Date:
Friday, June 16, 2006
Contact:
Lt. Steve McCulley, WSP, 425-485-2739; Capt. Stephen Metruck, USCG, 206-217-6001; Susan Harris-Huether, WSF, 206-515-3460
(Seattle) Today, Washington State Ferries, the United States Coast Guard and the Washington State Patrol met to discuss the events that transpired on Wednesday, June 14 at the ferry terminals at Bainbridge Island and Colman Dock in Seattle. All three agencies, although possessing different roles and responsibilities, are united in the commitment to the safety and security of the ferry system and the passengers it serves. The purpose of the meeting was to clarify what occurred and to ascertain lessons learned from this event.
This event has perhaps highlighted the need for clear and concise communications. "The first clarification to be made is an important one," says Captain Steve Sutton of the Washington State Patrol. "Both WSP and the Bainbridge Island Police Department were responding to the call from the Captain for law enforcement support." The Captain of the ferry vessel did not have specific information as to the time of their arrival and all agencies are examining how to improve both internal and external communication procedures. Captain Sutton emphasized, "Washington State Patrol officers are always available to Washington State Ferries and we will respond to every call as quickly as possible."
Another example of miscommunications and important clarification in this case is that the driver did go through the tollbooth and paid the appropriate fare.
The agencies reviewed the Captain's decision to leave Bainbridge Island prior to receiving law enforcement assistance. "The Captain's decision was based on 22 years of experience dealing with unruly, apparently intoxicated drivers," says Traci Brewer-Rogstad, Director of Marine Operations. "At no time, while the unruly customer was under observation by the Captain and crew of the M/V TACOMA, did he feel that there was any indication that this was more than a drunk driver."
The agencies agreed that it is usually preferable to handle these incidents at the dock and all agencies agreed to review procedures and communications to improve the decision-making support for vessel masters in these cases, including consultation with the Washington State Patrol on law enforcement issues.
The agencies also agreed to conduct immediate post incident debriefings to more rapidly understand facts as each agency understands them and to quickly clarify the initial misinformation that inevitably occurs in these incidents. This would be followed up with more formal reviews after any additional facts were gathered.
"Security is a collaborative effort of all three agencies," said United States Coast Guard Captain Steve Metruck, Captain of the Port. "It is important that Washington State Ferries management work with law enforcement to jointly make decisions that effect safety and security, everyone's number one priority."
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