Washington state ferries, with about 500 Puget Sound crossings a day, run the risk of colliding with rocks just as a British Columbia ferry did early Wednesday.

“Can it happen? Yes, it can,” said Kelly Mitchell, senior port captain for Washington State Ferries.

But safety procedures, technology and training balance the scales, he said, allowing crews to react quickly if a ferry runs aground, catches fire or crashes.

B.C. Ferries’ Queen of the North struck a rock in rough weather at 12:26 a.m. on the inside passage between the Alaska panhandle and the north end of Vancouver Island. All 101 passengers and crew members were rescued.

“We’ll pay a lot of attention to what happened, whether it was due to a navigation error or a malfunction of systems or whatever it was,” said John Dwyer, chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s inspection division in Seattle.

The B.C. ferry was on a scenic 280-mile route from Prince Rupert to Port Hardy, B.C., a long voyage through a remote area.

The route differs greatly from ferry commuter service across Puget Sound, with its short trips through heavy ship traffic in mostly open water, Mitchell said.

Puget Sound has 10 ferry systems, including state operations, Dwyer said.

“Our runs are a bit shorter, and in terms of rescue resources, we’ve got Coast Guard cutters, fireboats and deck barges,” he said.

The Everett waterfront is scheduled to get a high-speed boat to help with rescues and patrols. It will be paid for with Homeland Security Department money.

To keep things safe for ferry passengers, the Coast Guard requires crews to conduct weekly boat and fire drills, Dwyer said. A mass rescue exercise is planned in Port Angeles this spring.

From his office near the Space Needle, Mitchell oversees all captains, sailors, training and safety for state ferries from Sydney, B.C., to Tacoma. Before 1999, he spent 14 years doing the same kind of work for Alaska’s ferry system.

“Launching lifeboats is no easy (thing), even in nonemergency situations,” Mitchell said. “To get all the passengers and crew without significant injuries is a credit to their crew.”

In 50-plus years of operations, the state claims few serious accidents, Mitchell said. “And we’ve never had a vessel sink.”

But the state system isn’t without challenges.

Keystone Harbor on Whidbey Island has a long record of grounded ferries and canceled trips due to strong currents, Mitchell said.

“Our safety record is extremely good,” he said. “We’ve had some unfortunate incidents, but with an operation this large, you’re bound to have a few.”

Safety is foremost, officials say.

“We want to assure our passengers that we hold their safety in the highest regard, and our people are professional and well-trained to deal with the issues that may arise,” Mitchell said.

“We’ve done everything possible to mitigate against a situation happening,” he said. “But there’s probably always that chance. We can’t say we’ll never have that situation.

Reporter Jeff Switzer: 425-339-3452 or jswitzer@ heraldnet.com.