THE TACTICS MEETING

Drills on Repeat: Why It’s Time to Rethink Exercises

In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, we take a hard, honest look at how drills and exercises are designed—and why doing them the same way we have for the last 20 years may no longer be serving responders, organizations, or the public.

Joined by an experienced panel—Liesl Peterson, Agneta Dahl, Mark Curtis, and Suzanne Lagoni—we dig into the uncomfortable reality that many exercises have become repetitive, predictable, and overly focused on checking boxes rather than building real capability.

The conversation explores what we may be getting wrong, what we’re failing to test, and how “successful” exercises can still leave responders underprepared for the complexity, ambiguity, and pressure of real incidents. We talk about breaking out of familiar scenarios, embracing friction and failure in a controlled way, and designing exercises that actually stretch decision-making, leadership, and coordination.

If you’ve ever walked out of a drill thinking “we’ve done this before”, this episode is a challenge to rethink why we exercise—and how we can do it better.

After the Flames: ONE Henry Hudson, Air Monitoring, General Average, and Regional Ship-Fire Readiness

In this episode, we step back from the headlines to look at what ship fires keep teaching us—again and again. We talk through the realities of marine firefighting response, how communities can track air quality during smoke events, and why “general average” can suddenly matter a lot when cargo is lost. We also preview regional efforts to sharpen preparedness, including upcoming work through harbor safety partners and new coordination initiatives along the Columbia River.

Maritime Cybersecurity: IT, OT, and the Evolving Threat Landscape

In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, Dan Smiley gathers a roundtable of experts to tackle the invisible but growing threat to the maritime industry: Cyber Security. We are joined by first-time guest Charles Grau from Fairwater, who brings his background in aerospace and the to the table. Together with regulars Jim Butler, Mark Curtis, and Theo Camlin, the panel discusses why the biggest threat to a vessel might not be the sea itself, but the vendor walking up the gangway with a thumb drive.

From the Colonial Pipeline ransomware attack to GPS spoofing in the Red Sea, we explore how the threat landscape is shifting from traditional oil spills to cargo fires and digital intrusions. The group also debates the challenges of connectivity during an incident—balancing the security of VPNs and firewalls against the need for real-time information sharing via tools like Starlink.

In this episode, we cover:

• Aerospace vs. Maritime: Charles compares high-regulation aviation security to the current state of shipping.
• The Human Firewall: Why well-trained crew members are your best defense against phishing and social engineering.
• IT vs. OT: Understanding the difference between Information Technology and the Operational Technology that actually drives the ship.
• Response Reality: Mark shares a story about training responders on software during an active ship fire in the North Sea.
• The "Sticky Card" Problem: Navigating the digital divide when different agencies can’t use the same software.

Save the Dates:

• March 24-25, 2025: National Harbor Safety Conference in Seattle, WA.
• October 21-22, 2026: Washington State Maritime Cooperative Planning Conference in Tacoma, WA.

Sponsors: This episode is brought to you by Gallagher Marine Systems (GMS) and the Washington State Maritime Cooperative (WSMC).

Vessels of Opportunity Under Fire: What the Coast Guard Gets Wrong

Vessels of Opportunity were never meant to be dedicated assets. They’re a planning concept—local vessels identified for possible use, evaluated and activated only if and when they’re actually needed. In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, we’re joined by Vince Mitchell, Incident Commander for the Washington State Maritime Cooperative, to examine what happens when that planning concept starts being regulated as if it were a standing, pre-certified response resource.

 

We dig into the growing disconnect between field-level response reality and federal policy, including attempts to impose inspection, certification, and readiness standards on vessels that were never intended to operate that way. This conversation gets into the operational consequences—slower activation, reduced participation, higher costs, and diminished surge capacity—as well as the broader implications for Unified Command authority and real-world response effectiveness.

This is a candid discussion about flexibility versus control, planning versus regulation, and what’s at risk when policy drifts away from how response actually works.

Gallagher Marine Systems Preview – WSMC Member Preparedness Conference

In this short preview episode of The Tactics Meeting, host Dan Smiley sits down with Tom Wiker, President of Gallagher Marine Systems, to talk about his upcoming presentation at the WSMC Member Preparedness Conference on October 23 in Tacoma, Washington.

Gallagher Marine Systems serves as the backup Spill Management Team for WSMC, providing vital planning and response support when it matters most. In this conversation, Tom offers a behind-the-scenes look at what Gallagher brings to the table and what attendees can expect to learn at the conference.

