Disaster Response Center Hosts Small Boat Summit
MARCH 11, 2024 — On March 5-6, the NOAA Gulf of Mexico Disaster Response Center in Mobile, Alabama hosted the 2024 NOAA Small Boat Program Summit. Organization for the summit was a collaborative effort by the Small Boat Safety Board, Small Boat Program Office, and others within the NOAA vessel community. The Disaster Response Center, managed by OR&R, served as the host.
The three-day event is held every two years for vessel operations coordinators, small boat operators, and others from across NOAA line-offices and programs that use small boats to meet their mission mandates. The NOAA Small Boat Summit was designed to provide resources and training, exchange best industry practices, and create networking opportunities for the NOAA small boat community that are responsible for maintaining staff safety and ensuring our collective mission success. The Disaster Response Center was happy to host roughly 80 NOAA staff and partners at our facility for this important activity.
The Disaster Response Center serves as a hardened facility to support post-disaster response and recovery. Fortunately, such events are infrequent. During the peaceful times between major storms, the 15,900 square foot facility serves as a hub for preparedness planning, exercises, training events, and workshops.