Coast Guard Prepping for 'Worst Case' Water Rescues.

* The Department of Homeland Security is looking for innovative technology to support personnel during large-scale water rescue operations.

The Coast Guard, which is part of DHS, will start accepting proposals in June for novel approaches to reduce deaths in mass water emergencies such as a capsized migrant boat, said Tom Gorgol, a program manager at the service's office of search and rescue.

The Coast Guard purchased 113 life rafts around 15 years ago, and the 94 remaining rafts are nearing the end of their lifecycle, he said. The existing rafts only hold a maximum of 25 people, which is not enough for large-scale rescues such as a capsized cruise ship.

"Our worst-case scenario that keeps me up at night sometimes is, what if that ship happens to go down 500 miles offshore where resources are limited?" he said at a DHS virtual event for industry in May.

He noted tbat limited funds also prevented the Coast Guard from adding needed capabilities to their existing craft over the years. Lawmakers and Coast Guard leaders alike have called for more funding this year to support this mission, he said.

The service does not want to limit proposals to "rafts" because it hopes vendors will think outside the box in their solutions to keep survivors afloat during a disaster, Gorgol added.

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