Post date: Mar 05, 2010 2:56:2 AM
Good morning from the D13 PATON Manager,
Here it is March and folks are wondering... "When will I get my Bridge-PATON assignments?" I can give you an answer to that question.
Up until today the Coast Guard has had a software problem, which has been resolved, that kept me from putting out assignments. As you probably know "funding" is always an issue as well. So to keep cost down we will handle Bridge-PATON assignments this year as we did last year. Bridges and Class I PATON will be once again be assigned for inspection/verification. Class II and III PATON are not being assigned for verification this year.
One thing to always keep in mind, any discrepancies observed with an ATON (Coast Guard maintained federal Aid TO Navigation), PATON (Private Aid to Navigation) or bridge shall be immediately reported.
I foresee having Bridge-PATON assignments out by the end of April and hopefully earlier.
On the subject of annual bridge inspections and PATON verifications; Headquarters policy no longer requires the Coast Guard to do an on-site-visit to bridges and/or PATON for the purposes of doing an annual inspection or verification. However, D13 has elected to continue doing annual inspections of bridges and verifications of class I PATON in the hopes that having CG Team members, which you are, looking at waterways that don't get looked at regularly. More and more things are being found and reported by Aux folks when they are out on or near the water annually.
Please feel free to contact me if you have any questions.
Thank you for your support!
r/ Timothy L. Westcott
13th Coast Guard District
Prevention Division (dp)
Waterways Management Branch (dpw)
Federal ATON Damage Claim Manager
Private Aids to Navigation Manager
Seattle, Washington