On our tour of the Elizabeth City USCG station there were several examples of the state of the infrastructure and of needs for modernization.
All photos are credit to Second Line of Defense, June 30, 2010.
A first example is how much stuff is kept outside because of the absence of permanent storage facilities. This is obviously a challenge in a hurricane sensitive area.
A second example is simply the condition of the warehouse. If one remembers that this warehouse is the “Fed Ex” support center for the entire USCG fleet one gets a since of perhaps a weak link in the system.
A third example combines concerns about the condition of the warehouse with the lack of permanent storage space necessitating placing significant material outside of the warehouse.
A fourth example is the general condition of the roads and parking lots on the facility. Given that the roads are essential to warehouse functioning, the condition of these roads is an important factor as well.
The fifth, sixth and seventh examples underscore the World War II character of the base. The fifth example shows the parking lot, which relies on continued use of USN sea ramps from World War II.
The sixth example shows the recreation area, which operates on the ruins of the World War II USN base, which is now the USCG station.
The seventh example is the gym for the base. We expect our USCG staffs to be fit; they exercise in a World War II base movie theater. The theater is seen from the front and then the director for the exercise facility shows the projection windows, which still exist in the building from World War II.
The good news is that some modernization is afoot. Thanks to Kevin Costner and his USCG movie, the rescue swimmers of the USCG received notoriety. A new training facility is being built to support their training.
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***Posted on August 24, 2010