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In an average day, the United States Coast Guard saves 32 lives, assists 308 people, saves $8 million in property value, conducts 142 search and rescue cases, responds to 34 oil or hazardous chemical spills, boards 90 large vessels for port safety checks, inspects 64 commercial vessels, processes 120 seamen’s documents, investigates 17 marine accidents, conducts 128 Maritime Law Enforcement boardings and identifies 97 violations of the law, seizes 84 pounds of marijuana, seizes 148 pounds of cocaine, services 150 aids to navigation, and interdicts 22 illegal migrants.
Wow! How does the Coast Guard do all of that in one day? Who are they? What type of activities do they perform day-to-day?
The Coast Guard is the primary federal agency with maritime authority for the United States. The Coast Guard is a life saving public service agency. Its organization consists of ships, aircrafts, boats and shore stations which are involved in such things as law enforcement, search and rescue, marine environmental protection, maintenance of aids to navigation, and ice breaking.
The Coast Guard has four main missions:
- Law Enforcement
- Maritime Safety
- Marine Environmental Protection
- National Security
In order to accomplish the four main missions, the Coast Guard performs the following jobs day-to-day:
- USCG maintains aids to navigation such as lighthouses and buoys. They also provide continuous and accurate, all-weather radionavigation service.
- USCG aims to improve boating safety and foster greater development, use and enjoyment of all U.S. waters.
- USCG, under Federal Law, is “At all times an armed force of the United States.” The CG maintains constant military capability and readiness.
- USCG helps develop national or international pollution response plans. They minimize damage from pollutants released in waters and reduce the threat to the marine environment from potential spills of oil or hazardous substances.
- USCG keeps domestic shipping routes and ports open year-round by providing polar ice breaking operations.
- USCG enforces all federal laws on, under and over the high seas and waters under U.S. jurisdiction. This includes interdicting drug smugglers and illegal immigrants and enforcing fishing regulations.
- USCG develops and enforces standards and policies for the safe design, construction, maintenance and operation of commercial vessels and offshore facilities.
- USCG issues new, renewed and upgraded licenses for officers and seamen.
- USCG provides daily weather reports to the National Weather Service.
- USCG manages port safety, port security and environmental protection concerns.
- USCG maintains search and rescue facilities in most U.S.waterways. They provide aid to people and property in distress in the marine environment.
- USCG is involved with Waterways Management including ships, waterways and facilities such as docks, bridges and piers.
Several divisions of the Coast Guard work closely with international trade, they include Vessel Traffic Services. (Please refer to the this week’s job profile with Tony Zecca, Vessel Traffic Controller, to learn more about Vessel Traffic Services responsibilities.)
To find out more about the U.S. Coast Guard, check out the following Web sites:
http://www.uscg.mil/uscg.shtm (U.S. Coast Guard)
http://www.uscg.mil/hq/uscga/ (U.S. Coast Guard Academy)
http://www.cgc.ns.ca/ (Canadian Coast Guard College)
http://www.uscg.mil/cglogos.html (U.S. Coast Guard Logos)
http://www.refdesk.com/coast.html (My Virtual Reference Desk — Coast Guard in the Internet)
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