Month: November 2013

Changes to how dispersants are authorized for use during an oil spill are being proposed by the Alaska Regional Response Team (ARRT). The ARRT is a combination of federal, state and local agencies that share responsibilities for managing oil and chemical spill responses in Alaska.

The ARRT is holding a series of public meetings to present information and hear public comment on their draft changes to the plan authorizing the use of chemical dispersants in Alaska waters during an oil spill response. The council encourages all individual citizens and groups that may be concerned about the preauthorization of chemical oil dispersant use in Alaska to attend these forums.

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The 2013 Marine Firefighting Symposium was held October 8-10 in Seward. This was the first time the symposium was held in a community outside of Valdez. By working with the Seward Fire Department and AVTEC – Alaska’s Institute of Technology, this year’s symposium was also the first time that live fire training was part of the program.

There were 39 participants and eight facilitators at the event. The entire state was well represented with a good mix of communities and industry partners. Attendance numbers were lower this year due to several factors, including the federal government shutdown.

We were given a great deal of support from the Seward Chamber of Commerce, Seward Fire Department, Scott and Eagle Safety, AVTEC, Kenai Fjords Tours, Foss, Crowley Maritime, Cook Inlet Tug & Barge, Resolve Marine and the International Fire Service Training Association. The Alaska Department of Homeland Security provided funds for 11 firefighters from across the state to travel to the event.

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