SAN JUAN , Puerto Rico , Dec. 6 /PRNewswire-FirstCall/ -- Horizon Lines of Puerto Rico , a subsidiary of Horizon Lines, Inc. (NYSE: HRZ) hosted an exercise conducted by The 22nd Weapons of Mass Destruction Civil Support Team (WMD-CST) at the Company's port facility in Puerto Nuevo, Puerto Rico on December 4th . Participants were members of the Army National Guard, the U.S. Coast Guard and the Federal Bureau of Investigation, and members of Horizon Lines' safety and security management team. There are currently 57 such Civil Support Teams established nationwide.
The exercises included a simulation of a possible radioactive reading aboard a containership. The vessel Horizon Producer was utilized for the exercise and members of the crew and terminal personnel also participated. "This exercise is a great opportunity for the U.S. military and other agencies to prepare in what may be an unfamiliar environment; gaining valuable experience on how to respond to a real incident aboard a vessel," said Gabriel Serra , Senior Vice President and General Manager for Horizon Lines of Puerto Rico . This exercise served as part of the unit's validation process.
"The CST is made up of 22 highly skilled, full-time National Guard members who are federally resourced, trained and exercised and employs federally approved Chemical, Biological, Radiological & Nuclear (CBRN) response doctrine," said Janet Nieves , Safety and Security Manager for Horizon Lines of Puerto Rico . Nieves, a retired officer of the Army National Guard, served as Incident Commander and liaison between the military and the facility for this exercise. The CST is an essential element in the Department of Defense's program to provide support to civil authorities in the event of an incident involving weapons of mass destruction in the United States .
"At Horizon Lines, we partner with the U.S. military and law enforcement agencies on all manners of operations to ensure continuous focus and improvement in the areas of safety and homeland security," said Serra.
About Horizon Lines, Inc.
Horizon Lines, Inc. is the nation's leading domestic ocean shipping and integrated logistics company comprised of two primary operating subsidiaries. Horizon Lines, LLC operates a fleet of 21 U.S.-flag containerships and 5 port terminals linking the continental United States with Alaska, Hawaii, Guam , Micronesia and Puerto Rico . Horizon Logistics, LLC offers customized logistics solutions to shippers from a suite of transportation and distribution management services designed by Aero Logistics, information technology developed by Horizon Services Group and intermodal trucking and warehousing services provided by Sea-Logix. Horizon Lines, Inc. is based in Charlotte, NC , and trades on the New York Stock Exchange under the ticker symbol HRZ.
SOURCE Horizon Lines, Inc.
