The waters between Pier 91 (Harbor Island) and Discovery Park will be humming with activity next Wednesday, but the presence of numerous law enforcement boats and a helicopter overhead should not be a cause for concern.
On July 26 from 4 p.m. to midnight, the King County Sherriff’s Office Special Operations Section will host a large-scale, multi-agency training drill in Puget Sound. The exercise is meant to both test and solidify the response by the Regional Maritime Tactical Action Group to an active shooter or hostage type event aboard a vessel in the Puget Sound. The KCSO is the lone agency in the region with both the air and water capability to respond to an active incident on a ferry, cruise ship, or pleasure craft, making such training a critical part of the sheriff’s office’s preparedness efforts.
Participating in the drill alongside the KCSO are the Seattle Police Department, the Washington State Patrol, the U.S. Coast Guard, King County Medic One, and the Federal Bureau of Investigations. Pier 91 at the cruise ship terminal will be the main landing zone for the KCSO helicopter.