First responders from Indiana and Kentucky participate in emergency training at McAlpine Locks

LOUISVILLE, Ky. (WDRB) — Part of the Ohio River turned into a training ground for first responders.

The Coast Guard, U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, and local, county and state agencies from both Kentucky and Indiana gathered at McAlpine Locks and Dam for training exercises on Wednesday.

The drills included a wide range of law enforcement tactics and emergency response procedures.

The goal is to improve response times on the water and get a better feel for the area, and how each agency works.

"I think its easy to forget how important this lock and dam is in our national economic security," Captain Heather Mattern, Coast Guard Captain of the Port-Sector Ohio Valley, said. "So we as a group need to have a unity of effort across all our port partnerships to make sure that we are ready to respond to any type of safety and security incident that may happen here, and so doing these drills allow us to build those relationships and understand each other's capabilities before something significant happens."

Captain Mattern said 59 million tons of cargo come through McAlpine Dam each day, generating nearly $6 billion worth of economic stimulus in Kentucky alone.