Coast guard

From Free net encyclopedia

Image:Grenfell&Corm.jpg A coast guard is a national organisation responsible for various services at sea. However the term implies widely different responsibilities in different countries.

Among the responsibilities that may be entrusted to a coast guard service are enforcement of maritime law, maintenance of seamarks, border control, and other services. During wartime coast guards might be responsible for harbour defense, port security, naval counterintelligence and coastal patrols.

In some countries it is part of the military. In other countries it is a civilian or even private sector organization. Most coast guards operate ships and aircraft including helicopters and seaplanes for this purpose.

In many countries (such as the UK and Ireland) the coast guard has no law enforcement role. It is the coordinating agency for sea rescue - the sea rescue assets come from other organisations. In these cases, lifeboats may be provided by civilian voluntary organisations, such as the RNLI, whilst aircraft may provided by countries armed forces, in addition to coast guard owned assets.

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National coast guards

In Canada, the Canadian Coast Guard is a civilian service under the Department of Fisheries and Oceans responsible for patroling the world's longest coastline of 243,042 km. The Canadian Coast Guard College is located near Sydney, Nova Scotia.Image:CoastGuardRescue.JPG

In Malaysia, the Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency (MMEA) or Malaysian Coast Guard is part of the Malaysian Civil Service and is placed under the Prime Minister's Department. The Agency is headed by a Director General who is appointed by the Yang Di Pertuan Agong (King) on the advice of the Prime Minister while other personnel are appointed by the Public Service Commission. It is tasked with enforcing national and international laws, coordinates search and rescue operations and other matters incidental to maritime enforcement in the Malaysian Maritime Zone and on the high seas. In times of war, special crisis or emergency the Agency may be placed under the command of the Malaysian Armed Forces by order of the Minister.

In India, the Indian Coast Guard is a paramilitary unit. It secures the country's coast, carries out rescues, and aids shipping.

In Italy, the Guardia Costiera is part of the Ministry of Infrastructure and Transport, but is a military organization.

In Singapore, the coast guard comes under the command of the Singapore Police Force. Hence, it is called the Police Coast Guard (PCG).

In the United Kingdom, Her Majesty's Coastguard is purely concerned with search and rescue. It has no role in the maintenance of seamarks which is instead the responsibility of Trinity House and (in Scotland and Northen Ireland) the Northern Lighthouse Board. Neither has it any concern with customs enforcement, which is the responsibility of the waterguard. HM Coastguard does not posess aircraft or lifeboats - although it often wet leases commercial helicopters and tugs to provide search and rescue cover in certain areas - it is simply a coordinating body and public face of the search and rescue services.

In the United States, the United States Coast Guard is a military service under the United States Department of Homeland Security in peacetime. In wartime the Coast Guard may at the direction of the president report to the Secretary of the Navy but does not become part of the United States Navy; however, its boats and cutters are integrated into U.S. military operations. The U.S. Coast Guard Academy and Officer Candidate School are located in New London, Connecticut. The U.S. Coast Guard Chief Petty Officers Academy is located in Petaluma, California. United States Coast Guard Training Center Cape May, New Jersey is the Nation's only Coast Guard Recruit Training Center.

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