Responding in the aftermath of a disaster: The Surge Capacity Force
The size and impact of Hurricane Sandy will be remembered for years to come and the significance of the storm will not be lost to the Coast Guard civilian volunteers who were part of the Department of Homeland Security’s Surge Capacity Force. Following Hurricane Katrina, a need was recognized for the federal government to be more responsive in the immediate aftermath of a disaster. Thus, the surge capacity force was created.
Taking care of our own
Hurricane Sandy was a storm of historic proportions making landfall along the densely populated Northeast coast, destroying property and leaving behind unprecedented damage. Coast Guardsmen, so familiar with the role of rescuer, were now part of the population who needed help. Just like the surrounding community, Coast Guard buildings and assets were significantly damaged and hundreds of Coast Guard members and their families were forced to evacuate from their homes and workplace. Members and families needed help in finding adequate housing, filing insurance claims and working to return their lives to normal.
Shipmate of the Week – DCC Dennis Amerson
Written by Lt. j.g. Stephen Henderson, Yard Facilities management department. The Coast Guard Yard, founded in 1899, is the Coast Guard’s only shipyard and is responsible for construction, repairs and renovations of the Coast Guard’s surface fleet and aids to [...]
Aloha to heavy weather training
Saying Aloha to the Pacific’s heavy seas, National Motor Lifeboat School’s instructors just finished two weeks of intensive search and rescue training off the coast of Hawaii. Lifesavers from throughout the Pacific gathered at Station Honolulu for a series of unique skill enhancement evolutions.
The ice is coming! The ice is coming!
Like many places around the country, the cold season has arrived on the Great Lakes. Operational seasonality is an ongoing reality for all who call the region home, and Great Lakes crews are all preparing for the ice to come. Just as the summer months bring a busy schedule due to increased search and rescue and law enforcement cases, the winter brings a hectic schedule full of ice maintenance operations including search and rescue, ice-breaking and aids-to-navigation.
Coast Guard Cutter Chippewa: Keeping commerce flowing
Whether high or low water, the Chippewa and its crew ensure aids vital to the maritime community are on station and watching properly. No matter what Mother Nature has in her playbook, the crew will be underway and at the ready.
Thankful for a safe crabbing season
Thanksgiving crab is a San Francisco tradition. The steamed, spidery-red crustaceans have a spot on the dining room table right next to that big, gobbling bird. Crab is a delicacy, but the fishermen who go out in the heavy-winter seas and catch it are anything but delicate. The Department of Labor lists fishing as the most dangerous jobs in the country, and the Coast Guard is working to reduce risk through a safety initiative called Operation Safe Crab.
Opening U.S. ports after disaster: An all-hands on deck evolution
In every one of America’s ports, the Coast Guard has plans in place to protect lives and property from natural disasters such as Hurricane Sandy. U.S. cities contend with the threat of natural and manmade disasters every year as a major port taken out of commission could devastate local businesses and ripple into the national economy. Despite some ports opening just hours after the storm had passed, there is still work to be done in harder hit areas. Currently, the Coast Guard is focused on getting the ports of New York and New Jersey back to full operations.
Shipmate of the Week – MK1 Kevin Jones
The more than 120 men and women stationed there maintain ready crews able to launch within 30 minutes of a call, 365 days a year, 24 hours a day. But standing the watch alongside the ready crews are dozens of critical support personnel. How important is their role in saving lives? Just ask Petty Officer 1st Class Kevin Jones.
Do you have a disaster supply kit?
September is National Preparedness Month and with Hurricane Isaac fresh in our minds, safety and preparedness couldn’t be more relevant. Whether you live in an area always at risk for a natural disaster, or a community that rarely has one, everyone should have a disaster supply kit.
