Our capabilities

Southeast Ocean Response serves the offshore needs of the marine industry in the Southeast, and provides marine fire-fighting and emergency response assets for Charleston and the surrounding region.  Our facility is home to both private and public response vessels, and maintains a continual readiness for marine incidents.  Our range extends 250 miles offshore, and from Cape Lookout, NC to Cape Canaveral, FL, including the ports of Morehead City, Beaufort and Wilmington, NC; Georgetown and Charleston, SC; Savannah and Brunswick, GA; and Fernandina Beach, Jacksonville, and Port Canaveral, FL.

15.03.boat3The FORT RIPLEY’s objective is to provide compliance with the response requirements of 33 CFR 155 for tank vessels, particularly regarding assessment, fire fighting, survey, diver, and repair support.  Our fleet and services are available to salvage companies and others seeking support assets to serve applicable tankers transiting along the Southeast Coast and while in ports in the region.  With the arrival of this new vessel, ship owners no longer require waivers for response plan requirements per 33 CFR 155 in this region.

Our shore-based resources include:

  • 24-hour live radio watch with high-site VHF and AIS coverage over the intended operational area.  Our antenna network has an altitude of 500 feet, which gives us reliable VHF and AIS range of some 100 miles.
  • Twelve operators with 100-ton offshore licenses or better.
  • A staff including U.S. Coast Guard First Class and South Carolina Branch Pilots, a former Coast Guard Captain of the Port and Salvage and Emergency Response Team Commander, a former Navy Supervisor of Salvage Master Diver, and marine cargo and vessel surveyors.
  • A fully self-sufficient station with a 10,000 gallon fuel capacity, 120% generator capacity, a vessel repair shop, and other amenities including berthing, galley and laundry facilities, and offers an ideal command and control center.

Our affiliations include the American Salvage Association, National Fire Protection Association, Society of Naval Architects and Marine Engineers, American Society of Mechanical Engineers, and our port’s spill control co-op, the Local Spillage Control Committee.