SHORE SENTINEL A sustainable system for rapid response

Oil spill, Flood rescue, special works and surveys

ABSTRACTShore Sentinel is a system aimed at ensuring an emergency oil spills, rescue in floods and other emergencies,

particularly effective in the most difficult areas, coasts and riverbanks. It’s based on teams equipped and located near sensitive points and areas of interest, with skilled and trained staff.

Each garrison has a good number of MACP amphibious vehicles for local needs. MACP is an air cushion vehicle of the latest generation, which can be quickly set up with different operating configurations, easily portable, fast and amphibious. The most compact hovercraft approved for professional use, powered by a 180 hp diesel engine, it can be transported by road on a trailer.

In the Shore Sentinel logic the cost, which is usually the weak point of a “standby” system, is not related to a single specific activity, but is divided among many different activities. So the stand-by and the current operations costs are both covered by small contributions coming from municipalities and companies, who doing so, in case of disaster, have the guarantee of the immediacy and the professionalism in interventions, and from other revenues coming from special works; geophysical surveys and other types of services, national and international for the first time possible with the use of equipped MACP.

Floods and coastal and rivers oil spills share the question of the difficult access due to currents, inconsistent mud terrain, shallow waters, floating or semi-submerged obstacles that prevent easy access to boats, to wheeled or tracked vehicles. All the oil spills, even if they occur at high sea can not be perfectly solved with big ships and always happens that a significant part of the spill falls on the coasts.

Accidents in the course of the river are possible

for broken pipelines, shipwrecks, human errors.

In addition to major accidents known through the media, spills occur daily at different levels or with such a continuity that they are no longer a news, as in the Niger Delta, and polluted areas of considerable size are also present in the heart of the Amazon forest. The mangrove areas are widespread, very sensitive to hydrocarbons, and inaccessible to ordinary vehicles. Also Arctic or icy areas are poorly managed and long stretches of polluted coastline have remained untouched for over 20 years (Exxon Valdez).

Similarly, floods are increasing, both the predictable ones and the sudden flash floods and these disasters cause the most damages and casualties. Echo, the EU Commissioner for humanitarian aid and the European civil protection spends over 40% of their budget for these emergencies. Spills and floods are statistically predictable phenomena, but locally unpredictable; as far as you can prevent it is very difficult to act on the causes that generate the event, and emergency response measures must be specialized in skills, intervention techniques and means of support.

Skills and techniques can be acquired, but the ideal vehicle for these interventions between land and water, has easily definable characteristics:

• fast transfers, versatile usage and amphibian configuration, without immersed propellers, tires or tracks that destroy the bottom,

• compact for easy carrying and idoneous to enter into the vegetation or in flooded narrow streets,

• robust and resistant to hull impacts and damages.

All these features are present in MACP, a new generation hovercraft, and are the basis that allow the Shore Sentinel system.

Coming from the EU project Hoverspill, MACP is an air cushion platform which, for its modular features, can be quickly set up with different operating configurations.MACP is the most compact hovercraft appro-ved for professional use, powered by a 200hp diesel engine, can be transported by road on a trailer. The amphibious characteristics make it excellent for working in mudflats, mangroves, marshes and lagoons, levees, ice and snow, against strong current in presence of algae, floating barriers and outcrops.

The environmental impact is limited: the pres-sure is less than 10 grams x sqcm, it has no wheels, tracks or immersed propellers that can ruin the fragile vital bottom layer.

A MACP does not require to be moored in a harbor, but can be parked on a beach, on a sli-de or directly on a boat, truck or a trailer, ready to be transported at high speed and regardless of weather conditions, with easy access to the coast and inland areas or wetlands.

In case of need MACP - Hoverspill can be cu-stomized in a very short time, in a SAR or flood rescue version or any other modular system according to functional or emergency interven-tions.

MACP are powerful and versatile, compact and sized within the limits of the ease of transport (width less than 250 cm).

Various MACP can be reconfigured for specific emergencies and can become a powerful and flexible basis ready to be used by authorities. These vehicles are able to travel autonomously at high speed on water or can be easily transported by ship, truck or trailer.MACP versatility allows to solve various emergencies and to make different kind of jobs.

