A MARITIME emergency response drill in Port Kembla on Friday was a success, according to the Port Authority of New South Wales and NSW Ports.
The annual multi-agency exercise aims to exercise the emergency services’ and port operators’ capabilities and emergency response protocols.
This year’s exercise “Scope” tested first responders and the port community with a simulated scenario at the port’s grain berth.
The port authority, NSW Ports, NSW Fire & Rescue, NSW Ambulance, the Environment Protection Authority, GrainCorp and Svitzer participated in the drill.
Sharad Bhasin, Port Authority harbour master Port Kembla and South Coast, said the exercise was an excellent example of agencies working together.
“Everyone involved is highly trained and will play a critical role if an incident ever occurs,” Mr Bhasin said.
“These are front line responders whose collective action are instrumental in a successful incident response.
“This is why it is critical to practise our skills annually by putting all our emergency protocols and procedures into action in a realistic scenario, evaluate the outcomes and address any opportunities to improve.”
NSW Ports CEO Marika Calfas said the drill demonstrated strong working relationships across the Port Kembla precinct.
“Key to the success of this critical industrial precinct is people and the vital roles each of them play in maintaining the port’s operations that support the people and businesses of NSW each day,” Ms Calfas said.
“Emergency simulations are an important way of ensuring the processes in place are fit-for-purpose, practical and effective, to allow for the best possible response in the event of a real emergency.”
