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OMAO FLEET INSPECTION OFFICE - WHO, WHAT, WHEN, WHY?

NOAA Marine and Aviation Operations maintains a staff of three persons who are responsible for inspecting the ships of the NOAA fleet. Under the old NOAA Administrative Order which covered management of small boats, the inspectors were required to inspect NOAA's Class III motorboats (40 to 65 feet LOA) on a triennial basis. The new NOAA Administrative Order requires annual inspections for all boats and makes provisions for this requirement to be met by other means than just the over-extended three man OMAO fleet inspection team.

Realizing that the OMAO Fleet Inspection Office cannot meet the inspection demand with existing resources as required by the current NOAA Administrative Order, the inspectors are being tasked to inspect NOAA small boats according to the degree of operational risk. The following attributes contribute to risk and will help guide the decision as to which NOAA boats recieve an inspection from an OMAO Inspector:

1. Size - Priority given to larger boats
2. Employment - Priority given to boats engaged in weight handling or operation in or near a surf zone.
3. Speed - Priority given to high speed craft
4. History - Priority given to boats in previously noted poor condition
5. Novel Design or Mission - Priority given to boats that are unique in their design or operation.

So, if your boat meets any number of these criteria you should plan on getting a visit from the OMAO Fleet Inspector(s). If you have not been contacted by the OMAO Fleet Inspection Office and:

1. your boat meets the attributes above, and
2. it has been more than 3 years since your last inspection or you have recently acquired a boat, and
3. you have not been contacted by the OMAO Fleet Inspection Office,

you are required by the draft NOAA Administrative Order to contact the Fleet Inspection Office to arrange an inspection. The OMAO Fleet Inspection Office is:

Jack Burks, Chief, Fleet Inspection
Sylvester.J.Burks@noaa.gov, 757-441-6766

James Hutton, Engineering Inspector
James.Hutton@noaa.gov, 301-713-7643