UNIFIED COMMAND RESPONSE ORGANIZATIONS
Unified Command Organizations
United States Coast Guard
The U.S. Coast Guard is the nation’s premiere maritime first responder and is responsible for 11 missions ranging from Maritime Transportation System Management to Search and Rescue. As Captain of the Port, Capt. David O’Connell, Commander, Sector Maryland - National Capital Region, serves as the Federal On-Scene Coordinator for the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command and is the Captain of the Port for the Maryland-NCR Captain of the Port Zone.
Featured Response Personnel
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Elizabeth Tatum talks about her roles as the Deputy Planning Section Chief and National Strike Force member at the Key Bridge Incident Command Post in Baltimore, April 13, 2024. The Key Bridge Response 2024 unified command priorities are to ensure the safety of the public and first responders, account for missing persons, safely restore transportation infrastructure and commerce, protect the environment, and support the investigation of the incident.
US Army Corps of Engineers
To aid in the restoration of shipping operations at the Port of Baltimore, the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers is contributing its unique technical expertise and abilities to the Unified Command team. This includes certified underwater assessments, structural engineering, bridge inspections, contract support and waterway wreckage management – all facilitated by advanced hydrographic and topographic sonar tools on its fleet of highly-specialized survey vessels.
Featured Response Personnel
John Hill, engineering technician with the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers, Baltimore District, talks about processing survey data to support the dredging mission in Baltimore, Maryland, April 9, 2024. Hill also discusses supporting the Key Bridge Response.
Maryland Department of Environment
The Maryland Department of the Environment protects and preserves the state's air, water and land resources and safeguards the environmental health of Maryland's citizens. The department serves as the State On-Scene Coordinator for the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command, with a focus on the protection of the environment from the release of fuels, oils or hazardous materials to the waters of the state.
Maryland State Police
The Maryland Department of State Police (MDSP) is a full-service law enforcement agency whose sworn and civilian employees are committed to providing the highest quality police services. Superintendent of MDSP, Colonel Roland L. Butler, Jr., serves as State On-Scene Coordinator for the Key Bridge Response 2024 Unified Command. Resources deployed include highly trained personnel assigned to the Underwater Recovery Team, Aviation Command, Forensic Sciences Division and investigators from the Criminal Enforcement Division.
Maryland Transportation Authority
Since 1971, the MDTA has been responsible for constructing, managing, operating and improving the State's toll facilities, as well as for financing new revenue producing transportation projects. The MDTA's eight toll facilities-two turnpikes, two tunnels, and four bridges-help keep traffic moving in Maryland. All of the MDTA's projects and services are funded through tolls paid by the customers who use the MDTA's facilities.
Witt O'Brien's
Witt O'Brien's specializes in crisis and emergency management. Our team is the recognized market leader in emergency management and our Spill Management Team (SMT) and Qualified Individual (QI) solutions help energy and maritime sector customers meet their requirements under the Oil Pollution Act of 1990 (OPA 90). Our experience ranges from small oil rig or shipping incidents to major disasters, such as Deepwater Horizon or the Athos I tanker breach in the Delaware River.