Boeing

Sea Launch Home Port, based in Long Beach Harbor, hosted a Mass Casualty exercise this morning managed by the City of Long Beach. While a serious incident was simulated, no actual emergency existed and no injuries were sustained.

The objective of the federally-funded exercise was to create an opportunity in which multiple city, state, county and national agencies could practice emergency response actions individually and also in coordination with each other. In addition, the event allowed Sea Launch to practice its own on-site emergency/crisis plans and to work with the agencies involved in such activity.

The two-and-a-half-hour exercise began with a 9:15 a.m. simulated explosion in which several Sea Launch employees posed as victims. The scenario called for a terrorist organization to take responsibility for the explosion. For the Sea Launch personnel who participated and/or observed, the event was an excellent learning experience.

"We are fortunate the City of Long Beach selected the Sea Launch Home Port to execute this Mass Casualty Exercise," said Bo Bejmuk, general manager of the Home Port. "We had an excellent opportunity to demonstrate our own crisis management plan and to work with our helpful neighboring agencies. I'm convinced we all learned something very significant here today."

Participating agencies included: Long Beach Fire Department, Long Beach Police, Long Beach Harbor Department, Long Beach Search and Rescue, Long Beach Transit, Long Beach Department of Health Services, Los Angeles County Medical Examiner, Los Angeles County Fire Department, Los Angeles County HazMat, Los Angeles County Department of Health Services, California Fish and Game, U.S. Coast Guard, Mutual Aid, Los Angeles County Office of Emergency Management, Los Angeles County Operational Area Medical Strike Team, California Office of Emergency Services and the Federal Bureau of Investigation.

For more information about Sea Launch, please visit our website.