Photo By Joshua Cox | Personnel with NAS Pensacola Port Operations work on the pier during the arrival of...... read more read more
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Many units and departments onboard NAS Pensacola safely continue operations despite the COVID-19 pandemic. The Port Operations Department has a mission to accomplish and has adapted along the way to combat the virus.
“The official mission of Port Operations is to service the craft that we have in port,” said Chief Warrant Officer 4 Sigarrie Nettles, NAS Pensacola Port Operations department head.
On a normal day at the pier, the Port Operations personnel welcome vessels and provide a vital service to ensure the ships can continue the mission.
“Right now we have Coast Guard Cutter Cypress, Dauntless and Decisive that are home-ported here,” Nettles said.
We have more ships to come later on in the year, but we have three ships and those three ships are our priority right now, he added.
One of the missions for the department is to mitigate oil spills and ensure the water around NAS Pensacola isn’t impacted by the arrival and departures of vessels.
“We do oil spill response for the base for anything that is in the water,” Nettles explained. “The fire department usually handles everything for land, but if anything is in the water it’s our job to clean that up. We have three utility boats that we use mainly for the oil spill prevention, by putting the barriers around the ships as they come in port.”
Port Operations also maintains more than 100 exclusion buoys around the base.
“If you drive down the street through the base you'll see all of the buoys that tell people to stand off — or where not to come in,” Nettles said. “We also have to periodically do maintenance on those.”
Nettles said the department has taken increased measures to combat the threat of COVID-19.
“Since the COVID-19 epidemic hit we knew for a fact that we couldn't be one of the departments to shut down,” Nettles said. “Our work has to continue 24 hours a day.”
I have required everyone to wear a mask whenever they can't practice six feet social distancing, and we have one person dedicated every hour to go through and wipe down all the knobs and handrails to disinfect, Nettles said.
Nettles said he is the only active duty service member in the department, but works with two civil service personnel and about 30 contractors.
“They are really enthusiastic about being here and I want to keep that feeling going,” Nettles said.
Nettles said the work environment is outstanding around the port, and the team members have a commitment to excellence and their daily tasks.
“I love being here — I would stay here forever if I could,” Nettles added.
| Date Taken: | 05.19.2020 |
| Date Posted: | 05.19.2020 14:55 |
| Story ID: | 370334 |
| Location: | PENSACOLA, FLORIDA, US |
| Web Views: | 160 |
| Downloads: | 0 |
This work, NAS Pensacola Port Operations Continue Amid COVID-19 Pandemic, by Joshua Cox, identified by DVIDS, must comply with the restrictions shown on https://www.dvidshub.net/about/copyright.
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