Shoreline Police, Sheriff and Fire Train Together in Shoreline

By Sgt. Katie Larson, Shoreline Police

Shoreline Police Eastside Storefront Officer, Greg McKinney, who assists as one of King County’s Marine Unit Rescue Divers and Swiftwater Technicians, attended an interagency training exercise on May 11 at Ronald Bog Park.

The City of Shoreline has several bodies of water: Echo Lake, Ronald Bog and Twin Ponds, and 3.5 miles of shoreline on Puget Sound. Water recreation is common all year in Shoreline. 

Water recreation is expected to increase as the weather warms for summer. To be ready for any potential water rescue scenario, the King County Sheriff Marine Rescue and Dive Unit, Shoreline Police Department and the Shoreline Fire Department came together as one to familiarize and cross train on water with each other. 

Many Shoreline citizens saw some of the Sheriff’s marine rescue equipment displayed at the Shoreline Strawberry Festival on May 8 at Richmond Beach Community Park. See story.

During this training, several exercises were conducted to coordinate efforts among the three agencies to quickly and efficiently work together for swimmer in distress and missing swimmer incidents. In addition, Sheriff’s Marine Rescue Sergeant Jim Knauss and Shoreline Fire Department Battalion Chief Tim Dahl spent part of the day going to various sites to inspect access points to beaches, walking paths and lake access points, such as the new boardwalk at Echo Lake. Training together ensures the most expedient response to any emergency.

Water rescuers are hoping they will not need to put this training to use this summer. Water safety is important and the loss of one life is one too many. 

Be water smart, life jackets float, you don’t.

Photos by Steven H. Robinson