Emergency Flotilla

As an island community, we are susceptible to being completely cut off from resources should an event take out the Agate Pass bridge and suspend the ferry service. The City's Emergency Operations Plan allows for the use of an emergency flotilla to help with the following:

transport critical supplies and essential staff on and off the island
to assist with coastline surveys in the event of a mudslide or other natural disaster
to assist with oil spill response
to assist with any other emergent event requiring on-water support

The flotilla is an asset, managed by the Harbormaster and composed of a volunteer corps of citizens who utilize their private vessels to assist the City when activated.

It is important to note that the flotilla will not provide direct service to citizens during an emergent event. If you work off-island and wish to establish a private flotilla operation that would assist citizens, the Harbormaster can assist you with that process.

Requirements

The City accepts all sizes of vessel and operators with any level of maritime expertise, including non-motorized options. Operators must be residents of Bainbridge Island. Vessels must be legally allowed to operate on Washington waters, seaworthy, and ready to be underway before accepting an assignment. Flotilla vessels moored wet, dry and off-island are eligible to participate in the flotilla providing the above criteria are met. The City will reimburse fuel costs for flotilla volunteers when activated and when participating in City-sponsored training. If you are ready to join, please apply through our Bainbridge Prepares Flotilla page.

Activation

When flotilla activation is deemed necessary, active members will be contacted by the Harbormaster or member of the City's incident response team. Members who are available and ready to deploy will be given assignments that are appropriate for their particular skill level and vessel capacity.