Boathouse Stays Shipshape with Protective Coatings
Nestled on the bayside north of the San Francisco International Airport (SFO) is a covered boathouse with the official title of Marine Emergency Response Facility (MERF). As its name implies, the boathouse is part of the airport's emergency preparedness plan in the event of a marine rescue involving an aviation water contact accident.
The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) requires that airport officials responsible for emergency preparedness plans include a section on water rescue operations wherever approach and departure patterns are in proximity to significant bodies of water. As the first facility of its kind at any U.S. airport on the West Coast, the $5.2 million MERF reportedly exceeds the FAA's safety requirements.