Operations
Get Out There
In Operations, the Auxiliary complements and augments the work of the active-duty Coast Guard. Always remember that we do not do any law-enforcement or military activities in the Auxiliary. Only the regular and Reserve Coasties do those things. This is especially important for those involved in Maritime Domain Awareness, but all Auxiliarists should keep it in mind. For upcoming operations-related events and training, also check the Member Services and Calendar pages.
Maritime Domain Awareness
MDA is a new Auxiliary program that combines aspects of AUXCOM and Program Visitor (formerly Marine Dealer Visitor) activities. By providing a regular presence and maintaining a positive and friendly relationship with marine merchants, we provide a channel for communication about suspicious activity, and help raise CG awareness of the 'normal' activity of the harbor. This program is a high priority for the CG in our area, and a real opportunity to make a difference. Contact your FC to participate, or see the Member Services page for links to related training resources.
Incident Command System
Major and minor disaster responses nationwide are now run according to the Incident Command System (ICS), so Auxiliarists need to be familiar with ICS in order to be useful in an emergency. All Auxiliarists who want to do operations are now required to take four ICS courses, all of which are available online. For all of the details about which courses you need, and what the deadlines are, see the official Frequently Asked Questions file on the matter.
The courses are free, the exams are open-book, and it's all online at the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) training Web site. See the ICS Training page for direct links to the required courses.
Read the instructions carefully, and take the courses in the order listed. Most take from 15 minutes to 2 hours, depending on your background, and you can take breaks and work on the course whenever you want. After you finish each course, you will receive a certificate, which you should email to your FC.
Boat Crew
Boat Crew training sessions are now underway on Wednesday nights, at Harlem Yacht Club. Members without cars should contact their FCs to find out about carpooling. It is also possible to reach City Island on mass transit, if no carpools are convenient to you.
For shore-side skills training and sign-offs, there are also Wednesday night sessions at the easy-to-reach MIO building, next to the Staten Island Ferry terminal at the end of the #1 subway line. Pop by between 17:00 and 19:00 with your sign-off book and Boat Crew manuals, and get through skills like navigation, first aid, and knot tying so you can make better use of your scarce time on the water.
