During the period of 01 June 2016 to 31 May 2017, the Clearwater Safety Department exhibited extraordinary performance. They created a Facility Emergency Action Plan that provided all members of the unit with initial actions and steps during base emergencies; implemented innovative risk management solutions to identify, assess, and control hazards; improved effectiveness of unit feedback to advance air station assurance activities; and enhanced the safety culture of the unit through tireless promotion and training.

This Safety Department developed a robust Commanding Officer’s Aviation Safety Policy Statement plus they reorganized and rewrote the unit’s Mishap Response Plan (MRP) which optimized communication, improved chain of command access to critical post-mishap information and codified best practices to ensure the preservation of perishable evidence. As a result of their efforts, this product has been recognized by COMDT (CG-1131) as a best-practice and has become a template for all future MRPs.

Finally, they enhanced the Operational Risk Management (ORM) brief to include the evaluation of mission gain, not simply evaluating risk to the crew. This enabled aircrews to better assess the mission while balancing crew safety and mission execution. The ASCW Safety Department embodies the Commandant’s guiding principles of Duty to People and Commitment to Excellence.

THEIR PERFORMANCE IS IN KEEPING WITH THE LEGACY OF CAPTAIN SHRODE AND A CREDIT TO COAST GUARD AVIATION AND THE PROFESSION OF AVIATION SAFETY.