NYK conducts antiterrorism, accident response drills

NYK conducts antiterrorism, accident response drills Nippon Yusen Kaisha (NYK) recently conducted two training exercises designed to combat terrorism and improve response to a serious tanker accident.
   On July 28, NYK conducted a joint antiterrorism exercise with the Hong Kong Police Force (HKPF) based on a scenario in which NYK’s coal carrier “Lady Kadoorie” had been taken over by a terrorist group.
   HKPF police officers, who played the parts of terrorists, had previously boarded the vessel from a helicopter and had planted a number of unidentified materials on board.
   The exercise started with the ship-management services company receiving a ship security alert from the vessel en route to Hong Kong. The ship-management company then relayed the incident to agencies and requested assistance. NYK established a task headquarters upon receiving the information and worked in close cooperation with the ship-management company and NYK Line (Hong Kong) Ltd. to manage the situation.
   Soon after, 39 HKPF Special Duties Unit commandos and police dogs trained to combat terrorists boarded the ship from four helicopters and five speedboats while the vessel was approaching the Hong Kong anchorage. The commandos overwhelmed nine “terrorists” and confiscated three unidentified materials, NYK said.
   The next day NYK conducted a training exercise around the scenario of a large volume of crude oil being spilled due to two vessels colliding near the mouth of Tokyo Bay.
   The exercise was conducted with the participation of related administrations, a salvage company, an insurance company, and a marine disaster-prevention center. NYK issued a preliminary press release and held a mock press conference to manage the uneasiness of nearby residents.
   “NYK’s policy is not only to closely exchange information with related administrations but also to proactively carry out joint exercises with different organizations with a view to taking appropriate measures to deal with potential accidents and incidents of terrorism,” NYK said.