During the various phases of the exercise, the public can expect to see increased activity by multiple response assets and personnel around the area. The exercise will take place in Charleston Harbor near the charted emergency anchorage and Fort Sumter. The exercise is scheduled to end around 12 p.m. in the field and 3 p.m. at the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center.

The purpose of this exercise is to test mass casualty and mass rescue response efforts and promote effective coordination and communication between response agencies during a large-scale maritime emergency. This exercise provides an opportunity for the Coast Guard and partners to validate existing protocols, review capabilities and identify gaps within existing contingency plans.

More than 120 personnel from multiple agencies will be participating in the exercise, which will consist of a simulation of approximately 100 people being evacuated from a cruise ship and multiple people in the water.

A marine safety information bulletin with further information regarding the exercise can be found at Coast Guard Sector Charleston’s homeport website.

Media are invited to interview public safety personnel about the drill and get b-roll at the Charleston County Emergency Operations Center. The media invitation can be viewed here.

Original source can be found here