01 / RESPONSE
SAR coordination & decision-making
Initial notification, urgency, escalation, supervisory involvement, resource selection, and the operational basis for response decisions.
Independent expert consultation for attorneys
When a maritime rescue becomes a legal question.
Operational experience to examine what was known, how decisions were made, and how a search and rescue response unfolded.
20+ yearsof U.S. Coast Guard service
National SAR SchoolFormer Deputy Administrator
2,000+ SAR casesOverseen during Sector North Carolina assignment
A focused practice
Understand the response.
Explain the decisions.
Maritime fatality cases require more than a timeline. They require an understanding of how distress information, search planning, available resources, and command decisions fit together.
I help counsel examine maritime search and rescue operations through the experience of a former Coast Guard command center director, SAR instructor, and emergency management leader. My focus includes deaths and missing-person incidents involving maritime SAR response.
Each review starts with the record and the information reasonably available at the time. Conclusions follow the evidence, including uncertainty and limitations.
Areas of analysis
From the first alert to the final decision.
Technical consultation, record review, written opinions, and deposition or trial testimony, as appropriate to the engagement.
02 / SEARCH
Search planning & execution
Datum development, search areas and patterns, coverage, probability concepts, and the basis for suspension or reactivation.
03 / COMMUNICATIONS
Distress alerts & information flow
Marine communications, Rescue 21 operational use, information quality, watchstander actions, and coordination across response agencies.
04 / COMMAND
Command center performance
Watchstander responsibilities, documentation, staffing and workload, supervisory oversight, and command-and-control processes.
05 / PRACTICE
Policy & operational practice
Review of actions against applicable SAR policies, procedures, training, and accepted practice in the context of the incident.
06 / COORDINATION
Multiagency & cross-border response
Federal, state, local, and Canadian coordination, resource integration, and incident management across maritime jurisdictions.
Experience behind the analysis
A career inside the response system.
Justin L. Westmiller, PEM
Retired U.S. Coast Guard Lieutenant Commander. Former Federal Search and Rescue Coordinator. Professional Emergency Manager.
My background includes Great Lakes and international border operations, the North Carolina coast, national SAR instruction, and major incident response. I currently serve as St. Clair County's Director of Homeland Security and Emergency Management.
Open printable qualifications ↗Deputy Administrator
National Search and Rescue School
Managed seven resident and nonresident courses and a 21-member military and civilian staff. Taught domestic and international SAR policy, search planning, mission coordination, and risk management.
Director, Sector Detroit Command Center
Led a 33-member command center overseeing maritime response missions. Coordinated with U.S. and Canadian agencies along the international maritime border.
Director, Sector North Carolina Command Center
Led a 36-member, 24-hour command center and oversaw more than 2,000 SAR cases during the assignment.
Operations Officer & Incident Manager
Directed search and rescue and law enforcement operations for northern coastal North Carolina. Served as primary incident manager for Hurricane Alex.
Media & public communication
Explaining high-consequence incidents clearly.
Public affairs experience across maritime operations and emergency management.
My Coast Guard assignments included Public Affairs Officer responsibilities at Sector Detroit, Sector North Carolina, and Group Cape Hatteras. During Deepwater Horizon, I supported senior staff and media preparation for national and international briefings.
The selected coverage below provides examples of public communication about response operations, maritime risk, and preparedness. These are historical appearances in professional roles, not endorsements of this consulting practice.
CBS Detroit / WWJ / AP / September 2011
Cross-border search for a missing diver
Quoted on a St. Clair River diver search involving U.S. and Canadian responders.
View original coverage ↗WCBE / February 2013
False distress calls and rescue resources
Comments on the operational consequences of false maritime distress calls.
View original coverage ↗CBS Detroit / July 2012
Lake Huron marine pollution response
Quoted about response operations following a fuel spill.
View original coverage ↗Thumbcoast.tv / January 2025
Winter preparedness interview
A video interview explaining flooding, power outages, and practical steps residents can take to prepare.
View original coverage ↗Blue Water Healthy Living / October 2022
Warning systems and seasonal readiness
An Out in the Country interview with Bill Gilmer about resident warning notifications and winter hazards.
View original coverage ↗WPHM Morning Show / February 2019
Radio appearance
An archived interview episode featuring Justin Westmiller.
View original coverage ↗CBS Detroit / April 2026
Public communication during an incident
Quoted during reporting on the Marine City response.
View original coverage ↗Defense Media Network / 2013
Rescue 21 demonstration
Coverage includes a photograph of Westmiller demonstrating Rescue 21 to Canadian Coast Guard members and industry partners.
View original coverage ↗Links open the publishers’ original pages. Archive availability may vary.
Working with counsel
A clear path from inquiry to analysis.
01
Initial inquiry
Identify counsel, the general incident location and date, relevant parties, and the assistance requested.
02
Conflict & scope review
Confirm conflicts, subject-matter fit, availability, deadlines, and engagement terms before substantive work.
03
Record & decision analysis
Reconstruct the response, identify key decision points, and evaluate the operational record and relevant procedures.
04
Findings & explanation
Provide clear technical consultation, reports, and testimony within the agreed scope, with conclusions tied to the evidence.
For retaining counsel
Make the first conversation productive.
Start with a brief, nonconfidential description of the matter. After conflict clearance and engagement, the review can address records, communications, operational decisions, and policy in greater detail.
A qualifications sheet is available for internal evaluation or referral to another attorney.
View / print qualificationsRecords to discuss after engagement
- Incident chronology and command center case logs
- Distress calls, dispatch records, and radio recordings
- Search plans, asset tasking, and situation reports
- Weather, sea conditions, and location information
- Applicable policies, procedures, and training records
- Agency reports and interagency communications
The relevant record set depends on the incident and agreed scope.
What kinds of matters are a fit?
Maritime deaths, missing-person incidents, and other legal matters where SAR coordination, search planning, command center actions, communications, or interagency response are material questions. Fit is evaluated before an engagement is accepted.
Can you assist with preliminary case evaluation?
Yes. A scoped preliminary review can help counsel identify relevant operational questions, records, and issues for further analysis. Availability and terms are confirmed before work begins.
Are fees and a full CV available?
Request the current fee schedule and CV by email. The scope, rates, engagement requirements, and scheduling are confirmed in writing.
Is this a Coast Guard or county service?
No. This is an independent consulting practice offered in a personal capacity. Employment and military history describe professional experience and do not imply government endorsement.
Start a conversation
Discuss your maritime SAR matter.
Share the basics so we can determine fit, conflicts, and next steps.
Justin L. Westmiller, PEM
Marysville, Michigan
Initial contact does not establish an engagement. Please send only general inquiry information until conflicts and engagement terms are resolved.