October 8, 2004 — Conducted aboard the Guy V. Molinari, the newest addition to the Staten Island Ferry fleet, Operation Maritime Strength was a tabletop exercise designed to examine the City's response plans for a waterway emergency.

Moderated by a U.S. Department of Homeland Security contractor, and hosted by the Office of Emergency Management (OEM) and the NYC Department of Transportation, Maritime Strength allowed senior-level City officials to evaluate preventive response concepts, plans, and capabilities for an incident involving the Staten Island Ferry or other watercraft. The exercise also challenged participants — primarily commissioners and operational unit leaders — to use their collective expertise in fields including preparedness, law enforcement, consequence management, homeland security, and health and medical protocols to make difficult decisions.

The scenario: On a routine run during the weekday morning commute, an explosion occurs aboard the Staten Island Ferry midway between Staten Island and Manhattan. The ferry loses power and is adrift in the Upper New York Bay, and there are multiple casualties.

The exercise: In a tabletop exercise, participants or "players" work through a simulated emergency event to develop solutions to problems posed as part of that scenario. Discussion is facilitated by a moderator and enhanced by incorporation of "injects" to trigger consideration of additional topics. Players are to react according to their experience and knowledge of response procedures, existing plans, and insights derived from experience or training.

Drawing participants from more than 15 City agencies and organizations, as well as the U.S. Coast Guard and Federal Bureau of Investigation, Operation Maritime Strength focused primarily on City emergency responder coordination, critical decisions, and integration of federal and regional assets necessary to save lives and protect the public.

Once presented the scenario, Maritime Strength players, working with operational personnel and subject matter experts, engaged in discussion to determine how best to coordinate response efforts. Key issues considered included emergency responder access to the site, extinguishing the fire aboard the ferry, patient care and transport, joint public information, transportation system management, and citywide security.

LIST OF PARTICIPANTS:

• Fire Department of New York City (FDNY)
• FDNY - Emergency Medical Services (EMS)
• Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA)
• New York City Department of Environmental Protection (DEP)
• New York City Department of Health and Mental Hygiene (DOHMH)
• New York City Department of Information Technology & Telecommunications (DoITT)
• New York City Department of Transportation (DOT)
• New York City Health and Hospital Corporation (HHC)
• New York City Human Resources Administration (HRA)
• New York City Office of Chief Medical Examiner (OCME)
• NYC OEM
• New York City Office of the Mayor
• New York City Police Department (NYPD)
• Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI)
• National Transportation Safety Board (NTSB)
• U.S. Coast Guard (USCG)
• Greater New York Hospital Association (GNYHA)
• Port Authority of New York and New Jersey (PANYNJ)
• Safe Horizon
• American Red Cross