Detroit River marine training boosts cooperation and preparedness, say commanders
Interagency operability is taking centre stage at this year’s marine training on the Detroit River.
"We must refine our skills, communication, and procedures with local and international law enforcement agencies, as well as fire and medical," said HMCS Hunter Commander Richard Hillier.
In the spirit of readiness, sailors from HMCS Hunter and other Royal Canadian Naval Reserve divisions conducted exercises on the river Saturday alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, Windsor and LaSalle police, RCMP, LaSalle fire crews, Essex County EMS, and other emergency service groups, aiming to respond effectively in a coordinated manner to water emergencies.
"The key is to practice together and understand each other's methods," said LaSalle Police Const. Terry Seguin.
"We conduct cross-crew training to familiarize ourselves with each vessel's capabilities, operations and crew dynamics."
Within HMCS Hunter lies a crucial communications center, serving as a vital link in all scenarios and facilitating exercises for the crews.
"Tomorrow, we'll simulate a mass casualty scenario to test their skills, with the staff here presenting various challenges," said Soham Patel, HMCS Hunter A/SLt.
Saturday morning was dedicated to man-overboard scenarios, followed by spill containment, search and rescue patterns and fire suppression exercises in the afternoon.
Evening sessions are focusing on night navigation, while Sunday's agenda includes mass casualty drills.
Seguin said he believes this two-day practice session can significantly improve preparedness, especially with the Gordie Howe International Bridge set to open in 2025.
"I don’t want to exaggerate the security of that facility, but the security features of the structure are impressive," Seguin said.
"While not invulnerable, a new border crossing always introduces new security challenges in the water so that's another reason why, over the last few years, we've been doing this cross-crew training and everything we can to enhance our capabilities for response to a marine emergency."
Don Lucier, unit leader with Guardian Marine Rescue based in Colchester, said there’s always the risk of something happening around a structure — the Gordie Howe bridge not excluded — so it’s important to be ready.
"All the different agencies are learning how to work together and do what we need to do when the time comes," said Lucier.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Stamp prices rise for the third time in five years amid financial woes for Canada Post
Canada Post is increasing stamp prices for the third time since 2019, a move the Crown corporation says is a "reality" of its sales-based revenue structure.
BREAKING Winnipeg man admits to killing four women, claims he's not criminally responsible
Defence lawyers for Jeremy Skibicki have told the court the accused unlawfully caused the death of four women, but argue he is not criminally responsible due to mental disorder.
WATCH Avian flu: Risk to humans grows as outbreaks spread, warns expert
H5N1 or avian flu is decimating wildlife around the world and is now spreading among cattle in the United States, sparking concerns about 'pandemic potential' for humans. Now a health expert is urging Canada to scale up surveillance north of the border.
Human remains were found at a former Hitler base, but decay prevents determining the cause of death
Polish prosecutors have discontinued an investigation into human skeletons found at a site where German dictator Adolf Hitler and other Nazi leaders spent time during the Second World War because the advanced state of decay made it impossible to determine the cause of death, a spokesman said Monday.
Italy's white-collar mafia is making a business killing
Italy's mafia rarely dirties its hands with blood these days. Extortion rackets have gone out of fashion and murders are largely frowned upon by the godfathers.
The story of how a B.C. man found his birth mother
After his adopted parents died, Dave Rogers set out to learn more about his birth mother. DNA results and a little help from friendly strangers would put him on a path to a small town in England.
Trump fined US$1,000 for gag order violation in hush money case as judge warns of possible jail time
The judge presiding over Donald Trump's hush money trial fined him US$1,000 on Monday for violating his gag order once again and sternly warned the former president that additional violations could result in jail time.
An El Nino-less summer is coming. Here's what that could mean for Canada
As Canadians brace themselves for summer temperatures, forecasters say a weakening El Nino cycle doesn’t mean relief from the heat.
Russia warns Britain and plans nuclear drills over the West's possible deepening role in Ukraine
Russia plans to hold drills simulating the use of battlefield nuclear weapons, the Defense Ministry announced Monday, days after the Kremlin reacted angrily to comments by senior Western officials about the war in Ukraine and Moscow warned that tensions with the West are deepening.