JACKSONVILLE, Fla.— An exercise alert directed personnel Sept. 10 to avoid roads near a simulated fuel spill at Marine Corps Support Facility Blount Island in Florida.
Firefighters worked to secure the response area and assess immediate hazards. Beside a storm drain, environmental protection specialist Tyler Kinsley met with base operations support and spill-response contractors to determine how they would keep fuel out of nearby waters.
Worst Case Spill 26 brought service members, civilians and contractors together with Jacksonville firefighters and regional emergency and environmental partners to rehearse a coordinated response from the first report through containment and recovery.
The functional exercise focused on a scenario in which a heavy-equipment operator experienced a medical emergency and lost control of the vehicle, causing a simulated diesel spill. It required police, firefighters and environmental experts to coordinate assessments, controls and outside support.
Jacksonville Fire and Rescue Department Capt. Shawn Hall, who helped coordinate and evaluate the response, said firefighters first establish hot and warm zones to control access and protect people.
The hot zone encompasses the immediate hazard area, while the adjoining warm zone provides a controlled area for responders entering or leaving the scene.
Hall said initial crews work to limit the spill’s spread while hazardous materials personnel assess the scene, work to stop further leakage and monitor the air for flammable vapors. Environmental containment and recovery can begin alongside those actions when conditions permit.
As responders reduce the immediate threat, environmental personnel continue assessing the affected area and preparing for cleanup.
Kinsley works with a team of Marine Corps civilians and contractors responsible for responding to spills across the military installation.
“We are responsible for the spill response — any kind of spill on the island, even a small vehicle with a leak on the pavement,” Kinsley said.
During the exercise, he worked closely with contractors on containment and recovery decisions, focusing on protecting retention ponds and preventing the simulated spill from reaching the St. Johns River.
The military installation’s wetlands and shoreline habitats support wildlife and provide natural storm protection, according to its environmental team. They manage those natural areas alongside the industrial infrastructure that supports Marine Corps sustainment operations.
“We always take extra precautions,” Kinsley said.
The exercise plan called for crews to prepare containment boom and absorbent materials and reassess their response after a simulated wind change. It also emphasized a unified command, allowing participating agencies to establish common priorities and coordinate the response while retaining authority over their own personnel and resources.
For Kinsley, the training connected those responsibilities to a call he could receive during an otherwise routine workday.
“If I’m out in the middle of the field doing an inspection and I get a call that there’s a massive spill, this helps me prepare for that day,” Kinsley said.
He said the exercise helped the team work through response timelines and points of contact before an actual emergency.
“This ensures face-to-face interactions before it’s a real thing,” he said.
The exercise took place during National Preparedness Month, reinforcing the Marine Corps’ 2026 theme, “Prepare Today. Protect Tomorrow.”
The military installation’s wetlands and shoreline habitats support wildlife and provide natural storm protection. Environmental personnel manage those natural areas alongside the industrial infrastructure that supports Marine Corps sustainment operations.
Participants warned employees, coordinated assistance and assessed containment to protect people and nearby waters, actions intended to limit disruption to the installation’s sustainment mission.
“We just keep working as a team,” Kinsley said. “Everyone here takes pride in protecting the environment, the wildlife and human health.”
| Date Taken: |
09.11.2026 |
| Date Posted: |
09.11.2026 11:57 |
| Story ID: |
574423 |
| Location: |
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Hometown: |
JACKSONVILLE, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: |
20 |
| Downloads: |
0 |
PUBLIC DOMAIN
This work, Marine Corps facility tests coordinated response to worst-case fuel spill, by Dustin Senger, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
