EPC Personnel Participate in Hazardous Material Response Training

Courtesy Photo | A member of the Bulgarian navy participates in a decontamination procedures and equipment demonstration during hazardous material response training at the Civil Protection's Marine Unit Premises as part of Eurasia Partnership Capstone 2010. EPC is an annual maritime conference focused on working together in non-formal environments, such as seminars and workshops, aimed at increasing maritime safety and security. This year there are 103 participants from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United States.  

MARSA, MALTA

11.18.2010

Courtesy Story

U.S. Naval Forces Europe-Africa/U.S. Sixth Fleet

MARSA, Malta — Multinational military and civilian personnel participating in Eurasia Partnership Capstone 2010 receive hands-on hazardous material response training, Nov. 18, at the Civil Protection’s Marine Unit Premises.

Malta Civil Protection Department’s two-day workshop covered theoretical and practical approaches to chemical incidents. The first day’s topics included command and control of chemical incidents, marine risks and decontamination.

“During last year’s EPC we didn’t have access to a hazardous material response training site so this year Malta took the lead to show participants that chemical response is just as important as oils spill training,” said Brock Durig, environmental planner for 6th Fleet.

The second day of the workshop is based on a practical approach to chemical incidents. Participants are introduced to personal protective equipment, deployment of an oil pollution boom, oil skimmer, decontamination procedures and equipment demonstration.

“The whole theme of EPC10 is maritime safety and security so visibilities to these types of situations in our everyday jobs in the Navy or Coast Guard are important,” said Durig. This is a chance to see how other countries have been able to implement marine environmental protection programs into their jobs and to understand what it takes to do so.”

According to Leading Assistance and Rescue Officer Mark Zammit it is important to include this type of training in EPC.

“There is a very different approach to the clean up process for chemical contamination because it’s very volatile. Our goal is it to help educate the participants on the proper equipment and usage as well as the process to contain and clean up chemical contamination,” said Zammit.

EPC is an annual maritime conference focused on working together in non-formal environments, such as seminars and workshops, aimed at increasing maritime safety and security. This year there are 103 participants from Azerbaijan, Bulgaria, Georgia, Greece, Israel, Latvia, Lithuania, Malta, Poland, Romania, Ukraine and the United States.

• Date Taken: 11.18.2010
• Date Posted: 11.19.2010 12:10
• Story ID: 60498
• Location: MARSA, MT