Coast guard facts for kids
A coast guard is a special group that helps keep the waters safe in a country. Their main job is to protect people and the environment at sea. What a coast guard does can be very different from one country to another.
Some coast guards are like a part of the military. They might carry weapons and help with customs (checking goods coming into the country) and security. Others are volunteer groups that focus on search and rescue missions. These volunteers might not have the power to arrest people.
A coast guard's work is usually different from a country's navy (which is purely military). It's also different from regular police who work on land.
The Story of Coast Guards
The idea of a coast guard started a long time ago. In the United Kingdom, the group that became Her Majesty's Coastguard began in 1809. It was first called the Waterguard.
The Waterguard's main job was to stop smuggling. People would try to sneak things like brandy and tobacco into the country without paying taxes. This was a big problem back then. Smugglers would land their goods on beaches at night from small boats.
But the Waterguard also had another important job: helping ships that were in trouble. They would assist with shipwrecks.
Each Waterguard station had a special tool called a Manby mortar. This was invented by Captain George William Manby in 1808. The mortar could fire a shot with a rope attached from the shore to a wrecked ship. This helped rescue people from sinking vessels. This is how the Coastguard started to become a life-saving service.
In 1822, the Waterguard was officially renamed the "Coastguard." In 1845, it became part of the Admiralty, which was in charge of the navy.
In 1829, the first rules for the UK Coastguard were written. These rules said that if a ship was wrecked, the Coastguard had to do everything possible to save lives. They also had to protect the ship and its cargo.
In the United States, the United States Coast Guard was formed in 1915. It was created by combining two older government groups. One was the United States Revenue Cutter Service. This group enforced customs laws at sea and helped the United States Navy during wars.
The other group was the United States Life-Saving Service. This service started in 1848. It had crews stationed along the eastern coast to save lives from shipwrecks. Later, the Coast Guard also took over the jobs of the United States Lighthouse Service and the Bureau of Navigation and Steamboat Inspection.
What Coast Guards Do
Coast guard services have many important jobs. Here are some of them:
- Search and Rescue: Finding and helping people who are lost or in danger at sea.
- Enforcing Maritime Law: Making sure people follow the rules and laws on the water.
- Vessel Safety: Checking that ships and boats are safe to use.
- Maintaining Seamarks: Taking care of buoys and lighthouses that guide ships.
- Border Control: Protecting a country's borders at sea and stopping illegal activities.
During times of war, some coast guard groups might also help their country's military. They might protect harbors, keep ports safe, or patrol the coast.
The role of a coast guard can be different depending on the country. For example, the United States Coast Guard is a military branch. This means it's part of the armed forces, but it also has the power to enforce laws.
On the other hand, the United Kingdom's Her Majesty's Coastguard (HMCG) is a civilian group. Its main job is only search and rescue.
Most coast guards use ships and aircraft like helicopters and seaplanes. They either own or rent these vehicles to do their jobs.
Some coast guards, like the Irish Coast Guard, have very limited law enforcement powers. They might only check ships in their ports to make sure they are safe. In some cases, the Coast Guard might just coordinate rescue operations. The actual rescue boats might be provided by volunteer groups, like the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the United Kingdom. Aircraft might come from the country's armed forces.
Images for kids
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USCG National Security Cutter USCGC Bertholf (WMSL-750) and an EADS HC-144 Ocean Sentry
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Russian Coast Guard ship #183 Volga
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A CH-149 Cormorant training with a Canadian Coast Guard cutter
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A Chinese Coast Guard ship participating in an international exercise
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Multi-purpose vessel Arkona of the German Federal Coast Guard
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A Portuguese National Republican Guard Coastal Control Unit surveillance boat of the LVI type
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US coast guardsmen and Canadian navy sailors working together
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Bosnia and Herzegovina Granična policija surveillance boat (unit P4)
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Brazilian ship used to protect Brazilian borders
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Cyprus Port and Marine Police jet FPB (Fast sea Patrol Boat)
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Indian Coast Guard Samarath-class offshore patrol vessel
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Two patrol ships of the Indonesian Maritime Security Board during a patrol.
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Piaggio P.166 aircraft used by Italian Coast Guard
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Japan Coast Guard Shikishima (PLH 31) is the largest patrol vessel in the world.
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A Bombardier Dash 8, modified to act as a Maritime Patrol Aircraft, in Japanese Coast Guard service.
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A Kamov Ka-32 of the Republic of Korea Coast Guard
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Korea Coast Guard vessel training with the US Coast Guard
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Norwegian Coast Guard vessel KV Nordkapp off Svalbard
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Philippine Coast Guard current largest ship BRP Gabriela Silang (OPV-8301) Offshore Patrol Vessel
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Airbus H145 Helicopter of the Philippine Coast Guard
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A Portuguese Navy's Centauro-class patrol boat, one of its assets employed in the coast guard role under the Portuguese National Maritime Authority
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Russian Border Guard vessel Vorovskiy in Seattle
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A third generation patrol craft of the Police Coast Guard conducting a sea-rescue demonstration off the southeastern coast of Singapore
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An AW139 helicopter of Spain's Sociedad de Salvamento y Seguridad Marítima
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Coast Guard Administration (Taiwan) patrol vessel
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Patrol boat of the Turkish Turkish Coast Guard
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Stenka-class patrol boat BG57 Mykolaiv
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USCG racing stripe
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National Security cutters, the USCGC Bertholf and USCGC Waesche, cruise together.
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CASA C-212 series 400 of the Vietnam Coast Guard
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AgustaWestland AW189 helicopter of the UK Coastguard arrives at the 2018 RIAT, England
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See also
In Spanish: Guardia costera para niños
