Marine Patrol Unit
The Marine Patrol Unit operates a 37-foot vessel; (call sign Harbor 1) powered by twin 540-horsepower Cummings diesel engines with Hamilton jet drives. Harbor 1 patrols the waters of Elliot Bay including Shilshole Bay Marina, Fishermen's Terminal and the Duwamish waterways. Harbor 1 will also respond at the request of the U.S. Coast Guard (Sector Seattle) to other emergency situations on the waters of Puget Sound from Des Moines on the south to Ballard on the north and Seattle west to Bainbridge Island.
Harbor-1 is equipped with a number of specialized pieces of equipment on board, including night vision and boat mounted thermal imagers. In addition, a SeaBotix LBV – R.O.V. (Remote Operated Vehicle) can be used to view hulls and piers remotely with its ability to descend 300 meters (984 feet) below the water. Harbor 1 also carries other equipment to aid in the detection of other threats to the Puget Sound Region that may be transported over the waters of Puget Sound.
Police Dive Team
The Police Dive Team works closely with the Port of Seattle Police Departments Marine Patrol Unit, to accomplish their mission within the Puget Sound region.
Divers are trained in basic and advanced open water response and rescue diver certification. They also complete a three-week Working Diver course conducted by the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA).
Divers use their specialized skills in underwater search and recovery of waterborne crimes; hull and pier sweeps as part of dignitary protection details and critical infrastructure locations designated by the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Dive Unit also works special events such as the 4th of July, Seafair, and other Port of Seattle sponsored maritime events. The Dive Team also works with other regional dive teams on large scale critical infrastructure inspections and searches in the Puget Sound and surrounding bodies of water.
