Frederiksted will be the scene of a two-day emergency response drill Monday and Tuesday, but the streets will be open and traffic will flow normally during the simulated emergencies, the V.I. Police Department announced Thursday.
No street closures are planned in Frederiksted during the exercise, titled Operation Tide Breaker II, which will include sounding of the all-hazard warning Monday in the town.
Police will allow routine traffic flow around the Ann E. Abramson Pier and the Paul E. Joseph Stadium, the designated venues for the operation, which will test the ability of emergency response personnel to manage a hazardous material and an active shooter incident.
Police officers will patrol the area to ensure the safety of residents and visitors.
“While this is a major exercise, we want to ensure that it does not disrupt normal business operations in Frederiksted and that cruise ship passengers and other visitors feel free to browse the area,” VITEMA Director Elton Lewis said. “But we urge the public to be mindful of the exercise and to follow all instructions given by police officers.”
The exercise will begin at 8 a.m. and end at 5 p.m. both days.
On Monday, local and federal agencies will respond to a potential hazardous material incident onboard Royal Caribbean’s Adventure of the Seas cruise ship, which will be docked at the Ann E. Abramson Pier in Frederiksted. Responders will include the fire and police personnel plus the Department of Health’s emergency medical services, Juan Luis Hospital, the National Guard and the U.S. Coast Guard.
As part of the Monday scenario, VITEMA will activate two all-hazards warning sirens. At 9 a.m. and 1 p.m., sirens located near the Legislature Building and on Emancipation Drive will broadcast the following message sequences:
– A 10-second hazard tone, followed by a two-second pause, then the announcement, “Attention, Attention, a hazardous materials accident has occurred in your local area. Seek shelter indoors. Listen to your radio station for details.”
– A 10-second chime tone, a two-second pause, followed by the announcement, “All Clear, All Clear, please resume your normal duties.”
“The activation of the sirens is part of the overall scenario for Day One of Operation Tide Breaker II, which calls for a local and federal response to a hazardous material onboard a cruise ship,” Lewis said.
He added that the exercise also allows VITEMA to test its procedures for activating the siren system.
The V.I. Territorial Emergency Management Agency, the V.I. National Guard and its 23rd Weapons of Mass Destruction/Civil Support Team, the V.I. Fire Service, the Police Department, the U.S. Coast Guard, other local and federal government agencies, along with Royal Caribbean Cruise line, are participating in Operation Tide Breaker II.
Day two is a land-basedoperation and will take place at the Paul E. Joseph Stadium, where emergency responders will deal with a simulated active shooter incident. Major players for this scenario include the V.I. Police Department, EMS and the National Guard’s 23rd WMD CST.
On both days an incident command post, the base of exercise operations, will be established at the Renhold Jackson Complex at Estate Whim.
Further information about VITEMA’s All-Hazards Siren Warning System and the Operation Tide Breaker II exercise can be found online at www.VITEMA.gov.
