HART
Last month I mentioned the formation of new Hazardous Area Response Teams. I also said I would reveal more this month about one of their control vehicles. Well, I am not sure if it was due to the festive season intervening, or the embarrassment caused to the NHS by the cost of establishing the HART structure, but my official media contact has failed to get back to me.

However, I will be reporting on the HART structure to you, even if it takes action by evoking the freedom of information act. So, watch this space!

U.S. COAST GUARD
I received a call recently asking if I had picked up "CG 001" on either VHF or MODE-S in the UK. The answer was yes, but who or what was it? Investigation revealed it was a C-37A or in civilian guise a military version of the Gulfstream V business jet, operated by the United States Coast Guard, serial 001 and allocated the hex code AE10C1. The more I thought about it, the U.S. Coast Guard are a prime service to monitor, albeit that H.F. would be required.

The United States Coast Guard is a military, multi-mission, maritime service within the Department of Homeland Security and one of America's five armed services. Its core roles are to protect the public, the environment, and U.S. economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways!

Admiral Thad W. Allen assumed the duties of the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on 25 May 2006, and leads the largest component of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS), comprised of about 42,000 men and women on Active Duty, 7,000 civilians, 8,000 Reservists and 34,000 volunteer Auxiliary personal. He is the only four-star Admiral in the Coast Guard, and is appointed for a four year term by the President of the United States upon confirmation of the US Senate. The Coast Guard Commandant is not a member of the Joint Chiefs of Staff. He reports to the President, the Secretary of Homeland Security and the Secretary of Defence. Prior to the creation of the Department of Homeland Security in 2003, the Coast Guard Commandant reported to the Secretary of Transportation.

The Coast Guard therefore provides a unique benefit to America because of its distinctive blend of military, humanitarian, and civilian law-enforcement capabilities. To perform these capabilities and in doing so honour its motto; 'Semper Paratus' - Always Ready, the service is always ready to respond to calls for help at sea, but has the following five main roles:

Maritime Safety: Eliminate deaths, injuries, and property damage associated with maritime transportation, fishing, and recreational boating.
Maritime Security: Protect America's maritime borders from all intrusions by: halting the flow of illegal drugs, aliens, and contraband into the United States through maritime routes. Prevent illegal fishing and suppress violations of federal law in the maritime arena.
Maritime Mobility: Facilitate maritime commerce and eliminate interruptions and impediments to the efficient and economical movement of goods and people, while maximizing recreational access to and enjoyment of the water.
National Defence: Defend the nation as one of the five U.S. armed services. Enhance regional stability in support of the National Security Strategy, utilizing the Coast Guard's unique and relevant maritime capabilities.
Protection of Natural Resources: Eliminate environmental damage and the degradation of natural resources associated with maritime transportation, fishing, and recreational boating.

As far as communications are concerned there are a lot of opportunities throughout the radio spectrum. Since January 2001, U.S. Coast Guard long range communications stations changed their single sideband voice radio guard to the following simplex frequencies:

4.125
6.215
8.291
12.290

These frequencies are intended for initial voice contact and distress alerts and working only. Follow-on working frequencies are agreed by mutual agreement after the initial contact call is made. Previously, the ship/shore guard duplex frequencies of 4134/4426, 6200/6501, 8240/8764, 12242/13089, and 16432/17314 kHz were routinely shared with the broadcasts of maritime safety information, including weather. These duplex frequency pairs may still be used however, for traffic handling purposes after initial contact is established on the distress and initial contact frequencies.

U.S. Coast Guard H.F. voice broadcasts are performed in the upper sideband mode using a synthesized voice known as 'Iron Mike', after the original 'Perfect Paul' was retired in April 2007. If you would like to hear a typical message from 'Mike', go to the following URL:

http://www.nws.noaa.gov/om/marine/hfvoice.mp3

The USCG can be monitored on the following frequencies, but there are many, many more should you wish to expand your monitoring horizon. For instance, if you hear 'Blue star', that is the USCG TAC Command Control Centre for anti narcotic missions, so, happy hunting, but let me know if you would like me to provide those extra frequencies.

To see the Alert state in America, check out the following U.S. Coast Guard warning device: