Army Helicopter, First Responders Stage Dramatic Rescue Drill In Smithtown Bay

SMITHTOWN, NY — Smithtown Bay became the site of a large-scale search-and-rescue training exercise Thursday evening as local, county, federal and military emergency responders practiced coordinating rescue operations on the water.

The Sept. 17 exercise, organized by the Town of Smithtown Department of Public Safety Harbormasters Office, began at approximately 5 p.m., with shoreside operations staged at the Kings Park Bluff.

Smithtown Harbormasters worked alongside the U.S. Coast Guard, Suffolk County Police Department Marine Bureau and the Kings Park, Nesconset and Smithtown fire departments during a series of simulated marine emergencies.

An Army National Guard helicopter from Army Aviation Support Facility No. 1 at Long Island MacArthur Airport also participated, allowing responders to practice coordinating rescue operations between aircraft and vessels.

The exercise tested interagency communications, incident command, the rapid deployment of marine and aviation resources, search patterns, victim location and simulated rescue and extraction procedures.

"When an emergency happens on the water, time is of the essence in our response, there is no time to figure out how we are going to work together—that coordination has to be established long before the call comes in," Thomas Lohmann, Smithtown's director of public safety. "Exercises like this give our Harbormasters, fire departments, police departments and federal partners the opportunity to train side by side, test communications and sharpen the response procedures that ultimately save lives. I am incredibly proud of our Public Safety team and grateful to every agency that committed its personnel, equipment and time to making this training possible."

Training scenarios included boating incidents, people in the water, missing-swimmer searches and emergencies occurring during severe weather or reduced operating conditions.

The participating agencies also had an opportunity to evaluate response times, communications and their ability to work together under realistic conditions, town officials said.

Thursday's exercise was the second large-scale marine emergency drill conducted on Smithtown Bay this summer.

In August, the town participated in a separate interagency exercise with the Stony Brook, Setauket and Port Jefferson fire departments, along with military aviation and rescue personnel.

That training included members of the 103rd Rescue Squadron, who conducted helicopter-supported air-sea rescue operations intended to strengthen coordination among aviation crews, marine units and local emergency responders.

Town officials said the two exercises provided opportunities to evaluate personnel, equipment, communications systems, response procedures and mutual-aid resources needed to manage emergencies throughout Smithtown Bay.

"I am deeply grateful to our first responders for their service, their sacrifice and their commitment to one another," Smithtown Supervisor Ed Wehrheim said in a statement. "Our Harbormasters, Public Safety personnel, volunteer firefighters, law enforcement and emergency-response partners train relentlessly because when someone is in danger, whether it is on land or sea… every second matters. This exercise is a powerful reflection of who we are as a community: prepared, united and unwavering in our responsibility to keep our residents safe."