1. U.S. Coast Guard National Strike Force

2. USCG National Strike Force World’s Best Responders: anytime, any place, any hazard
Mission: provide rapidly deployable tech experts, specialized equip, and supports management capabilities for lead agency IC’s and FOSCs in their preparedness and response missions.
Over 200 A/D, civilian, reserve and aux personnel that make up the strike force.

3. National Strike Force Mission
Deployable Specialized Force
Function as a “Special Team” within the National Response System (NRS) and assist USCG, EPA, DoD, and DOE Federal On-Scene Coordinators and other federal officials while executing responsibilities under the National Contingency Plan (NCP) and the National Response Framework (NRF)
Skillfully preparing for and responding to disasters of all kinds — from oil spills and hazardous material releases to mass casualties — requires a diverse, robust, engaged, and proficient team. Those who comprise our National Response System are proactive in thinking strategically, initiating informed policy, honing and applying intelligent on-the-ground tactics, training continually, stocking and maintaining essential specialized equipment, operating in interagency and international environments, drafting and preserving careful documentation, and much more, all while carefully navigating complicated legal, fiscal, political, and public-relations realities.
Develop and provide highly trained, experienced personnel and specialized equipment for response to oil pollution, hazardous substance releases, and WMD incidents in order to protect public health and the environment.

4. National Strike Force Mission
What We Do:
Oil and Hazardous Material/Chemical Response
WMD Response including Radiological and Bio-Terrorism incidents
Incident Command System & Response Mgmt Support
Preparedness Exercise & Event Planning Support
The mission of the NSF is to provide assistance to the Coast Guard and EPA Federal On Scene Coordinators while executing their responsibilities under the national contingency plan and, if extended into a Stafford Act response, under ESF#10. The NSF is a support unit.

5. Elements of the National Strike Force
National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC)
Provides NSF Oversight and Coordination
3 National Strike Teams
Atlantic Strike Team (AST)
Gulf Strike Team (GST)
Pacific Strike Team (PST)
Incident Mgmt Assistance Team (IMAT)
Provides Natl Incident Management System (NIMS) Type 1 & Type 2 IMAT individuals to assist operational commanders manage incidents.
Public Information Assist Team (PIAT)
Provides unique, interagency crisis comms experience & tech expertise to help IC’s & FOSC’s meet objectives of truth & transparency of operations for the public. 
National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC)
PIAT
IMAT
Atlantic Strike Team (AST)
Gulf Strike Team (GST)
Pacific Strike Team (PST)
Over 260 Active Duty, Civilian, and Reserves
Highly trained and experienced personnel
Specialized response equipment
Standardized throughout the NSF
24/7, 365 recall status

6. NSF Area of Responsibility
Pacific Strike Team (PST)
Novato, CA
Atlantic Strike Team (AST)
Fort Dix, NJ
IMAT & PIAT
Norfolk, VA
Nation Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC)
Elizabeth City, NC
The U.S. Coast Guard National Strike Force (NSF) is made up of three teams. The Pacific Strike Team located in Novato Ca, the Gulf Strike Team in Mobile Alabama and the Atlantic Strike Team in Fort Dix, NJ. The National Strike Force Coordination Center located in Elizabeth City NC coordinates operations for all three teams.
Gulf Strike Team (GST)
Mobile, AL
“Inland and Coastal”
“EPA” Support
Area Specialist Program

7. NSF International Response AOR Samples of International Regions Supported
As national assets, the three strike teams have not only a domestic area of responsibility, but pre-assigned international areas as well. The Atlantic Strike Team, for example, supports requests for U.S. assistance from Canada, Bermuda, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Pacific Area supports Asia and Pacific rim countries and Gulf Strike Team supports requests for assistance to South America and the Caribbean and would respond internationally in support of the Department of State and DoD. NSF has supported International Operations : Desert Storm, Operation Iraqi Freedom, Tsunami relief operations,
In addition, under an agreement between the Secretary of Defense and the Secretary of Transportation, the Strike Teams would be the primary Coast Guard resource available to support Theater CINC’s in Military Environmental Response Operations.
As national assets, the three strike teams have not only a domestic area of responsibility, but pre-assigned international areas as well. The Atlantic Strike Team, for example, supports requests for U.S. assistance from Canada, Bermuda, Europe, Middle East and Africa. Pacific Area supports Asia and Pacific rim countries and Gulf Strike Team supports requests for assistance to South America and the Caribbean and would respond internationally in support of the Department of State and DoD.
A sampling of NSF support in the International environment

8. National Strike Force Coordination Center
“The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
The National Strike Force Coordination Center (NSFCC) is located in Elizabeth City, NC, as mandated by the Oil Pollution Act of 1990.
The NSFCC provides oversight, support, & standardization guidance to the Atlantic Strike Team (AST), Gulf Strike Team (GST), Pacific Strike Team (PST) and also the Incident Mgmt Assistance Team (IMAT) and the Public Information Assist Team (PIAT)

9. National Strike Force Coordination Center (cont.)
“The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
The NSFCC
oversees the maintenance of the Response Resources Inventory (RRI)
Oil Spill Removal Organization (OSRO) Classification Program
National Maintenance Contract Warehouse
There are 26 active duty, reserve, and civilian personnel assigned / employed at the NSFCC.

