Water Taxi crews and our regional partners are always ready for any number of potential events that can occur on the water. Thank you to our riders for your patience as the Water Taxi team participated in large-scale exercises April 18-20. The drills are to prepare for scenarios such as: responding to a maritime threat onboard, recovering a vessel that has been in a security incident, or responding to another vessel in our region in need of assistance.

The King County Sheriff’s Office SWAT team conducted the exercises in the Puget Sound aboard the MV Doc Maynard. The purpose was to test the ability of multiple jurisdictions and agencies to work together to plan and execute complex missions involving tactical personnel, various marine units, and helicopters.

The SWAT team was joined by the Sheriff’s K-9 units and Seattle Fire.

The scenarios performed as a part of these exercises tested the procedures, policies, and techniques, reinforcing the training regimen, and exercising a wide range of potential natural and man-made incidents.

After working with several different agencies on several events, our crews have developed strong relationships with law enforcement and regulatory personnel, gaining a clear understanding of how police will react should there ever be an incident that requires their response.