b'MEMBERSHIPMATTERSHy-Line CruisesExecutes Full-Scale By Zackery Reed, Safety and Security PVA Manager, Special Projects ExerciseMay 810, 2019: PVA members, the U.S. Coast Guard Sector SoutheasternA law enforcement officer boards New England, FBI, DepartmentHy-Line Cruise Grey Lady IV during a of Homeland Security (DHS),large-scale exercise.Massachusetts and Rhode Island State Police, and 32 local law enforce-ment and fire rescue agencies took to Nantucket Sound in Massachusetts to participate in the largest ever Area Maritime Security and Exercise Program (AMSTEP) Active Threat Full-Scale Exercise. The planning for this day started more than three years ago with a different focus in the crosshairs: terrorism. The planning process kicked into high gear in October 2018 with a full-day tabletop exercise, Maritime Active Threat on a Maritime Vessel, with federal, state and local first re-sponders. From this discussion, a planning committee was formed, consisting of one representative from each emergency responder pillar. This committee was facilitated by specific U.S. Coast Guard personnel, based in Virginia. It took a village.From October through May 2019, the planning and development by this dedicated committee of emergency re-sponders came to fruition. The focus had changed from terrorism to active shooter situations, given the climate in todays world. The primary question that PVA Vessel member Hy-Line Cruises Director of Security, Richard Bigelow, set out to find an answer to was: If there were ever a situation involving an active shooter on any vessel, how are we going to get response teams out to that boat? The answer came to light on May 8 when 19 boats, 90 boardings and over 35 different law enforcement AUGUST 2019FOGHORN 35'