What We've Done

We have responded to all types of critical incidents – large and small – as Incident Command System Type 1 all-hazard Public Information Officers in the past few decades – everything from illegal immigration to search and rescue to domestic terrorism, and more. We’ve learned that one thing holds true for any type of incident or hazard during real-world response operations: using a systematic approach to prepare, mobilize, operate successfully, demobilize and learn from the lessons of each crisis is the best approach, and anyone can learn the system. Whether it’s a small incident that’s resolved in a few hours or a major disaster that requires months of deployment to the scene, we’ve used the same tactics, techniques and procedures for internal and external crisis communication. Here is a categorized list of just a few of the responses on which we’ve worked.

Environmental and Health Risk:

  • Post-activist blockade Hawaii Superferry Transit Operations, Honolulu, HI.
  • S. Coast Guard mounted automatic weapons training areas controversy in the Great Lakes.
  • PCB remediation operations at Yap, Federated States of Micronesia.
  • Post-Katrina Emergency Support Function #10 lightering and salvage of grounded Vietnamese shrimp fleet, Mobile, AL.

Natural Disasters:

  • Hurricanes Andrew, Earl, Hortense, Opal, Gustav, Ike, Dennis, Katrina, Rita, Irene and Sandy.
  • Mississippi River Midwest Floods, Ohio River Valley Floods, Sacramento River Basin Floods.

Oil spills and Hazardous Materials (HAZMAT) Releases:

  • Hurricane Katrina U.S. EPA/Coast Guard Unified Emergency Support Function #10 Command, Baton Rouge and New Orleans, LA.
  • Container ship Cosco Busan/San Francisco Bay Bridge collision/oil spill Incident Response Command, Yuerba Buena Island, San Francisco, CA.
  • Motor vessel New Carissa grounding, salvage and environmental response incident command, Coos Bay, OR.
  • Calcasieu ship channel closure, Citgo tank farm container spill, Lake Charles, La.

Domestic Terrorism:

  • Operation Guarding Liberty, U.S. Coast Guard 9/11 Response and Recovery Command, New York, NY.
  • S. Central Command and U.S. Coast Guard Post 9/11 mobilization and security operations, Port of Tampa, FL.
  • Bank of America building single engine aircraft suicide attack, Tampa, FL.

Aviation Disasters:

  • Crash of Alaska Airlines flt. 261 off Anacapa Island, Oxnard, CA.
  • Crash of Rescue Helicopter 6549 search and recovery operations, Humboldt Bay, CA.
  • Civilian helicopter crash in New York’s East River.
  • Crash of American Airlines Flight 587, Queens, NY.

Transportation and Infrastructure:

  • Super Storm Sandy, Port of New York/New Jersey response and reconstitution, Staten Island, NY.
  • Reconstitution of the marine transportation system in the Mississippi River following the DM932 barge oil spill.
  • San Jacinto River environmental pollution response and infrastructure recovery, Houston/Galveston/Baytown, TX, region.
  • Grounding and spill of Explosion of the tanker OMI Charger, Galveston Bay, TX

Illegal Immigration:

  • Intentional grounding of Haitian migrant freighter near Key Biscayne, Miami, FL.
  • Operation Able Manner: Haitian migrant surge operations, Guantanamo Bay, CU.
  • Haitian migrant interdiction operations in the Caribbean’s Windward Pass.
  • Interdiction of Chinese migrant smugglers aboard vessel Lapas No. 3, Baja, CA.

Maritime/Urban Search and Rescue:

  • Hurricane Katrina Unified Search and Rescue Command, Mobile, AL.
  • San Jacinto River Incident Command, post-tropical storm mass flooding, search and rescue, Houston/Galveston/Baytown, TX, region.
  • Hurricane Andrew response and recovery operations, Mobile, AL, and Southeast Louisiana.
  • Sacramento River Basin flood response, Olivehurst, Arboga, Wilton, Manteca and Modesto, CA.

Law Enforcement and Homeland Security:

  • Operation Guarding Liberty, Port of New York/New Jersey post-9/11.
  • Downed hijacked Cuban aircraft response and homeland security operations, Ft Myers Beach, FL.
  • Operation Panama Express, Organized Crime Drug Enforcement Task Force, Tampa, FL.
  • Cocaine seizure and detainment of the Panamanian-flagged Motor Vessel LIV, Tampa, FL.

Disaster Exercises and Drills Practicing emergency management and critical incident communication plans is vital, and we’ve participated in more than 100 full-scale disaster and emergency field exercises, as well as countless tabletop exercises. We’ve been controllers, evaluators, trainers, simulation cell members, planners and coaches for Top Officials (TOPOFF), Spill of National Significance (SONS), Preparedness for Response (PREP), Area Maritime Security Plan (AMSTEP), U.S./Canadian Joint Marine Pollution Contingency Plan (CANUSLAK & CANUSLANT), Louisiana Offshore Oil Port (LOOP), Port Security Training Exercise Program (PortSTEP) and many other government- and industry-led exercises.