SpillConsult increasing industry Oil Spill Response preparedness in Vancouver
SpillConsult has been in Vancouver for the last two weeks to assist WCMRC (West Canada Marine Response Corporation) in increasing their Oil Spill Response readiness, through various training courses and a large scale integrated agency exercise for a 10,000 tonne oil spill. The SpillConsult team are lucky enough to be regularly invited back to Vancouver – and it is always a popular place for our Consultants and Trainers to go.
Training – ICS 300 and Aerial Surveillance
Bruce McKenzie, our Regional Manager for the Americas led the first course with Peter Crook – a 3-day ICS 300 training course (Incident Command System for expanding incident), at WCMRC’s response base for a number of their new recruits. This cumulated in a successful desk top exercise, where the participants utilized our simulated island chain of Komoko to respond to a large scale oil spill.
The ICS 300 Course Participants
A 2-day Aerial Surveillance course with Stu Gair and Siân Herrington followed the ICS 300 course; with a focus on the more experienced responders. This included a recap on fate and effects of an oil spill, the theory of oil estimation and flight conduct, and was followed by a simulated overflight and final exercise. The feedback from the course participants was excellent and all of them are looking forward to their first surveillance flights; after completing their BOISET course in a few weeks’ time.
The Aerial Surveillance Course Participants taking part in a simulated flight
Exercise Athena
SpillConsult performed as Exercise Control (Simulation Cell) for a large-scale oil spill exercise just outside of Sidney on Vancouver Island. This two-day exercise, was designed to test WCMRC’s ability to respond to a 10,000 tonne oil spill, as part of their Transport Canada required certification program.
Exercise Athena’s Incident Command Post at the Tsawout Gymnasium
As part of the exercise personnel from WCMRC, the First Nations, Environment Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard and many other Federal and Provincial organisations were deployed to an Incident Command Post (ICP), that was setup in Saanichton. This integrated Incident Management Team (IMT); then followed the ICS Planning Cycle for two days (and a night); to achieve their joint objectives.
Throughout this time, SpillConsult provided ‘truth’ from the field; coaching in the ICP; numerous injects from the media, public and various parties that could be affected; and facilitated the smooth running of the exercise, ensuring it was on kept on track. This enabled WCMRC to fulfil their certification objectives.
The SimCell Team (from left to right) - Bruce McKenzie, Siân Herrington, Daniel Reid (from Transport Canada) and Yannick Lapierre (from the Canadian Coast Guard)
It was however, not all work and no play. The SpillConsult team also got a chance to complete the famous Grouse Grind Mountain Hike. Which is commonly referred to a “Mother Nature’s Stairmaster” - over 850 meters of elevation over 3 kilometers.