A network of Shore Sentinel coastal and inland waterways can control a large area. It gives the possibility of acting very quickly and in quantity calibrated to the emergency both in the waterway and in the ground

The SHORE SENTINEL solution The Shore Sentinel system provides various basis located at strategic points along rivers and coasts.

Each Shore Sentinel garrison is equipped with various MACP vehicles and support equipments for transports and various needs.

A system of “standby” along a river is able to guarantee the intervention in a few minutes in its area.

The first target for a Shore Sentinel team with MACP Hoverspill is the guarantee of the response activity in those areas defined as “sensitive” for the presence of refineries or oil wells, organize a system of hydrocarbons transport and the remediation of polluted areas.

But the system can handle larger and less vulnerable areas, guaranteeing an intervention within one to two hours.

In a severe emergency, the modular system shows all the benefits, being able to call back within a short time other resources and vehicles from far away, so that the needs of the quantitative and qualitative response may be perfectly adequate.

Other operational areas where MACP is particularly suitable are those where you need to protect biodiversity and nature as the mangrove areas, areas with thick vegetation and protected ones like the Delta of rivers and all those places where trained and coordinated teams can operate.

In the specific field of oil pollution, the situation is unfortunately serious, there are huge areas inaccessible to conventional vehicles between Peru, Brazil and Ecuador (an area the size of Germany), the Niger Delta, the area of mangroves in Bangladesh etc.

SUSTAINABILITY For a public administration it is impossible to sustain the cost a system of rapid coastal or river intervention to deal

with events so difficult to predict.

Solely in those areas identified as “high risk areas” (near refineries, terminals or near company dealing with oil products) a specific service can be proposed.

But, considering the cost aspect as the main obstacle to a stand-by program, the project provides an alternative solution to cover the

An example:

The Po Basin is an area between Turin and Venice and includes about 2200 municipalities, particularly prone to flooding, spills and other emergencies that require a specific answer. They are perhaps rare, but destructive. Even a modest annual fee, for eg EUR 1000, would maintain 8/10 Shore Sentinel garrisons ready to intervene efficiently in a few minutes thus limiting expensive damages.

service costs through the implementation and execution of various compatible economic activities that, on their own, would not allow a sufficient economic return.

The flexibility of the proposed system is also very suitable to solve practically the oil spills problems that can not be resolved using other means, as are unable to achieve the correct timing or have difficulties of access to the affected sites.

The underlying logic is that of the insurances: all contribute with a small fee, and are guaranteed by the extraordinary event. The objective is therefore to have a system always available in an emergency, without burdening public budgets.

The system remains alerted and trained by the contribution of several cities and organizations that can help with a small annual fee for the maintenance of the stand by service, for all those types of emergencies that require immediacy of intervention and equipments of significant cost, but which are not provided for the low frequency of rare, but catastrophic, events.

Secondly, the “Shore Sentinel” purpose is to organize groups of young people in areas of high economic returns using resources allocated to training and facilities for the creation of Start-Up.

The training will create the needed professional figures, the equipment will allow to carry out different activities in order to make the system financially independent and ready to enter in action, when needed, for a variety of missions commitments.

For young people this is a way to create a starting point for a career in the oil spills field and in other specialized jobs, in areas of difficult access. In the world there are thousands of polluted sites that are awaiting for professionally trained teams supplied with the proper techniques and vehicles.

The need for groups of experts with specialized means to access in particular areas and trained in the environment treatment in wetlands and transitional areas is growing. Operators will be continuously engaged in activities and

therefore always trained to operate in critical conditions.

A single “Shore Sentinel” garrison has an estimated cost of about € 250K per year (average in EU territory) to maintain a service that covers 24 hours on 24, and this is the cost that should ideally be covered by the standby contracts.

The services provided to subscribers, in case of intervention,

will be based on subsidized market prices and this must also be considered as an added value, ensuring a continuous income for the Shore Sentinel team.

Considering that MACP can be used for a variety of different work-oriented tasks, characterized by a high added value, and that

the various revenue may be used to decrease the need to recover financial resources for the maintenance of the pure standby.

It is planned the set up of a centralized structure that will be responsible for managing and controlling the educational aspects, the garrisons quality and take care of orders and national and international contracts otherwise difficult to be managed by a single group, thus using the resources available in the various points, with customization to the specific needs.

