The Coast Guard conducted an interagency maritime active-threat exercise in conjunction with Water Emergency Transportation Agency (WETA).
The exercise was scheduled to involve Coast Guard Sector San Francisco personnel along with participants from the Neptune Coalition, a partnership of state, local and federal agencies dedicated to the safety and security of the maritime transportation system within the Bay Area.
During the exercise, the Coast Guard and interagency partners provided waterside response teams to the location of a San Francisco Bay ferry.
“This exercise provides an important opportunity to identify and understand the roles each agency would play in the case of an actual maritime active threat,” said Capt. Marie Byrd, the Sector San Francisco commander. “While we hope we are never faced with this situation, this exercise enables the Coast Guard and its many partners to most efficiently respond to an active threat and focus on the safety of the thousands of people who use the Bay Area maritime transportation system on a daily basis.”
The simulated response included a Coast Guard Station San Francisco 45-foot Response Boat-Medium, a Coast Guard Maritime Safety and Security Team San Francisco 29-foot Response Boat-Small as well as other maritime units from the Neptune Coalition.
The Coast Guard, along with the participating agencies, followed physical distancing protocols in addition to wearing personal protective equipment during the exercise.
