Coast Guard, local agencies hold Safety Day in Oak Island

OAK ISLAND, NC (WWAY) — The United States Coast Guard invited the community to come out to Oak Island to see how they and other local agencies keep us safe every day.

Local police and fire departments, water rescue teams, emergency services and more were on hand at the Coast Guard station for Saturday’s event.

It was also a good opportunity for local agencies to interact before a major weather event or other situation when they would need to collaborate.

Coast Guard Petty Officer Michael Roberts says he hopes the public knows they are protected.

“We responded last year, well two years ago, to Hurricane Matthew,” Roberts said. “We have potential for bigger hurricanes coming this year, situations like they dealt with in south Florida or Texas or Puerto Rico. For them to see that we are ready to respond to this, we have a lot of different assets available that the public don’t usually see.”

With summer right around the corner, Roberts hopes the community takes the proper precautions when having fun out on the water.