The Tribune

BY DENISE MAYCOCK

Tribune Freeport Reporter

dmaycock@tribunemedia.net

FREEPORT – LOCAL officials and US rescue experts held the first in a series of meetings to prepare for a joint emergency rescue exercise, to be held in light of the high number cruise ships that sail to the Bahamas.

The exercise will ensure local operatives are prepared to respond in the event of a major cruise disaster in Bahamian waters.

Capt Stephen Russell, director of the National Emergency Management Agency (NEMA), and Paul Culver of the US Embassy Black Swann Mass Rescue Operations (MRO) Exercise, said the exercise would test and evaluate the response strategies currently in place.

The exercise, which will take place on a large cruise ship in waters off Grand Bahama, is planned for April 1, 2013.

A number of meetings will take place over the next eight months to prepare for the complex operation.

Capt Russell said representatives of NEMA, the Grand Bahama Disaster Consultative Committee, and various government agencies will participate in the exercise.

“This exercise is aimed to build up our response time and make sure we can respond if some disaster should occur. It will test us, and we will see what position we are in to respond to such an emergency,” he said.

Pointing out that there have been serious mishaps involving cruise ships in other regions of the world, Capt Russell noted that just this year, a cruise ship ran aground off Grand Bahama.

“God forbid if the situation was more serious. The question is, was Grand Bahama in a position to respond to the 2,000 persons onboard the ship? he asked.

Mr Culver said the US Embassy ‘Black Swann’ Mass Rescue Operation Exercise holds similar exercises in other cruise destinations.

He said all the major cruise lines will be participating in the exercise, including: Carnival Cruise Line, Holland America, Disney, Royal Caribbean Cruises, Princess Cruise Lines, Crystal Cruise Line, and the International Cruise Line Association.

“This would provide good practices to all cruise lines so we can share with them what we gather from the exercise,” he said.

Mr Culver also noted that the State of Florida has an advance surgical transfer team that can be flown out to assist with medical support in the event of a disaster.

“It was born out of Hurricane Katrina, and they built teams that can be deployed to support incidents that would involve mass casualty or injury type care,” he said.

Mr Culver added that the US Air Force can also deploy critical care teams.