From Longman Dictionary of Contemporary Englishcoastguardcoast‧guard /ˈkəʊstɡɑːd $ ˈkoʊstɡɑːrd/ noun 1 → the Coastguard2 [countable]BOTTW British English a member of this organizationGRAMMAR: Singular or plural verb?• The coastguard is usually followed by a singular verb: The coastguard was alerted and a lifeboat sent out.• In British English, you can also use a plural verb: The coastguard were alerted and a lifeboat sent out.
Examples from the Corpus
coastguard• The survivors were all being treated for hypothermia after being picked up by helicopters and coastguards.• Armed forces police and coastguard services, approximately 300.• During the War he had been an auxiliary coastguard.• The coastguard duties included patrolling paths at the top of high and sheer cliffs - not a job for the faint-hearted.• One man's father told coastguards that normally the group only travelled a few miles along the coast on the speedboat trips. 