unit Toledo, Ohio, and representatives from the BP-Husky Toledo refinery are scheduled to hold an oil-spill response exercise, Tuesday and Wednesday at various marinas in the Toledo area.
The exercise is designed to provide emergency response personnel an opportunity to improve pollution response preparedness by testing local contingency plans and practicing command and control within an incident command/unified command framework.
More information on the National Preparedness Response Exercise Program is available at www.homeport.uscg.mil.
The exercise focuses on oil spill containment equipment deployments. Exercise deployment activities will begin Tuesday morning at the Skyway Marina. In the afternoon, equipment deployment will be at the New Brenner Marina, the Old Brenner Marina and at International Park Public Pavilion. Members of the media are invited to observe the equipment deployment at these venues.
There is a command post exercise utilizing the National Incident Management System/Incident Command System protocols scheduled for Wednesday. This part of the exercise simulates a response to a potential large scale oil spill impacting both a portion of the Maumee River and Maumee Bay of Lake Erie. During this phase, personnel from various federal, state, county, city agencies, private industry, oil spill response organizations, and wildlife rehabilitation specialists will come together to work through the simulated first day of the oil spill.
“These types of exercises help first responders and port partners maintain a close working relationship, which prepares them for real world emergencies,” said Lt. James Long, chief of response and public affairs officer for MSU Toledo.
For more information and media inquires, contact Lt. James Long at 419-418-6023.