Middlesex, VA (Urbanna) Marina Fire: When Big Events Occur in Small Jurisdictions
(Room 5A)
25 Feb 17
3:00 PM
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4:30 PM
A significant emergency incident can be challenging to any emergency service system, particularly those organizations that are limited in their staffing, logistical support and specialty team response capabilities. This dynamic is no fault of anyone's; just a true reality of providing emergency services in today's challenging times. The presenters will give a brief overview of the challenges faced, actions taken, and lessons learned at the Dozier's Urbanna Point Marina, located in the Town of Urbanna, on the morning of February 29, 2016. Initial arriving resources were faced by a fire of extreme magnitude, involving an 87,000 square foot covered marina housing 21 power boats. This fire also resulted in the death of two citizens. The magnitude of the incident became apparent early on in the incident, requiring the utilization of regional resources. The presenters will outline and overview the critical incident dynamics required to bring the incident under control, as well as the exhaustive work required by the regional response teams to mitigate the environmental concern resulting from the fire. Items specifically discussed will be resource deployment, environmental concerns, media relations, and post-incident issues. The lessons presented will help your emergency service organization better manage these "Low Frequency-High Intensity" types of incidents, which are just a 9-1-1 call away.