If you hear reports today of a commercial airliner crashing in the ocean off Miami Beach, it’s just the U.S. Coast Guard coordinating a massive drill with several rescue agencies, officials said.
The exercise is scheduled between 10 a.m. and 2 p.m. about three miles offshore, organizers said.
It is part of an Interagency Ocean Rescue drill simulating a commercial aircraft making an emergency landing in the Atlantic Ocean.
Federal, state, local and industry partners will get the chance to practice rescue response capabilities and procedures for a downed jetliner.
“Any major incident is going to require multiple agencies to work together so, conducting exercises with our partners before an actual event takes place, is very important to help us shed light on areas that need more focus or things we did really well with,” said Lt. Cmdr. Scott Farr, in a statement.
“While we hope such an incident never occurs, Sector Miami is committed to interagency training to provide the most robust and comprehensive response possible,” he said.
The public will be able to see the operation, but everyone in the vicinity is advised to stay clear for the safety of any participating agencies and personnel.
The Coast Guard will be releasing about 150 life jackets, marked with patient information, to simulate victims in the water. After the exercise, anyone finding a stray life jacket is asked to return it to the Coast Guard, officials said.
The exercise will test notification procedures, on-scene command control, triage protocols, and accountability objectives.
Visual distress signals will be used to simulate fuel in the water. Boaters may overhear a Safety Marine Information Broadcast issued during the drill.
Some of the participating agencies include fire rescue and police crews from Miami, Miami Beach and Miami-Dade County, and the Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission.
wkroustan@sunsentinel.com or 954-356-4303 or Twitter @WayneRoustan
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