JDF Stages Oil Spill Response Drill At Kingston Harbour

A simulation exercise to better prepare the county to respond to an oil spill will be conducted by the Jamaica Defence Force (JDF) this week.

The exercise will take place along the eastern portion of the Kingston Harbour, which includes the Palisadoes area. It will test Jamaica’s National Oil Spill Response Plan.

Executive Officer, JDF’s Maritime Air and Cyber Command (MACC) and Officer Conducting Exercise (OCE), Commander Alvin Gayle, told JIS News that prior to the simulation, the JDF engaged in a series of training with local emergency response partners.

“The Jamaica Defence Force and the Jamaica Fire Brigade are the on-scene commanders. Both agencies are heavily involved in preparations for those activities,” he said.

He noted that the training involved the port facilities along the Kingston eastern portion of the Kingston Harbour “to ensure port facilities are prepared to respond effectively to potential oil spill incidents”.

Operations Officer at the MAAC and Exercise Director, Captain Cleon Thompson emphasised that the exercise would prioritise environmental safety.

“We are also in dialogue with the National Fisheries Authority and the Maritime Authority of Jamaica. To simulate oil, we will use wood dust or sawdust, which will not pose any harm to the environment,” he noted.

The public is advised not to be alarmed by the sight of sawdust in the water or along the roadway during the exercise. This material is environmentally safe and will be managed appropriately by response teams.

The simulation, which is part of Exercise Event Horizon 2025, aims to strengthen interagency coordination and test response mechanisms to mitigate the impact of oil spills on Jamaica’s marine and coastal environment.

Exercise Event Horizon 2025 is a multinational, multiagency and multi-domain exercise.

The event runs from January 12 to 26 in Jamaica, The Cayman Islands and offshore Haiti.

This is the third iteration of the exercise with activities focused on Maritime Security, Cybersecurity, Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue, and Humanitarian Assistance and Disaster Relief Missions.

It is being hosted by the Maritime Air and Cyber Command (MACC) of the JDF with the support of the United Nations Office on Drugs and Crime Global Maritime Crime Program (UNODC GMCP).