Smoke on the water, but no fire

This is just a drill

Don't be alarmed when smoke fills the sky and emergency vehicles roll on the Seattle and Tacoma waterfronts on Sunday, Sept. 25. It's not a real emergency - just a drill to help local emergency response organizations and federal agencies practice handling a large-scale maritime disaster.

Called the Marine Terrorism Response Exercise, the event involves four simulated emergency scenarios: An attack against a ferry boat on Elliott Bay; an explosion aboard a containership on Commencement Bay in Tacoma, an attack on a cruise ship at the Port of Seattle; and the discovery of a recreational boat full of explosives at the Port of Everett.

The cruise ship and recreational boat scenarios will be "on-paper" only, but the containership and ferry boat events will be full-scale simulations that involve highly visible rescue and response operations.

"In the emergency response community the value of drills is well known," said Port of Seattle CEO M. R. Dinsmore. "The Port and its partners in this exercise will do their best to simulate an actual emergency and practice our response so that we're better prepared if we ever face a real maritime disaster."

The drill is funded by a $2 million grant from the Department of Homeland Security. The Port of Seattle is the administrator of the grant. The exercise is being conducted by the Puget Sound Marine Firefighting Commission. Members of the Commission include the Port of Seattle; the fire departments of Seattle, Tacoma, Everett, Olympia, Edmonds, Bellingham, Bainbridge Island and Anacortes; the Coast Guard; Washington State Ferries; the Marine Exchange of Puget Sound; the Marine Response Alliance; the North Pacific Fishing Vessel Owners Association; Western States Petroleum Association; Foss Maritime; and the Washington State Marine Cooperative.

"Responding effectively to a major maritime emergency, whether it's a terrorist act or a natural disaster, would require the coordinated efforts of many local, state and federal agencies and private companies," said Assistant Fire Chief A.D. Vickery of the Seattle Fire Department. "This exercise is an important step toward making sure we have the training, equipment and interagency relationships needed to save lives and property and minimize environmental hazards."

The exercise gets underway at 8 a.m. and will wrap up by 2 p.m.