WILLEMSTAD - After 12.5 years with the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, including the last five years as the Chief Support Officer at Hato on Curaçao, Bas van Heeringen is leaving the Coast Guard. Stefan Roll is the new Chief Support Officer as of yesterday. Stefan is a familiar face within the Coast Guard, having previously held the positions of Chief of Operational Service Hato and Chief of the Maritime Operations Center within the Coast Guard. Stefan knows the organization inside and out and can immediately start managing operations at Hato. In the coming years, Stefan will experience an exciting period with the Coast Guard, with a strong emphasis on Intelligence-Led Policing. This means the Coast Guard will increasingly conduct its operations based on analyses.
In recent years, Bas van Heeringen has been involved in, among other things, finalizing new contracts for the Coast Guard's air units, with a ten-year duration. This new equipment is highly suitable for sea rescue operations, investigative, and surveillance tasks.
During the command handover ceremony, attended by the Director of the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard, Walter Hansen, and the Deputy Director, Joelle de Jong-Mercelina, Bas reflected on his 12.5 years of service with the Coast Guard. He recounted many rescue operations, the numerous lives saved, and the significant role of the Hato Support Point in counter-drug operations. He thanked everyone, especially his colleagues at the Hato Support Point. The Coast Guard welcomes Stefan Roll and wishes him all the best in his new role within the Dutch Caribbean Coast Guard.
Photo in front of the Coast Guard aircraft: on the left is Bas van Heeringen and on the right is Stefan Roll.