10. Atlantic Strike Team “The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
The Atlantic Strike Team (AST) is based in Fort Dix, NJ, on the military Joint Base McGuire-Dix-Lakehurst.
The AST’s area of responsibility includes Puerto Rico and the U.S. Virgin Islands.
Coverage for Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) Regions I, II, III, V, and VII.

11. Atlantic Strike Team (cont.)
“The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
81 active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members of the team supported both Coast Guard and EPA Federal On Scene Coordinators in a variety of interesting and complex chemical and oil response cases.
The Atlantic Strike Team facilities consist of two large buildings pictured below.  Building #5614 is dedicated to DC1 Perry a former Strike Team Diver, is home to the Logistics Department, Training Department and Command Staff.   Building #6770 is dedicated to Lieutenant Commander Mark Lavache and is the main building for equipment storage and various shops.

12. Gulf Strike Team “The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
The Gulf Strike Team (GST) is based in Mobile, AL, at the Aviation Training Center.
GST area of responsibility includes South America, Central America, and the Caribbean.
EPA Regions IV and VI

13. Gulf Strike Team (cont.)
“The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
78 active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members of the team support both Coast Guard and EPA Federal On Scene Coordinators in a variety of interesting and complex chemical and oil response cases each year.
The GST Facilities consist of an administrative building, a large Hangar w/office & shop space, a medium size steel garage w/office & shop space, and a large covered parking area.

14. Pacific Strike Team “The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
The Pacific Strike Team (PST) is based in Novato, CA, on the former Hamilton Field Army Air Corps Base.
The PST’s area of responsibility includes Asia, the Arctic, Antarctic, and Western Canada.
EPA Regions VIII, IX, and X.

15. Pacific Strike Team (cont.)
“The World’s Best Responders:
Any Time, Any Place, Any Hazard.”
63 active duty, reserve, civilian, and auxiliary members of the team support both Coast Guard and EPA Federal On Scene Coordinators in a variety of interesting and complex chemical and oil response cases.
The Pacific Strike Team facilities consist of two large World War II era Hangars pictured below on Coast Guard owned property; co-located with Coast Guard Novato Housing units.

16. NSF/Strike Teams Case Load
Average Case Load:
40 cases per Strike Team
60% Chem/Bio/Rad Responses
40% Oil Responses
Personnel average days away from home for responses:
days deployed per year

17. NSF/Strike Teams Case Load
NSF Response Standards:
4 members within 2 hours notification (deploy by fastest means possible)
8 members and equipment within 6 hours notification
Each Strike Team maintains a least one 12 person Hazardous Material Response Team (HMRT) ready to deploy within 6 hours.
Remaining Team: 24 hours: Collateral duties embedded in team.

18. Response Policy 9/11/2018 Response Resource Reach Back/Brokering
- DOE’s Radiological Assessment Program Teams
- Civil Support Teams (Alabama - 46th CST)
- FBI Hazardous Materials Response Unit
- DOD Explosive Ordinance Detachments
- EPA Radiological Emergency Response Team
- NOAA’s Scientific Support Coordinator
Facilitate Interoperability
- Use standardized training and equipment
- 60 – 20 – 20 load sharing

19. National Strike Force Capabilities “A Small Sample of NSF Capabilities”
VOSS Loads
Inflatable Boom Reels
Large Pump Loads with oil & chemical pumping capability
Freightliner Tractors
Small, air deployable HMRT
Tractor/trailer HMRT
Confined Space Entry
Flood Response
Small Boats
Hazmat ID
Mini-ANDROS II Robot
Highly Trained Personnel
Hazcat Kit

20. National Strike Force On-water Resources
NSF Boat Inventory
AST
TANB
26181
26185
Skiff
187018
147034
147035
GST
26180
26184
187050
187003
GST1-flood punt
GST2-flood punt
PST
26179
26183
121227
121289
141226
141225
The National Strike Force maintains boats ranging in size from 14’ skiffs to 26’ Trailerable Aids to Navigation Boats (TANB).
Flooding generally occurs along the Western Rivers in late spring/early summer due to heavy rains and snow melt, and along the coasts during hurricane season from June through November. Seventy-five percent of all Presidential declared natural disasters are floods. Western Rivers units have developed flood response capability in the form of Western River Flood Punts (WRFPs). Recent successes include Hurricane Katrina where the WRFPs were instrumental in the rescue of over 13,000 lives. Hurricane Sandy where a WRFP team was deployed for response efforts after the hurricane caused massive flooding in the coastal towns along the New Jersey Shore. Torrential rainfall in September of 2014 required WRFP teams to respond and rescue over 70 people from flooded apartments and homes.

