comdtinst m16114.32c - U.S. Coast Guard

Part 3 – Station Operations
Chapter 3 – Heavy Weather Stations
A.2. Heavy
Weather (HWX)
Station Criteria
Units which meet the following criteria should request to be designated as
a Heavy Weather Station via chain of command.
The criteria for designating Heavy Weather Stations consists of two
components: (1) Environment, and (2) Frequency of heavy weather.
Heavy Weather Stations do not meet the criteria for a Surf Station but are
located in areas where:
(01) For the MLB, NLB, and SPC-HWX platforms, seas (height) are
gre ater than 10 FT and/or winds exceed 30 KTS (Environment)
(02) For the RB-M, seas (height) are greater than 8 FT and/or winds
exceed 30 KTS (Environment)
(03) For at least 10% of the calendar year (36 days), averaged over at
least five-years (Frequency).
A current Unit Classification list that includes Heavy Weather Stations is
linked on the Unit Classification page on the Office of Boat Forces
Website: http://cgweb.comdt.uscg.mil/G-RCB/unitclass.htm.
A.3. Boat
Requirements
A.4.
Responsibility
A.5. Heavy
Weather Waivers
Heavy Weather Stations shall have a minimum of two heavy weathercapable
boats assigned. To the greatest extent possible, these boats shall
be of the same class and type.
One of the Station CO’s/OIC’s greatest responsibilities is to ensure boat
crews and individual members undertake only those missions and tasks
for which they are fully qualified, and for which the inherent risk has been
properly assessed and managed using the principals of Operational Risk
Management (ORM). The Operational Commander, CO/OIC, and boat
Coxswains are faced with making mission decisions and must carefully
weigh the urgency of each mission and assess the benefits to be gained
versus the risks involved. The Station CO/OIC shall make every effort to
ensure unit boats, equipment, and personnel are prepared and available to
respond to missions within the limits of the Station’s capability (see Table
3-7).
Operational limitations may be waived only on a case-by-case basis in
order to proceed on a specific mission. See Table 2-1 for waiver
authority.
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