On April 26, members of the U.S. Coast Guard and agency partners took part in a full-scale active shooter exercise at the Ketchikan Alaska Marine Highway System Terminal.
Participants, which included Coast Guard Sector Juneau, Coast Guard Station Ketchikan and Coast Guard Public Information Assist Team, were able to run through tactical processes, practice ways to de-escalate the situation and utilize crisis communications during the exercise, which involved an “active shooter” at the terminal and on the 408-foot AMHS marine vessel Matanuska, according to the agency.
Coast Guard Station Ketchikan was also able to use a 45-foot medium response vessel to rescue a “victim” from the water.
“In the event of an active shooter incident, we must be ready for an effective, coordinated emergency response,” Antony Jung, Special Agent in Charge of the FBI Anchorage Field Office, said. “This exercise was designed to test and strengthen Ketchikan’s capacity to prepare for, and respond to an attack, giving first responders the perfect learning environment to elevate their preparedness.”
“One of the fundamental aspects of this exercise, particularly here in Ketchikan,” he continued, “was the close coordination and collaboration demonstrated among emergency stakeholders.”
Coast Guard Sector Juneau Commanding Officer Capt. Darwin A. Jensen said the exercise was “a valuable opportunity and an overall success for the Coast Guard and our partner agencies to test and evaluate the readiness to respond to a critical incident in the southeastern region of Alaska.”