TOLEDO - The U.S. Coast Guard, Federal, state and local response agencies, and local industry are scheduled to conduct an exercise here on Wednesday.

The Area Maritime Security Exercise Program (AMSTEP), which simulates a major maritime transportation security incident (TSI), is one of a series of federally mandated exercises the Coast Guard holds throughout the country.

The one-day exercise is designed to test components of the Western Lake Erie Area Maritime Security Plan.  Tested components will include communications between maritime stakeholders; regulated facilities; and Federal, state, and local agencies within the Coast Guard Marine Safety Unit Toledo's area of responsibility, as well as coordination between responding agencies. This exercise will also initiate recovery planning by focusing on establishing priorities for re-opening the port of Toledo and surrounding navigable waterways should the port become impacted by a TSI.

Exercise simulations will mirror real world conditions but there will be no vessel movements or personnel response.

Some of the agencies and industries involved include the Coast Guard: Ninth District, Sector Detroit, MSU Toledo; Federal Bureau of Investigation; U.S. Army Corps of Engineers; U.S. Customs and Border Protection; Ohio Homeland Security; Ohio Emergency Management; Ohio DNR, Division of Watercraft; City of Toledo: Bridges/Streets/Harbors, Fire, and Police Depts.; Toledo-Lucas County Port Authority; Lucas County Emergency Management Agency; Lucas County Sheriff's Office;  CSX Transportation; Wheeling-Lake Erie Railway Co.; Kuhlmans' Corporation; Great Lakes Towing; The Great Lakes Pilots Association; Detroit Edison; Midwest Terminals International; The Anderson's; Wohlleb & Socie; BP Toledo Refinery; Sunoco Toledo Refinery; The University of Findlay Center for Terrorism Preparedness; and Kraft Foods.

Media are invited to be at the Crowne Plaza Hotel located at 444 North Summit Street between 8:30 a.m. and 9:15 a.m. to conduct interviews and attend the pre-exercise briefing that begins at 9 a.m. Because of the sensitive security nature of the exercise the media will not be permitted to stay once the exercise begins.

For more information, contact Lt. Cmdr. Rick Minnich, MSU Toledo, at (419) 392-0315.

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