Auxiliary vessels Voyager and Miss Meg II are rafted together for exercise Joint Venture.
Photographer: PA3 Ayla L. Stevens, USCG, Sector Baltimore
Auxiliary vessels Voyager and Miss Meg II are rafted together for exercise Joint Venture. Photographer: PA3 Ayla L. Stevens, USCG, Sector Baltimore |
The Incident Management Division (IMD), Coast Guard Sector Baltimore, sponsored, organized and conducted Operation Joint Venture ’08 out of Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes, MD from 27 through 29 May 2008.
Participants on scene included Coast Guard personnel from Sector Baltimore and Station St. Inigoes; U.S. Army 32nd Civil Support Team (CST) from Ft. Meade; Maryland Natural Resources Police (MNRP); the Coast Guard Auxiliary; and Miller Environmental Group, a private contractor that specializes in hazardous waste cleanup and containment.
This exercise was called “Joint Venture,” not only because it brought together the resources of several specially trained organizations, but because it included numerous regional and national emergency preparedness, law enforcement, and environmental protection entities. Participants also included the Maryland State Police, Calvert County (MD) Sheriff Department, Maryland Tactical Operations Group, and National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration.
The scenario developed by the IMD established the sequence of events that set the stage for the incident response by the various participants. The pre-exercise scenario for the exercise was as follows:
“During the week of 3-8 May 2008, the 5th Coast Guard District enacted its Hurricane/Heavy Weather Response Bill due to the imminent landfall of a hurricane within the Sector Baltimore area of responsibility. Because the Chesapeake Bay is a natural safe haven for recreational and commercial vessel traffic, the region witnessed a dramatic surge in the number of vessels avoiding the heavy weather, especially in the interior rivers, creeks, coves and other Bay tributaries.”
“Among these refuge-seeking recreational vessels were the subject vessels provided and manned by members of Flotilla 15-6. These vessels sought refuge in St. Inigoes Creek, immediately adjacent to Coast Guard Station St. Inigoes. According to an anonymous caller both vessels had been anchored in the same relative location for quite awhile.”
“The anonymous caller also stated that on a couple of occasions he observed persons and random activity aboard the vessels at night, but not during the day. On two occasions, smaller vessels approached the two anchored vessels, and shortly there after headed back to the Potomac River.”
“The Coast Guard deemed this activity suspicious and the Sector Baltimore Response Duty Officer directed Station St. Inigoes to launch a boat crew to investigate these reports. St. Inigoes Officer-In-Charge launched one of the stations 25’ Response Boats to perform an initial investigation and attempt to contact the occupants of the vessels.”
“The crew of the 25’ response boat reported that no subjects were spotted on either boat and had nothing significant to report. The Boarding Officer left a note for the occupants/passengers to notify Station St. Inigoes upon returning to their vessel.”
“At noon, the following day, another neighbor reported that one of the two vessels appeared to be leaking fuel. The neighbor reported a strong diesel odor and several patches of red diesel in the cove near where the boats were at anchor.”
“The Control Team notified the National Response Center regarding a potential fuel spill. The Incident Response Team was mobilized to coordinate the investigation of the suspicious activities and address the fuel spill cleanup.” Thus the scene was set for the exercise. Up to this point the reports, the activities and responses were simulated.
Lieutenant Joshua Blocker, the exercise leader, and his team conducted the briefing of the participants at Station St. Inigoes including Army, Coast Guard and Auxiliarists of Flotilla 15-6. A portion of the briefing was dedicated to instruction on how to recognize a methamphetamine lab and the dangers they create. We were told some of the tell-tale signs of a possible meth lab.
We were told that if we encounter a meth lab on a vessel, we should exit as quickly and as discretely as possible. If we would find ourselves in such a situation, all we can do is to inform the authorities.
 Operational clandestine methamphetamine production lab. |
The Army personnel arrived with their equipment packed in several trailers. They are comprised of Army and Air National Guard personnel who provide support to civil authorities for domestic incidents. Along with the hazardous material identification, decontamination, and clean-up equipment, they brought along their rather sophisticated communications capabilities.
Station St. Inigoes provided the “Bad Guys” and also provided support for all the participants, including breakfast, lunch and dinner from their award winning galley.
Auxiliarists from Flotilla 15-6 supplied the two subject cabin cruisers for the exercise, which were tied up at the Coast Guard Station’s pier Voyager owned by Joe Jenkins and Missy Meg II owned by Bill Noyes. Auxiliarists Tommy Hardisty and Dan McConnell crewed for Joe Jenkins and Ray Feller and Bill Smith crewed for Bill Noyes.
The following morning the crew of the Voyager put out into the cove and dropped anchor. The crew of the Missy Meg II put out into the cove and tied up to Voyager as described in the scenario. The active portion of the exercise was now underway.
While approaching Auxiliary vessel Missy Meg II, the Coast Guard boat crew not only found approximately 25 gallons of red diesel fuel on the surface of the water, they also “spot a male passenger, who immediately disappears into the cabin of the vessel and secures all the entrances/egress routes.”
The boat crew is, however, able to talk the subject out on deck. “Because of the subject’s erratic behavior, the Coast Guard boat crew detains and begins to interview the subject.”
During a search of the vessel, $500 in simulated cash and three to four weapons simulated were discovered. It was also determined that the suspect’s friend was aboard the Voyager, presumably asleep. Investigation further revealed that the vessel represented by Missy Meg II was reported to have been simulated stolen two years earlier. According to the scenario, there was no identifying number or state registration on Voyager. This was reported back to the Sector Baltimore by the Coast Guard response boat crew.
The St. Inigoes response boat crew boarded Voyager in an attempt to locate the second suspect. According to the scenario, “almost immediately upon entering the cabin, the boarding team experiences slight dizziness and a mild cough, nothing out of the ordinary for a vessel with diesel fuel in the bilge. The symptoms quickly worsen into nausea, chest pain, and shortness of breath.
Proceeding further into the cabin, it becomes obvious why they are experiencing their symptoms. Tucked away in the vessel’s galley is what appears to be an operational clandestine methamphetamine production lab. The boat crew has suffered an acute exposure to potentially hazardous chemicals.”
The Maryland Natural Resources Police assault team approaches Voyager with an armed boarding team protected by self-contained breathing apparatus. They board Voyager, apprehend the second suspect, and place both suspects under arrest. The suspects are removed from Voyager to the Maryland response boat and taken ashore where everyone is decontaminated by Army personnel.
 Aux transporting bad guys – Auxiliarist Jack Margolis and crew on board Missy Meg II transports BMC Christopher Harward, OIC Station St. Inigoes and BM3 Albertico Vargas (the bad guys) out to the anchored vessels for the start of the exercise. Photographer: Dan McConnell, Flotilla 15-6 |
Next, employees of Miller Environmental Group approached the Missy Meg II and deployed booms to contain the diesel fuel spill. With the removal of the two suspects, removal of the hazardous materials associated with the meth lab, and the containment of the diesel spill, the active part of the exercise came to a close.
The participants secured from the exercise and returned to the Station St. Inigoes training room for a debriefing and evaluation of the execution of the exercise. An additional debrief was conducted the following morning giving the participating agencies an opportunity to provide feedback.
The first conduct of Operation Joint Venture was deemed a success, with numerous lessons learned to be applied for future response planning. Lt Blocker said “For what went into it and what we got out of it, it went really well. We met our goals.”
Another important point illustrated in the scenario was the participation of the general public. The homeowners in the area noticed and reported the suspicious activities and the fuel spill. This is the essence of the America’s Waterway Watch (AWW) program.
~HRW