Buffalo, NY – Erie County Sheriff John C. Garcia announces a multi-agency maritime training exercise along the Buffalo River.
The integrated training coordinated through the New York State Department of Homeland Security’s Office of Counter Terrorism involved approximately 40 personnel from the Erie County Sheriff’s SWAT Team, Bomb Squad, and Marine Unit, the Buffalo Police, the New York State Police, the New York Environmental Conservation Police, FBI, US Border Patrol, and the Rochester Police.
Bomb squad and tactical personnel practiced multidisciplinary integration and incident response for maritime scenarios. The teams trained on ship-to-ship boarding and clearing techniques on the USS Little Rock, the Buffalo Fire Department’s firefighting boat – the Edward M. Cotter, and the Grand Lady.
Sheriff Garcia said, “I first want to thank the Buffalo Naval Park, the Buffalo Fire Department, and the operators of the Grand Lady for allowing the teams to utilize their vessels. Buffalo is an international port city, with large vessels delivering goods and dropping off visitors to the area. So it is crucial that law enforcement train for various maritime scenarios involving terroristic threats.
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