It was a busy week for Alameda Fire Department (AFD) personnel. In addition to their usual emergency and fire response duties, a number of firefighters completed Rope Rescue Technician training and/or participated in BAYEX 2025 fire boat drills at Alameda Point.
Most of the nine AFD firefighters who completed the 40-hour Rope Rescue Technician course this past week had just completed the Rope Rescue Operations/Awareness course several weeks ago, according to an AFD report on Facebook. Following that training, they continued to build on their knowledge, skills, and abilities to safely and effectively perform rope rescue tactics, techniques, and procedures for high-angle rescue incidents.
AFD expressed its gratitude to those who participated in the training “for stepping forward to support the Alameda Fire Department’s mission and enhancing our all-risk response.”
On May 14, AFD personnel—and the AFD fire boat—participated in a BAYEX 2025 emergency response drill at Alameda Point along with other local, state, and federal personnel.
BAYEX 2025, which is hosted by the California National Guard’s 95th Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST), unites emergency response teams in a multi-day, multi-site exercise. The event took place May 12-16 this year. More than 600 personnel from federal, state, and local agencies participated in the drills across the Bay Area.
Sites for the BAYEX drills included the USS Hornet at Alameda Point, California’s Great America in Santa Clara, San Mateo County, the Nike Missile Site SF-88L in Marine County, San Francisco Bay Area Water Emergency Transportation Authority (WETA) areas of operation, Fort Baker in Sausalito, and the Lime Point Lighthouse on the Golden Gate Strait.
BAYEX 2025 provides agencies with the opportunity to work in a multi-jurisdictional, multi-agency response and recovery framework. The exercise focuses on incident management, interoperability, and offers agencies an opportunity to reinforce vitally important relationships.
