ROCKLAND, Maine – U.S. Coast Guard Sector Northern New England will assist the Army’s 11th Civil Support Team with their annual field exercise on October 6, 2010, in Rockland, Maine.
The 11th CST is based out of Waterville, Maine and trains to provide assistance to state, local, and federal authorities in the event of a chemical, biological, or radiological incident.
This year’s exercise will simulate a response to a contaminated vessel. A Coast Guard 49-foot Aids to Navigation boat anchored in Rockland Harbor will play the role of the contaminated vessel in need of assistance. Coast Guard boats and crews from Station Rockland will provide transportation to and from the anchored vessel and simulate providing security during the exercise.
The 11th CST response teams will launch from and return to the Coast Guard piers in Rockland and will have a mobile command post vehicle located on the pier on October 6, 2010. The public may see responders dressed in hazardous materials response gear and simulated decontamination practiced on the Coast Guard pier during this exercise. Coast Guard Station Rockland will inform city officials and businesses in the immediate vicinity of the Coast Guard pier of the exercise prior to its start.
This occasion provides a unique opportunity for officials to practice their skills and will aid in increasing the level of preparedness among first responders in Maine.