Coordinating communications among some 14 agencies was among the top priorities during the U.S. Coast Guard-led international mass-rescue drill in the Strait of Juan de Fuca on Tuesday.
The Coast Guard worked with several local agencies — including law enforcement, firefighters and paramedics — as well as Canadian first responders to simulate rescuing 60 people from the Strait after a maritime disaster about six miles north of Port Angeles.
“It’s challenging and that’s why it was our key objective,” said Lt. Erin Roberts, a contingency planner for USCG Sector Puget Sound. “In any scenario, communications is usually the first failure of an incident.”
With the number of agencies participating, it isn’t easy to coordinate communications, she said.
Among the agencies involved in the drill were the Canadian Coast Guard and Joint Rescue Coordination Center Victoria.