Proceedings Of The Marine

SPR 2015

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

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8 Proceedings Spring 2015 www.uscg.mil/proceedings they are ready to respond to even the most dangerous toxic industrial chemical, toxic industrial material, or chemical warfare agent. Chemical response services: These are among the most complex and robust of all NSF capabilities. From the first month responders report to a strike team, they are immersed in training and real-world exercises to ensure Specialized Equipment Personal Protective Equipment The National Strike Force maintains a robust cache of specialized personal protective equipment to allow responders to safely perform work in hazardous envi- ronments, including levels A, B, C, and D personal protective equipment (Level A being the most protective). Robot Each strike team also has a mini Andros robot that can transport hazmat sensors into a hazardous environment. It also serves as a great remote-observation instrument, as it is equipped with three onboard video cameras. Hazmat Response Trailer Carrying everything needed to conduct continuous entries into a hazardous environment, the hazardous material response trailer comes complete with a mobile incident command center, robust communications suite, onboard genera- tors, and an air compressor system to refll self-contained breathing apparatus air bottles. Re-Breather A re-breather is a breathing apparatus that recycles the substantially unused oxygen content of each breath, which allows responders to remain in a hazardous environment in excess of four hours — much longer than responders wearing self-contained breathing appa- ratus. Re-breather technology prom- ises to become the future of respiratory protection for NSF responders. Monitoring Equipment Strike force members use detection and monitoring equipment — such as organic vapor-detection instruments, multi-gas meters for toxic and explosive atmospheres, networked remote atmo- spheric monitors, and aerosol particu- late meters — to identify unknown atmo- spheres and quantify contamination. The NSF also constantly evaluates new technology and advanced instru- ments that are emerging for emergency response. This ensures that older, less capable, or more bulky equipment is replaced by equipment that ofers more compact, robust technology. Mobile Incident Command Trailer One of the NSF's most recent additions to its specialized equipment collection is an updated mobile incident command post, which replaces mobile incident command posts that the Department of Defense transferred to the National Strike Force in 1997. The trailer is self-contained, complete with generator power, climate control, and an extensive wireless communica- tions system that allows NSF responders to leverage advanced communications, video, and geographic information systems technology for efficient and efective response. Radiation Detection Tools NSF personnel use a variety of instru- ments to detect, identify, and measure radiation, for example, thermo lumi- nescent dosimeters to ensure response personnel don't exceed their annual dose limit for ionizing radiation. Oil Spill Response Equipment NSF oil spill response equipment includes the vessel of opportunity skimming system, inflatable open water contain- ment boom, and temporar y storage devices. Small Boats The Coast Guard 26-foot trailerable aids to navigation boat provides the NSF a versatile platform from which to perform multiple missions. Its removable buoy door allows waterline diver deployment and recovery for a smooth transition and assists with diver fatigue. Shallow draft, 18-foot aluminum hull cen- ter console vessels allow NSF respond- ers to deploy on rivers, lakes, and bays that may have shallow water concerns. Responders also use 12-14 foot alumi- num fat-bottom jon boats for foodwater operations and where restricted access situations call for small boat operations. Pumps NSF personnel use oil and chemical pumping equipment to pump a wide range of chemicals, such as highly corro- sive acids, toxic materials, and other dangerous industrial chemicals. The NSF pumping equipment was even used to de-water fooded tunnels in New York and New Jersey, following Hurricane Sandy. The NSF's pumping equipment is espe- cially useful for transferring product from damaged storage containers or vessels through a process referred to as an "over- the-top" transfer. Vehicles The strike team's cache of all-terrain vehi- cles allows personnel to deploy with the proper PPE and other equipment. MST1 Spencer Ehlers carries NSF Level 2 radiation detection equipment. U.S. Coast Guard photo by MST2 Heather Clark.

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