Shore Sentinel Activity fields and financial revenue

Generally any possible activity in wetlands, riverbanks, muddy surfaces or inconsistent, mangrove areas or thick vegetation that prevent access to other vehicles.

It is appropriate to address the implications of the above.

For example, Italy has coastlines for about 7500 km.

A river like Po, which is 600 km long, thus of small size, only in its delta covers an area of approximately 7000 km of watercourses, of different sizes, more or less navigable, beyond all the tributaries.

The EU has a coastline of 68,000 km, more than three times longer than that of the United States and almost twice that of Russia; with EEA member countries, including Iceland, Norway and Turkey, its length corresponds to 185 000 km. According to military estimates of common availability, a hovercraft has access to the 70% of the world’s coastlines, and this is a figure for large vehicles, such as Textron USA or ZUBR Russian.

Smaller hovercrafts have additional access to inland waters, large rivers like the Nile, the Amazon, Niger, Congo, Volga, Danube (whose basin affects 10% of EU territory) are long thousands of kilometers and their delta and tributaries are tens of times larger.

Europe has an inland waterway network of 37000 km, where heavy use for freight and passenger transport creates the need for various services.

With smaller dimensions accessibility extends to mangroves areas, which are spread over vast coastlines in the world (see the attached map), smaller rivers, lagoons and the Ramsar areas, i.e. wetlands variously distributed worldwide.

Even ignoring rocky shores and other inaccessible areas for various reasons, it is reported how the area of Shore Sentinel possible intervention is immense, and so far not managed for the access difficulties typical of the areas concerned.

In these areas, shallow or supershallow waters, MACP variously equipped can deal with various activities, not exhaustively:

• interventions in oil spill management and remediation

• assistance to traditional navigation subject to silting and groundings

• assistance to coastal and lagoons airports

• services for coastal aquaculture

• operations with ice, also floating

• environmental controls, illegal discharges and security

• coring, drilling and characterizations

• pipelines control

• geophysical surveys, seismic and bathymetric

• check of bridges piers stability

• mosquitoes biological control

• algae and weeds removal

• ecological treatments

• basins oxygenation

• various operations at all locations subject to tides

• transport of lightweight goods, correspondence

• patients transport

• facilities management in beaches. For example in some countries like Italy you can obtain in concession the management of beaches that need security and control

• Formation, training

• Flood rescue and oil spill response & remediation for operations abroad

• MACP commissions for sales, assistance and maintenance; demo

Sources:CEDRE: http://www.cedre.fr/ ISCO: http://www.spillcontrol.org/RAMSAR: http://www.ramsar.orgMangrove environment: http://mangroveactionproject.org/and various other arising from info present in these sites.

MACP is a fastly equipping air cushion platform with different operating configurations.• MACP is the most compact hovercraft approved for professional use.

• The soft hull is impact-resistant and unsinkable.

• The amphibian characteristics make it excellent for very shallow water surveys, working in difficult zones, against strong current and in presence of algae, floating objects and outcropping obstacles.

• Mudflats, mangroves, swamps and lagoons, river banks, ice and snow are its field of action.

• Logistics is minimized: it is transportable on the road on a trailer. Goes up and down from the trailer and the shoreline indipendently.

• SBP sensors, Boomers, Echosounders may be positioned inside the hull for different surveys. The systems are raised while “on cushion” and are immersed while working at low speed.

• An electromagnetic sensor (GPR type) allows for realizing high-speed bathymetry for 35/40 km in fresh water

CHARACTERISTICSHull Height clearance: 250/400 mm.dimensions: 245 x 580 x 245 H.80 lt. diesel tankengine: FNM diesel 130 kw -200 cvThrust fan: 1300 mmSeparated & Automatic Lift- 2 x 700 mm fansFlapton trim control & reverse, UNIK Driving systemWalkable & Workable Flat Deck over 65% of footprint“Quick Lock” modular connections for seats, crew protection, boxes, ..Shock absorber bottom hull (SoftSkin)Shock absorber perimetric bumper &skirt protectionRoad trailer wide limit (250 cm)*Built under workboat rules

PERFORMANCES1 pilot + max 550 kg (or equivalent weight of people) VMax:> 80kmh 45kNFuel consumption: 15/25 lth