21. Oil Spill Response Site Safety and Qualified FOSCRs
Damage Assessment, Salvage Monitoring and Source Control
ICS and Incident Management Skills
Contractor and Responsible Party (RP) Oversight
Dispersant and In-situ Burn use oversight & effectiveness monitoring
Dewatering/de-ballasting w/government owned and contracted equipment
Viscous Oil Pumping System (VOPS)
Tier

22. Oil Spill Response (cont.)
Containment (open-water, near coastal, riverine, shoreline, tidal zone)
Temporary storage of recovered oil/oiled waste
Knowledge of alternative response technologies and procedures
Remote sensing (e.g. infrared camera)
Shoreline assessment with response and recovery recommendations
Skimming operations w/government owned and contracted equipment
Vessel of Opportunity Skimming System (VOSS)
Inflatable Boom / Foam-filled Boom
Small boats

23. Hazard Mitigation & Source Control
Level A, B, & C capabilities (full HAZMAT team capable)
Entry, Backup and Decon
Pre-staged equipment for threats of release
Salvage contractor monitoring
Safe salvage & transfer operations practices
Vessel damage assessment and salvage and consultation
Damage control assessment/assistance (railcars, containers, IMO tanks, tank trucks)
Plugging/patching w/government owned/contracted equipment (and/or monitor contractors)
Lightering/pumping w/government-owned/contracted equipment (and/or monitor contractors)
Waste characterization, disposal advice, and response coordination

24. Biological & Chemical Agent Response
Level “A/B/C” Entry
Advanced Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) to safely assess
Decon Personnel
Mitigate, control, and remove hazards
Site assessment and characterization
Multi-media sampling (air, water, soil) for laboratory analysis
Evidence/Chain-of-custody preservation
Presumptive on-site field testing and analysis
Testing for initial response actions
EMTs & Site Safety personnel
Chempro 100i
AreaRAE
WMD Response Kit

25. Radiological Response
Conduct CG Level II Radiation Assessment and Response
Detection of alpha, beta, gamma and neutron radiation
Specific substance/nuclide identification via direct survey instruments, reach-back capabilities with appropriate resources
Direct personnel monitoring, real-time dosimetry
Dose rate monitoring
Support lead agencies for radiological monitoring
PPE to safely assess hazard, identify safe zones
Site assessment from safe zone location or within Time/Distance/Shielding (TDS) parameters
Site Safety Plan development and enforcement with Department of Energy (DOE) or health physicists
Response action management; TDS protocols
Thermo Identifinder (Gamma/Neutron)
Rad Backpack
Canberra Dover Radiac Gamma/Neutron
Polimaster Rad-Pager (Gamma/Neutron)
Ludlums (Alpha/Beta)
Trained Personnel
Decon

26. Response Management Support
Provide fully deployable ICS capability
Can be used in any type of event/hazard
Oil, Hazmat, WMD, Natural Disaster,
Natl Special Security Event (NSSE)
Provide/support mobile command post for communications and response management operations
Command elements can serve as Incident Specific FOSC
Serve as FOSC Representative
Logistical support, management, and coordination
Evidence collection support
Resource/cost documentation
Modeling/trajectory - provide and use for decision making
Surrey Command and Control (C2) Trailer
1 unit at each Strike Team
Deployable by road or C-5 aircraft
Fully self-contained:
Power, heat, air conditioning
Communications:
VHF radio docks
Large touch screen display for Common Operating Picture, mission briefs, or aerial photo analysis
Abundance of wireless connection options for printers, Apple & Android mobile devices, and laptops
All interior surfaces also serve as dry-erase boards for notes, org charts, and diagrams.
Response Management Support can be provided in two ways. One is in ICS augmentation and the other is with the mobile incident command post.
ICS

27. Site Safety Site assessment and characterization
Site Safety Plan development and enforcement
Safety protocol development and implementation
Supervise / monitor contractors
Hazard identification and establishment of work zones
Air monitoring for primary & secondary hazards
Multi-media sampling (air, water, soil)
Weather monitoring
Emergency Medical Technician support/medical monitoring/medical countermeasures for responders
Secondary device awareness
Isolate contaminated areas & support efforts to deny entry to unauthorized personnel

28. Preparedness Support
Area Contingency Planning (ACP) technical expertise
Preparedness Assessment and ACP review
Response Resource assessment and OSRO inspection
Federal On-Scene Coordinator Representative (FOSCR) training seminar
Preparedness for Response & Exercise Program (PREP) exercise support
Equipment deployment exercise support
Coordination: Vessels of Opportunity (VOOs)
VOSS Skimming Operation
Exercise Support & Interoperability
Specialized Skills

29. Thank You