Guest post by RDML Cook, CG-54
This month marks the 171st anniversary of the Coast Guard's Prevention Program. On July 7, 1838, the U.S. Congress passed a law to "provide better security of the lives of passengers on board of vessels propelled in whole or in part by steam" (5 Stat. L., 304). This act was the genesis for the Steamboat Inspection Service; one of five agencies brought together to form today's U.S. Coast Guard.
The Steamboat Inspection Service represents the earliest roots of today's Coast Guard Prevention Program. Today's Marine Safety Professionals still inspect steam drums, piping and propulsion systems on commercial vessels just as our predecessors. Though steam-propelled vessels are fewer in number, the skill set is still needed in the 21st century for the same reason "...to provide better security of the lives of passengers on board vessels propelled...by steam." The results of our 171-year old Prevention Program are impressive. The lives and property saved from "accidents prevented" are untold. The key indicators of prevention success continue their positive trend. The maritime transportation mode continues to be the safest transportation mode for passengers and cargo. We have reason to be proud of our history and our work.
There are however great challenges ahead as demand for waterborne trade increases. The Marine Transportation System (MTS) already accounts for over 90 percent of global commerce and it is expected to increase 67 percent by the year 2020. Therefore, the CG Prevention Program is a key component in ensuring the continued efficiency and safety of the global MTS.
As we reflect on the past with pride, we can look to the future with anticipation. The Prevention Program of today's Coast Guard is vast, complex and growing. It is expected an additional 300 billets will be created to support Marine Safety including Port State Control, Towing, Marine Inspection and Investigation. The Prevention Program reaches across five of the eleven Coast Guard statutory missions including: Ports, Waterways, and Coastal Security; Aids to Navigation and Waterways Management; Marine Safety; Marine Environmental Protection; and Ice Operations. Today's Prevention Program is complex; the breadth and depth of qualifications and training needed to carry out these missions is unmatched. Our greatest asset is our people. Their training and experience are essential to our success. We must recruit, train and nurture our members to ensure excellence in mission execution into the future. We are a growing program...with new inspector and investigator billets flowing to the field, training more officers at each sector, the establishment of feeder ports and the creation of seven Centers of Expertise, the Prevention Program is a vital contributor to overall CG mission execution.
RDML Kevin Cook, Director of Prevention Policy (CG-54)
