January/February 2014
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The Port of Baltimore
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PORT
SOUNDINGS
TRAINING
First Responders Participate in
Port-Based Exercise
T
he Port of Baltimore’s North Locust Point Marine
Terminal was the scene of a joint exercise led by the
Maryland Port Administration (MPA) Office of Security
and the U.S. Dept. of Defense, Fort Dietrich, Md. More than
100 first responders were trained last fall in how to address
a criminal incident that might include weapons of mass
destruction (WMD) or hazardous materials (HAZMAT).
David Espie
, MPA Director of Security, said that Defense
Department personnel set up a joint command with his
team and operated the daylong session under the Incident
Command System. Participating responders came from the
Maryland Transportation Authority Police, Baltimore City
Police SWAT Team, Baltimore City Fire Department, Howard
County Fire Department and U.S. Army.
“The training proved beneficial for all involved,” said
Espie. “A teamwork approach is essential to addressing a
crime scene that might involve WMDs or HAZMAT, otherwise
the dangers to the first responders are grave.”
Espie said that experts in various materials were on hand
and the exercise included decontamination procedures.
“A marine terminal is a logical target for a domestic or
international terrorism act,” said Espie, who took the lead in
organizing the exercise with the Department of Defense.
PHOTOGRAPHY BY BILL MCALLEN
