- Target:
- Maritime and Coastguard Agency
- Region:
- United Kingdom
On 16 December 2010 the Maritime and Coastguard Agency (MCA) published a consultation document announcing the ‘modernisation’ of HM Coastguard.
The plan is to reduce the number of 24-hour Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres around the coast, from 18 to two - based in Portsmouth/Southampton and Aberdeen. Ten stations will close. Five will only operate during the day.
That includes Humber Coastguard, based in Bridlington and responsible for the east coast between the Humber and the Scottish border. Over a third of the incidents dealt with by Humber Coastguard in 2010 occurred during the hours of darkness.
We firmly believe that the Humber Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre in Bridlington must remain a 24-hour Coastguard station.
Plans to downgrade it to daytime-only working will increase the risk to mariners and coast users. Local knowledge is essential to ensuring timely search and rescue response.
It is not possible for a station in either Portsmouth or Aberdeen to maintain the level of service and speed of emergency response currently provided by Humber Coastguard to the east coast during night hours.
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The Save Humber Coastguard petition to Maritime and Coastguard Agency was written by Humber Coastguard and is in the category Government at GoPetition.