Security Levels
Unit Information
Marine Inspection Detachment Baton Rouge was established in late 1966. In the early 1980's, the detachment was upgraded to Marine Safety Detachment (MSD) as a detachment of Marine Safety Office New Orleans. The Crew gradually increased from 2 personnel to 32 active, 29 reserve and 52 Auxiliarist from U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 4-10. The creation of MSD Baton Rouge drastically reduced the response time to the rapidly growing ports of Greater Baton Rouge. MSD Baton Rouge was upgraded to a Marine Safety Unit in February 2001 with its own Commanding Officer and Executive Officer.
This devoted group of professionals protects one of the busiest and most dynamic port areas in the United States. Marine Safety Unit Baton Rouge's primary responsibilities include vessel inspections, foreign and US vessel boardings, facility inspections, pollution response and port security. Our area of responsibility includes over 340 miles of the Mississippi River from the Sunshine Bridge (located approximately halfway between Baton Rouge and New Orleans)to the Arkansas border, the J. Bennett Johnston Waterway (Red River) from the Texas border to its confluence with the Atchafalaya and Mississippi River, and parts of the Intracoastal Waterway, the Atchafalaya, the Ouachita and the Yazoo Rivers.
In an average year, MSU Baton Rouge conducts approximately 1000 vessel inspections, conducts approximately 100 foreign vessel boardings, inspects 99 bulk liquid facilities and 9 dry bulk facilities, investigates approximately 300 pollution incidents and investigates over 200 marine casualties.
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