Emergency Services on the Water: How the US Coast Guard manages and oversees search and rescue missions

Join us for an informative evening as three distinguished US Coast Guard officers, from Sector Maryland-National Capital Region, describe how collectively the Coast Guard manages and oversees the whole of government search and rescue missions, including the use and reliance on local, county, and state assets. Some questions they will address include: 

• How does the USCG manage and oversee the whole of government search and rescue missions?
• When distress calls are made on channel 16, what is happening behind the scenes in the USCG command center?
• What local, county, and state assets does the USCG rely upon, and how are they coordinated during an emergency?
• How do local, county, and state assets overlap and what are their jurisdictional limits?
• What are most common incidents on local waters that require assistance from USCG and local, county, and state assets
• What can captains learn from the results of investigations?
• What can we as captains do to help during emergencies? 
• How can captains improve boating safety?

Commander Baxter B. Smoak, Head, Prevention Department, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region (NCR)

Commander Smoak is responsible for the safety and security inspections of all U.S. commercial vessels, foreign vessels, waterfront facilities, containers, and life raft servicing facilities in the area. He also manages the uninspected passenger and fishing vessel safety programs as well as all port safety and security programs.  Other responsibilities include overseeing all waterways management activities, consisting of aids to navigation, marine environmental protection, marine event planning and permitting, the creation and enforcement of all safety and security zones, and the recreational boating safety program for the State of Maryland and the NCR.

Previous assignments include serving as the Compliance and Analysis Division Chief in the Coast Guard’s Office of Investigations and Analysis; interning with eight diverse maritime companies and government partners as a part of the Marine Industry Training Program; the District Eleven Waterways Management Branch staff; and Deck Watch Officer on the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter CYPRESS (WLB-210).

CDR Smoak graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 2004 with high honors. He holds a Bachelor of Science degree in Management, a Master of Business Administration from California State University, and is an Accredited Maritime Port Executive.

Commander Roberto C. Concepcion, Chief of Response, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region (NCR)

Commander Concepcion is responsible for coordination and execution of all Search & Rescue, Marine Environmental Response, Law Enforcement, and Ports & Waterways and Coastal Security missions in the State of Maryland and throughout the National Capital Region.  In his previous assignment, he served as the Maritime Safety and Security Team and Canine Explosives Detection Program Manager at Coast Guard Headquarters.  

Among his other assignments, he served on the Deployable Specialized Forces where he led a contingent in the support of the U.S. Central Command’s Combined Task Force 151 counter-piracy mission; the East Central Regional Leader and Officer Program Coordinator at the U.S. Coast Guard Recruiting Command; and Command Center Duty Officer at Rescue Sub-Center San Juan, Puerto Rico.

CDR Concepcion is a graduate of Alcorn State University in 2005 with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications. He earned a Masters of Arts in National Security and Strategic Studies from the U.S. Naval War College in 2015 and a Masters of Arts in International Relations and International Affairs from Salve Regina University in 2016.

Lieutenant Stasia Ellis, Command Center Chief, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Maryland – National Capital Region (NCR)

Lieutenant Ellis serves as the Command Center Chief, responsible for the unit’s 24/7 command and control node for all Coast Guard and interagency operations in the Maryland and District of Columbia regions.  In her most recent assignment, she served as Coast Guard Fellow for Senator Rick Scott (R-FL), working primarily with the Homeland Security & Governmental Affairs and Commerce, Science & Transportation Committees.  Stasia is a career Response-Ashore officer, serving in previous assignments as the Assistant Enforcement Chief and Station Manager at Coast Guard Sector San Diego, and Marine Environmental Response Division Deputy at Sector Virginia.

Lieutenant Ellis graduated from Northern Caribbean University, located on the island of Jamaica, with a Bachelor of Arts in Mass Communications. She went on to earn a Master of Arts in Communications with a focus in Documentary Making, from the New York Institute of Technology, Old Westbury campus on Long Island, NY. She is a recent graduate of the U.S. Naval War College Fleet Seminar Program, completing Phase I of the Service’s Joint Professional Military Education (JPME).