State, federal and local law enforcement agencies trained together in Eastern North Carolina Wednesday on how to respond effectively to an emergency aboard a local ferry.
The training included a simulation of law enforcement and emergency response to an active shooter incident on board a ferry as it cruised along the Neuse River near the Cherry Branch terminal.
The training was part of a series of required exercises to help ensure emergency response teams know how to conduct a coordinated and timely response to a major incident on a ferry.
The Coast Guard, State Highway Patrol, Ferry Division, and the New Bern, Atlantic Beach and Pamlico County Police Departments – along with Craven- County Sheriff’s Office and North Carolina Marine Patrol -- participated.
There were no passengers on the ferry and there was no interruption to service, as the Cherry Branch-Minnesott Beach route was already suspended due to ramp maintenance.