It is equipped with a PTO providing 35/40kW that is suitable for hydraulic and electric generators or compressors for works or seismic

Can be equipped with various equipment, or coupled to other MACP to form platforms roomiest

Specialized services with MACP:Surveys, remediationStand-by Services

Coverage: within 6 mg.sea state : 4Wind <25kts

SOA - Servizi Operativi Anfibi Srl - Via Vignolo 2 - 16046 Mezzanego (GE) Italiatel.+39 0185 335021 gsm +39 3200931641 soa@soanfibi.it - web: www.soanfibi.it

High floating stability

THE FLOOD RESCUE - Relief in flood

The amount and intensity of floods has had a sharp increase in these recent decades. In these emergencies usually are used boats and rafts that have all the limitations of the plunged vehicles: strong currents are critical and emerging or floating obstacles can prevent any activity. In addition shallow waters make difficult the use of boats and amphibious vehicles wheeled or tracked which have a low maneuverability, sensitivity to current and have proven to have an extremely limited use.

The SAR configuration MACP has almost all the desirable features:• fully amphibious

• high intervention speed

• high load capacity when compared with the compact size: 6/7 people or 500 kg in addition to the pilot, for the high speed performance; at low speed and in non-critical conditions the load can double

• unbreakable and unsinkable bottom

• easy retrieval of objects or people in the water, no submerged propeller,

on MACP can be quickly mounted different equipments, which are available even when it is on the ground or on its transport trailer

• water pumps with high pumping capacity: up to 3000 l / min

• desalination or reverse osmosis treatment plant to purify polluted water

• basis for stairs and winches to rescue people on rooftops

• High-power electric generators, powered directly by the engine

• sanitary cabins modular (pediatric, etc.)

• inflatable structures cabins for various purposes,

the capacity and the performances are remarkable, but consequently involve dimensions and weights, and the compact SAR MACP (about the size of a SUV and suitable for sea operations) should ideally be accompanied by a small and agile vehicle, dedicated to an environment without waves, easily transportable by air also in very poor areas in view of a specialized team. This small vehicle will be so light, within the 240 kg, that in case of need can be raised by hand (to overcome a trunk or a wall) or disassembled into parts to facilitate the transport; dismounted the dimensions will be calibrated for the air transport, and the same power unit can be used to feed generators, pumps and desalination.

The FR team properly trained can provide means and skills and be employed in areas affected by floods, oil spills and so on, operating under the directives and instructions of the authorities.

From a managerial and operational autonomy, the MACP are notable for a general economic fuel consumption and maintenance.

The fuel requirement of a team are therefore limited, and allow to operate autonomously for over a week with the aid of a container support, sufficient to vehicles and people.

maximum weight for a single subset: 60 kg. liftable by two people

Flood Rescue HyperLight MACP

the MPS propulsion system can be used as a power take off independently, to provide electrical or mechanical energy.

Totally flat deck amphibious• Unsinkable,unfillable,antishock“SoftHull”• Antishockperimetricbumper• Flaptons&Uniksystem:onlyonehandlebarforcontrolthe

direction,2axistrimandreversemotion• Simplifiedmaintenance

440 x 220 cm, 240 kg.engine: from 60 to 100 hp, diesel or gasoline

payload: 400 kg, or pilot + 320 kg or 4/5 pax - (on cushion, high speed transfer)700 kg or 8 pax at low speed

© - MACP Hovercraft Ltd . www.sofhull.com

Ready for airborne transport: 150 cm. max wide

Very large Flat deck

Methods of action

The international intervention program on call involves the collaboration with the Flood Team Europe and ECHO. In this context, various facilities in containers and ready to leave for the affected areas will be set up at the airport in Rotterdam.

The availability will be communicated to ERCC, ECHO and the concerned organizations.

ERCC: http://ec.europa.eu/echo/what/civil-protection/emergency-response-coordination-centre-ercc_en Flood Team Europe: http://floodteam.org/

extreme climate

<http://www.nwf.org/Wildlife/Threats-to-Wildlife/Global-Warming/Global-Warming-is-Causing-Extreme- Weather /> Floods.aspx

©Marco Mastrangeli, Angelo Odetti, 10/2015

A flood Rescue training (with Rescue Project staff)