Whether you’re a current WSMC member or just exploring options, this episode is your invitation to join the region’s top maritime responders for a day of collaboration, insight, and preparedness.

From Rulemaking to Response: Friends of the San Juans on Protecting the Salish Sea

In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, Dan Smiley talks with Lovel Pratt of Friends of the San Juans about the group's participation in Washington State’s oil spill rulemaking process, their concerns around increased tanker traffic near the San Juan Islands, and the risks posed by non-floating oils such as diluted bitumen. As a member of the Puget Sound Harbor Safety Committee and Ecology’s Best Achievable Protection workgroups, Lovel brings an environmental perspective to the table. We discuss where those concerns align—or don’t—with the maritime industry’s view of risk, safety, and prevention in a region with one of the most robust marine safety regimes in the world.

Lessons from the Grande Costa D’Avorio Fire: A Panel Review of the NTSB Report

In this special panel episode, we unpack the National Transportation Safety Board’s findings on the 2023 fire aboard the Grande Costa D’Avorio at Port Newark—a devastating incident that claimed the lives of two Newark firefighters and exposed critical gaps in shipboard fire response readiness.

Joining the discussion are experts from across the maritime and emergency response communities:

• Mark Curtis, Fairwater

• Captain Noah Katka, Seattle Fire Department

• Lieutenant Aaron Patterson, Seattle Fire Department

• Jim Elliott, T&T Group of Companies

• Todd Duke, Resolve Marine

• Bill Burket, Virginia Port Authority

Together, they examine what went wrong, why coordination between ship and shore-based resources is still a national weak point, and what must change to prevent future tragedies. Topics include training, communications, fire suppression system limitations, and institutional readiness across ports nationwide.

This is a must-listen for anyone involved in port security, emergency management, or marine operations.

Shipboard Firefighting Lessons with Bill Burket: From the Spirit of Norfolk to the Grande Costa D’Avorio

In this episode, I sit down with Bill Burket, a seasoned maritime emergency responder and expert witness at the U.S. Coast Guard hearing on the Grande Costa D’Avorio fire. Bill brings decades of experience in shipboard firefighting and port response coordination, including his firsthand involvement in the Spirit of Norfolk engine room fire.

We dive into:

• His powerful testimony and insights from the Grande Costa D’Avorio investigation

• What went wrong—and what must change—in shipboard firefighting strategy and command

• Lessons learned from the Spirit of Norfolk incident

• The critical role of training and interagency coordination

• A preview of the upcoming National Port Partner Emergency Response Summit, where stakeholders will come together to chart the future of maritime emergency preparedness.

This is a must-listen for anyone involved in port security, marine firefighting, salvage, or Unified Command coordination. Tune in to hear how experience, collaboration, and leadership can make the difference between disaster and success.

All-Hazards, All In: Doug Schuster and the EMSI Approach to Incident Management

​In this episode, we sit down with Doug Schuster, Operations Manager at Emergency Management Services International, Inc. (EMSI), a premier all-hazards, full-service, multi-discipline incident management and emergency management services provider. With over 30 years of experience in incident and event management, Doug shares insights into his emergency response philosophy and discusses EMSI's diverse work, including collaborations with the railroad industry.We delve into unique applications of the Incident Command System (ICS), such as managing a bedbug infestation at a jail and addressing a cesium release in a Seattle hospital. Join us for an enlightening conversation on innovative approaches to emergency management.​

Washington’s 2025 BAP Update: What’s Changing in Oil Spill Contingency Planning

In this episode of The Tactics Meeting, we dive into Washington State’s 2025 Best Achievable Protection (BAP) initiative—a comprehensive effort to update oil spill contingency planning regulations under WAC 173-182 and WAC 173-186.

Host Dan Smiley explains how the Department of Ecology kicked off the process with a well-attended online meeting and public survey, inviting input on ways to strengthen spill response planning. The episode explores the four key topic areas identified for technical workgroups:

• Non-Floating Oil Response

• Whale and Wildlife Deterrence

• Shoreline Cleanup and Assessment Techniques (SCAT)

• Aerial Surveillance of Oil Spills

You’ll learn what Best Achievable Protection means under Washington law, how it drives rulemaking, and why this cycle presents an opportunity for meaningful change in response readiness.

 

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