The U.S. Coast Guard has issued a message announcing promulgation of an updated Emergency Management Manual Vol. IV: Incident Management and Crisis Response. Visit this link to read the bulletin.
Due to the COVID-19 pandemic, the California Governor has issued safety and statewide guidance. The California Department of Fish and Wildlife Office of Spill Prevention and Response (CDFW-OSRO) Drills & Exercises Unit has developed guidance to be implemented at any in-person drills and exercises being held to comply with OSPR requirements where credit will be [...]
The U. S. Coast Guard issued a message directing the modernization of the USCG oil spill response program. Among other things, it provides for the removal of all Spilled Oil Recovery Systems from seagoing buoy tenders and the retention of Vessel of Opportunity Skimming Systems (VOSS) at National Strike Force (NSF) units. Link: https://content.govdelivery.com/accounts/USDHSCG/bulletins/296de02
The U. S. Coast Guard issued a notice to all holders of USCG-approved vessel response plans (VRPs) that incorporate salvage and marine firefighting (SMFF) core geographic specific appendices (GSAs) by reference. SMFF core GSAs have recently been submitted to and reviewed by the Coast Guard. VRPs incorporating such core GSAs must be revised to reflect [...]
In preparing for the 2020 hurricane season, FEMA has developed a document that provides actionable guidance to State, Local, Tribal & Territorial officials to prepare for response and recovery operations and encourages personal preparedness measures amidst the ongoing COVID-19 pandemic. While this document focuses on hurricane season preparedness, most planning considerations can also be applied [...]
Please see USCG Memo on Area Contingency Planning and Drills The USCG has relaxed its normal timelines/deadlines for conducting various response planning drills due to the COVID situation. In particular, all CG Preparedness for Response Exercise Programs (PREP) associated with the area contingency plans are currently suspended and will be rescheduled. The USCG anticipates PREPs [...]
Contingency Plan - Drills and Exercise deadline for 2020 exercises extended 90 Days - Local restrictions on gatherings are also resulting in delays to the Spill Management Team regulations currently under development. Additional California COVID-19 Updates
These were pictures taken by the Texas General Land Office – Oil Spill Division (TGLO) during the Hazards and Risk Assessment training that was provided to their First Responders. The TGLO is a state agency that responds to coastal oil spills in Texas. Being a former with the TGLO, I was able to provide [...]
KODIAK, Alaska -- U.S. Coast Guard 17th District Commander Rear Adm. Matthew T. Bell, Jr., and the Canadian Coast Guard Western Region Assistant Commissioner Roger Girouard signed the newly revised Dixon Entrance Annex to the national Canada-United States Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan today in Juneau. The updated annex includes basic content and format changes in [...]
On February 5, 2020, FEMA released the revised 2020 HSEEP Doctrine. This update incorporates feedback and input from exercise planners and practitioners across the country and ensures that HSEEP doctrine, the training course, and corresponding documents continue to best meet the needs of the whole community. HSEEP is flexible, scalable, adaptable, and is for use by [...]