The Panama Canal has conducted a fire drill aboard a tanker vessel to test the response capabilities and protocols of its units in the event of an emergency.
The exercise, carried out in collaboration with the Panama Fire Department, took place on a vessel with a total length of 250 metres and a beam (width) of 44 metres, docked at the Pacific terminal in Panama Bay.
This drill was led by personnel from the Canal’s fire section and other operational units to evaluate inter-institutional collaboration and ensure that all procedures are executed efficiently and in a coordinated manner.
Approximately 70 people participated in the exercise, including firefighters, boat unit personnel, tug operators, and others, along with a team of evaluators to maximise the benefits of the exercise.
Beforehand, the Canal’s Protection and Emergency Response Division notified other state security and emergency institutions to keep them informed about the exercise’s development.
Omar Vanterpool, Manager of the Canal Fire Department, explained: “This drill aims to integrate firefighters, the Tug Division, the boat crew, Canal Protection, and our colleagues from the Benemérito Fire Department of Panama in this joint effort to mitigate such emergencies and maintain a safe, sustainable, and reliable waterway for global trade.”
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Carlos Gomez, a Fire Protection Specialist for the Canal, emphasized: “A fire on a vessel involves a series of coordinated emergency responses requiring multiple Canal entities. It goes beyond just the firefighters, and that’s precisely where the importance of this drill lies.”
