§ 3.01-1 General description.

(a) The Coast Guard's general organization for the performance of its assigned functions and duties consists of the Commandant, assisted by the Headquarters staff, two Area Offices to act as intermediate echelons of operational command, and District and Sector Offices to provide regional direction and coordination. Area, District, and Sector offices operate within defined geographical areas of the United States, its territories, and possessions, including portions of the high seas adjacent thereto. They are established by the Commandant and their areas of responsibility are described in this part.

(b)

(1) The two Coast Guard Areas are the Atlantic Area and the Pacific Area. A Coast Guard Area Commander is in command of a Coast Guard Area. The Atlantic Area Office is collocated with the Fifth Coast Guard District Office. The Pacific Area Office is collocated with the Eleventh Coast Guard District Office. Area Commanders are responsible for determining when operational matters require the coordination of forces and facilities of more than one district.

(2) For search and rescue (SAR) mission execution in the Atlantic Area, Districts may execute SAR missions to the full extent of the Area's Search and Rescue Region (SRR). Under this plan, Districts in the Atlantic Area will assume SAR Coordinator responsibilities and will act as SAR Mission Coordinator for any case prosecuted within their expanded regions. The exact coordinates of Atlantic Area's SRR can be found in the United States National Search and Rescue Supplement to the International Aeronautical and Maritime Search and Rescue Manual.

(c) A Coast Guard District Commander is in command of a Coast Guard District and the District Commander's office may be referred to as a Coast Guard District Office. The District Commander's duties are described in § 1.01–1 of this subchapter.

(d)

(1) A Coast Guard Sector Commander is in command of a Coast Guard Sector and the Sector Commander's office is referred to as a Coast Guard Sector Office. The Sector Commander is responsible for all Coast Guard missions within the sector's area of responsibility. Unless otherwise specified, the Sector Commander's authorities include Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator, Federal Maritime Security Coordinator, Federal On-Scene Coordinator, and, in most Sectors, Officer in Charge Marine Inspection (OCMI) and Captain of the Port (COTP). In his or her capacities as OCMI and COTP, the Sector Commander is responsible for a Marine Inspection Zone and COTP Zone.

(2) In some Sectors, a Marine Safety Unit (MSU) retains OCMI and COTP authority over a designated portion of the Sector's area of responsibility. In such cases, OCMI and COTP authority is exercised by the MSU Commander, not the Sector Commander. The appeal of a COTP order or OCMI matter is routed from the MSU Commander through the Sector Commander and then to the District Commander.

(3) A specified sector exercises Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator (SMC) authority over a designated portion of an encompassing sector's area of responsibility. In such cases, SMC authority is exercised by the encompassed sector, not the encompassing sector. The encompassing sector retains all other authorities (as listed in 33 CFR 3.01–1(d)(1)) over the designated area.

(e) An OCMI is in command of a Marine Inspection Zone and his or her office may be referred to as a Coast Guard Marine Inspection Office. The OCMI's duties are described in § 1.01–20 of this subchapter.

(f) A COTP is in command of a COTP Zone and his or her office may be referred to as a COTP Office. The COTP's duties are described in § 1.01–30 of this subchapter.

(g) Each COTP Zone and each Marine Inspection Zone described in this part also includes the United States territorial seas adjacent to the described area or zone for the purpose of enforcing or acting pursuant to a statute effective in the United States territorial seas. Each COTP Zone and each Marine Inspection Zone described in this part also includes the contiguous zone adjacent to the area or zone for the purpose of enforcing or acting pursuant to a statute effective in the contiguous zone, as defined in § 2.28 of this subchapter. Each COTP Zone and each Marine Inspection Zone described in this part also includes the exclusive economic zone (EEZ) adjacent to the area for the purpose of enforcing or acting pursuant to a statute effective in the EEZ, as defined in § 2.30 of this subchapter.

(h) Geographic descriptions used in this part are based upon boundaries and points located using the WGS 1984 world grid system. When referenced, the outermost extent of the U.S. EEZ is the line of demarcation produced by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) using the NAD 1983 coordinate system and projected to the WGS 1984 grid system. Both coordinate systems are geocentric and similar such that they are Global Positioning System (GPS) compatible throughout the area of concern. Resolution is based upon ddmmss readings to tenths of a second. This corresponds to a positional precision of about ±2 meters. Decimal degrees to 5 decimal places correspond to a positional precision of about ±1 meter. State boundaries used to determine points for descriptions of jurisdictional limits were based upon the National Transportation Atlas Database 2003 produced by the Bureau of Transportation Statistics. This data set was produced at a scale of 1:100,000 and theoretically results in a nationwide locational accuracy of about ±50 meters of true position.

[USCG–2006–25556, 72 FR 36318, July 2, 2007, as amended by USCG–2010–0351, 75 FR 36277, June 25, 2010; USCG–2013–0397, 78 FR 39170, July 1, 2013; USCG–2023–0223, 88 FR 30899, May 15, 2023]