Her Majesty's Coastguard
From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia
Her Majesty's Coatguard is the agency of the government of the United Kingdom concerned with co-ordinating rescue at sea.
The Coastguard is responsible for sea rescue and prevention. Most major ports and seaside towns have coastguard stations to monitor and control rescue situations as well as providing rescue teams. There are also several command stations around the UK who monitor Shipping frequencies and mayday calls. To monitor shipping the Coastguard is organised into three Coastguard Search and Rescue Regions (SRR) around the United Kingdom.
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[edit] Role
The Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA), the coastguard's executive agency, exists to promote high standards of safety at sea, to minimise loss of life amongst seafarers and coastal users and to respond to maritime emergencies 24 hours a day. This means the MCA must maintain an adequate civil maritime search and rescue co-ordination service through HM Coastguard. This clear definition of the role of HM Coastguard within the MCA has enabled the MCA to focus on introducing the best available technology, which means that the UK Coastguard is a world model for search and rescue co-ordination.
Typical emergencies to which the coastguard is summonned include:
- Sailboarders too exhausted to reach the shore
- Walkers who slip from the scenic cliff path
- Boats losing rudder control
- Crew stranded aboard a container ship battered by freak waves
- Medical emergencies
- Incidents involving oil rigs (such as fire)
Computerised data gives them access to all the resources and by touching a visual display screen they can summon lifeboats, helicopters, towing vessels or cliff rescuers even if mariners are a hundred miles along the coast from their watchroom or far over the horizon.
Satellite communications enable Coastguards to hear the distress calls of seafarers and coastal users who less than a hundred years ago would have hoped in vain that their feeble flares or cries might be seen or heard. Rescue was not quick; if a Coastguard spotted a vessel ashore he often had to send messengers on foot to alert the lifeboat or LSA crew.
It is no surprise that HM Coastguard is leading initiatives for a National Search and Rescue Framework. For the first time this will cover incidents arising at sea, on land or in the air, by promoting partnership between all forms of emergency service through the most advanced communications.
HM Coastguard no longer thinks only of rescue. Despite handling thousands of incidents every year, improved efficiency has freed officers to take part in safety campaigns. Each year these target the most common causes of accidents at sea, and their message is carried to recreational clubs and into schools.
[edit] History
The Coastguard started life in 1809 in an anti-smuggling role, as the "Preventive Water Guard". It was manned by former Royal Navy sailors. It also took on its life saving duties, which was a bigger problem in those days of sail, reliance on good weather for safe journeys and much larger fishing fleets than at present.
Efficiency drives in the 1990s made Her Majesty's Coastguard a government executive agency, then in 1998 the Marine Safety Agency and the Coastguard Agency were joined to become the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA).
The Coastguard also has a museum in Bridlington to commemorate the 200 year history of the agency.
[edit] Sea Rescue
The Coastguard has seven rescue helicopters based around the United Kingdom (at Stornoway Airport, Sumburgh Airport, Lee-on-Solent, Portland). The Coastguard also has use of other Air-Sea rescue helicopters provided by the Royal Navy, Royal Air Force, United States Air Force and the Irish Air Corps. The coastguard also operates heavily with the RNLI as this organisation provides the sea launched rescue effort.
Ships in distress or the public reporting an accident should make a Mayday call on MF radio, marine VHF radio channel 16, or by dialling 999 or 112 on a telephone. The Coastguard continuously monitors all the maritime distress frequencies (including the international VHF distress frequency 121.5 MHz) and has access to Satellite based monitoring systems. To provide assistance to persons in danger the Coastguard may call on the RNLI or their own land-based rescue personnel or rescue helicopters to take part.
It also co-ordinates the treatment of casualties by calling the ambulance service, hospitals and recompression chambers. Various organisations around the UK such as Surf Life Saving Clubs can also be declared as Coastguard facilities and called upon in emergencies.
There is also a fleet of HM Coastguard ships which permanently patrol British waters on standby. They go to the aid of distressed vessels which require assistance as and when required - Services include towing stricken ships or vessled to the refuge of a port or harbour for repair.
HRH the Prince of Wales is Commodore of HM Coastguard.
