The Coast Guard Proceedings of the Marine Safety and Security Council. Volume 72, Number 1, Spring 2015

Abstract

Picture the following scenarios: 1) two vessels collide on the Houston Ship Channel and thick bunker fuel gushes into the busy waterway; 2) train cars derail, release toxic chemicals into Mantua Creek in New Jersey, and residents are exposed; 3) a Category 5 hurricane ruptures a million-gallon oil storage tank, its noxious contents spill into flood waters that surge into New Orleans neighborhoods; 4) the Department of Defense seeks subject matter expertise to destroy Syria s 620-ton chemical weapons stockpile in a complex offshore operation. Sweating a bit? Or are you chomping at the bit to get to work? If it s the latter, you re probably a Coast Guard strike team member. These were real all-hazard response scenarios Coast Guard operational commanders faced. While each required a unique response, they all had one thing in common: the National Strike Force (NSF) deployed to ensure a successful outcome. For more than four decades, these highly trained and specialized teams have responded in the name of public and environmental safety to make bad scenarios better. I m proud to honor the history of our NSF through this edition of Proceedings. This issue will provide a better understanding of a capability that allows federal on-scene coordinators both Coast Guard and EPA to sleep easier at night. A national asset and special team codified in the National Contingency Plan, the National Strike Force is highly adaptive and ready to respond. It is comprised of three all-hazard response teams under the NSF Coordination Center, covering the U.S. and its territories, and providing technical expertise to international partners worldwide. The NSF was an essential force multiplier when the Coast Guard responded to the largest marine oil spill in U.S. history.

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Document Details

Document Type
Technical Report
Publication Date
Jan 01, 2015
Accession Number
ADA618313

Entities

Organizations

  • United States Coast Guard

Tags

Communities of Interest

  • Biomedical
  • Ground and Sea Platforms
  • Human Systems

DTIC Thesaurus Topics

  • Chemical Synthesis
  • Chemical Warfare
  • Chemical Warfare Agents
  • Chemical Weapons
  • Chemistry
  • Climate Change
  • Department Of Homeland Security
  • Employment
  • Environmental Protection
  • Fuel Oils
  • Health Services
  • Marine Transportation
  • Materials Science
  • Medical Personnel
  • Military Science
  • Personnel Management
  • Terrain

Readers

  • Educational Psychology
  • Emergency Management and Homeland Security.
  • Marine Ecotoxicology