Page 37: of Maritime Reporter Magazine (October 2012)

October 2012www.marinelink.com 37scope of their Security and OperationsCenters, both agencies handle an impres-sive range of incidents over the course of a year. BCF reports about 6000 incidents per year, mostly stolen bags or other cus- tomer issues, but they also handle nu- merous larger issues; accidents with injuries, rendering assistance at sea ?sometimes performing active rescues, other times acting as a windbreak whileCoast Guard assists vessels in heavy seas. In 2011, BCF vessels responded to 21 marine emergencies and 58 medical emergencies. WSF attended to over 1500 medical priority loads in 2011. Hospitalcare and emergency medical events can- not be handled in many of the island communities and the ferries frequentlyanswer emergency calls to transport am- bulances and patients to critical care fa- cilities on the mainland. During any emergency response, Ops Center Dis- patchers manage the overall event, though individual Captains remain in control of their ships. If the incident size makes it impossi- ble for dispatchers to manage the incidentwhile simultaneously keeping the general operation going, an EOC may be acti-vated in an adjoining room. Says Christopher Kennedy, WSF Fleet/Facil- ity Security Officer, ?We want to keep re- sponse personnel close to our Dispatchstations, but removed enough to not in- terfere with their jobs.? In a larger scale event, command would likely shift to the WSP EOC with liaisons sent to theUSCG?s Joint Harbor Operations Center (JHOC). Well-trained staff and top- notch technology combine to ensure thatthese two marine transportation giants continue to operate safely and securely inquiet times, yet are able to respondquickly to emergencies of all kinds. BC Ferries Operations Center with dashboard displaying output from multiple sources all integrated into a cohesive picture that allows two watch-standers to manage the entire system. (Photo Credit: Kathleen Gleaves) Washington State Ferry Kitsap usually runs the route between Seattle on the mainland and Bremerton on the Olympic Peninsula. (Photo Credit: Kathleen Gleaves) MR#10 (34-41):MR Template 10/4/2012 10:59 AM Page 37