Ketchikan, Alaska – Coast Guard and partner agency personnel conducted a large-scale active-fire exercise at the terminal of Alaska’s Ketchikan Marine Highway System (AMHS) on Wednesday, April 26, 2023.
Hosted by the Southeast Alaska Region Marine Safety Committee and the Coast Guard, this large-scale, large-scale exercise simulated a response to an active shooter attack on the maritime transportation system.
During the exercise, members practiced tactical procedures, methods for defusing the situation, crisis communications and reducing threats from an active shooter at the Ketchikan AMHS Terminal and aboard the 408-foot AMHS vessel Matanuska . Ketchikan Coast Guard Station personnel also used a 45-foot medium response boat to safely evacuate a simulated casualty from the water.
Coordination between the following responding organizations was:
- Coast Guard Sector Juneau, Coast Guard Station Ketchikan and Coast Guard Public Information Assistance Team
- City of Ketchikan Police, Fire and EMS
- Federal Bureau of Investigation
- Alaska State Troopers
- Alaska Wildlife Soldiers
- Alaska Marine Highway System
- North and South Tongass Fire Service
- PeaceHealth Medical Center
- Docks and Ports of the City of Ketchikan
- United States Customs and Border Protection
- United States Forest Service
- NOAA – Office of Law Enforcement
- Alaska Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Management
- And other Southeast Alaska law enforcement authorities
“The active-fire exercise was a valuable opportunity and an overall success for the Coast Guard and our partner agencies to test and assess critical incident response readiness in the Southeast Alaska region. “said Captain Darwin A. Jensen, Coast Guard Sector Commander Juneau. “The Coast Guard will continue to work with our partner agencies to ensure we are prepared for any emergencies that may arise in the future.”
The exercise is designed to improve active shooter response protocols and interagency coordination in the event of a potential emergency.
“In the event of an active shooter incident, we must be ready for an effective and coordinated emergency response,” said Antony Jung, special agent in charge of the FBI’s Anchorage Field Office. “This exercise was designed to test and reinforce Ketchikan’s ability to prepare for and respond to an attack, providing first responders with the perfect learning environment to enhance their preparedness. One of the fundamental aspects of this exercise, particularly here in Ketchikan, was the close coordination and collaboration demonstrated among emergency actors.
Coast Guard Sector Juneau and Coast Guard Station Ketchikan regularly exercise their emergency response capabilities with their port partners, honing their skills as well as their relationships.