Rescue 21 helps save lives; improves Coast Guard agility and mission effectiveness as part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

General Dynamics C4 Systems announces that the U.S. Coast Guard completed the 25,000th Rescue 21 search and rescue mission in Sector San Francisco, a major milestone for the system that has helped to save hundreds of lives since it was activated in 2005. Currently comprising 26 command centers, 179 towers and covering approximately 37,000 miles of coastline, Rescue 21's primary mission is to locate and assist mariners in distress. General Dynamics C4 Systems is the prime contractor for the Rescue 21 system.

Michael O'Hara, program manager for Rescue 21 for General Dynamics C4 Systems, said, "The Coast Guard is an integral part of the Department of Homeland Security. As new sectors are added to the Rescue 21 system, the Coast Guard is better equipped to perform both life-saving and homeland security missions with greater agility and increased efficiency."

Rescue 21 enables the Coast Guard to perform the functional tasks of command, control and communications along United States inland and coastal zones including the Great Lakes, Hawaii, Guam and Puerto Rico. The integrated system of command centers, towers and advanced direction-finding technology, detects and locates distress calls and can detect hoax calls, avoiding unnecessary and expensive tasking of rescue personnel and resources.

The U.S. Coast Guard recently opened the Yerba Buena Island Interagency Operations Center in the San Francisco Bay area. The event also marked the acceptance of the Coast Guard’s Rescue 21 communications system, which was incorporated into the new command center at Sector San Francisco. More information about the opening of the Yerba Buena Island Interagency Operations Center is available online at https://www.piersystem.com/go/doc/823/1126167/.

For information about General Dynamics, please visit www.generaldynamics.com.