Manchester Fire Chief Jake McNeilly, members of the Manchester by the Sea Fire Department and Manchester Harbormaster Bion Pike participated in training designed to improve the department's response to oil spills.
The training is part of a regional program by Cape Ann safety officers.
Early on Wednesday, April 10 at Masconomo Park, members of the Manchester-by-the Sea Police and Fire Departments and Harbormaster's office, the Massachusetts Department of Fire Services, the U.S. Coast Guard, and MassDEP's Northeast Regional Office all participated in a drill to improve preparedness for responding to oil spills.
Participants first practiced using MassDEP-provided oil spill response trailers, handling and configuring booms. Then, they practiced deploying the booms on the water, creating a 250-foot exclusion area using booms set up around a floating dock.
Following the deployment of the booms, participants debriefed to determine what went well and areas of improvement.
"This training helps us stay prepared to protect property and the environment in the event of an oil spill," said Chief McNeilly.
The training is part of MassDEP's First Responder Training and Geographic Response Strategy Testing Program, which has conducted 98 field exercises to help prepare thousands of first responders to respond to oil spills.
MassDEP has deployed oil spill response trailers across the Commonwealth's 76 coastal communities to ensure resources are available locally in an emergency.
