Lessons Learned Regarding the USCG

[Cacia]

I know the lifeguard systems on the North Shore are world-class.

I know those guys...they are lifeguards and part of the Fire Department, aren't they?

We all know how the military works in strange ways.

I guess this could be moved to Whine and Cheese, although it involves a specific accident and I was hoping to get some factual feedback.

Personally, I don't really have the need to whine. I just make my best estimation based on any facts I can gather and then adjust my responses.
You might make a good point, perhaps it will not change and maybe there is no information to be had.

 

[Charlie99]

My unhappiness with their communications with me recently when my child was on a boat with where a tragic death took place has sparked this opinion, but it is nothing new really. They kept me in the dark for ten hours even though parts of the their conversation were picked up all over via VHF radio. Seems unacceptable to me, but they have a really important reasons for everything they do...just none of it ever seems to help me or people I know.

How senior was the person you were talking to? My experience is that the watchstanders answering the phone and monitoring the radio are usually very young junior people that mean well but are inexperienced. If the rule is "don't talk about incidents", that's what they will do rather than making an exception to reassure an anxious relative.

My take on the situation is that they have good intentions, but they have inexperienced people in positions of responsibility without appropriate supervision.

http://www.scubaboard.com/showthread.php?p=1916219 is a description on one of my interactions with Coast Guard Group Woods Hole (Cape Cod, MA).

Since that incident I've listened to a couple other incidents on the radio that reminded me of a Keystone Cops movie. In one of them two CG helo pilots were trying to politely give guidance the "search coordinator" that was having trouble thinking clearly. Although the reported flare sighting was near shore, the CG hadn't called the local FD/Harbormaser/Police. After about 45 minutes of searching for the boat that had launched the flare, the CG watchstander told the helos that there might be some flares coming off Clark's Point because of a scheduled exercise by the FD and Police. This was relatively close to the search area. "Ummmmm. Could you call them and find out if they started a bit early?" requested the helo pilot. After another 10 minutes and the request being repeated the answer came back "Yes, they said they launched a couple of flares about an hour ago."

Good intentions, but too often clueless.

 

[akbpilot]

Although many boaters and skippers in Alaska will whine about being boarded for safety inspections and written up for violations, I don't know of any who hold what the Coast Guard does in anything but the highest regard. The Coast Guard in Alaska is responsible for saving countless lives, and in the process has lost many of it's own personnel during rescue attempts in an enviroment that would make most people weak in the knees. Over the top doesn't even begin to describe what these men and women will do to save a life. If they board my boat, and write me up for a safety violation, I'll thank them. I for one am more then happy to substitute dedication for "warm and fuzzy" public relations any day.

 

[Brandon]

Although many boaters and skippers in Alaska will whine about being boarded for safety inspections and written up for violations, I don't know of any who hold what the Coast Guard does in anything but the highest regard. The Coast Guard in Alaska is responsible for saving countless lives, and in the process has lost many of it's own personnel during rescue attempts in an enviroment that would make most people weak in the knees. Over the top doesn't even begin to describe what these men and women will do to save a life. If they board my boat, and write me up for a safety violation, I'll thank them. I for one am more then happy to substitute dedication for "warm and fuzzy" public relations any day.

Yeah, I think all of us that have family fishing in Alaska have a soft spot in our hearts for the Coast Guard. My dad has been a Bering Sea commercial fisherman for 33 years now, and had his share of contact with the Coast Guard. A couple recent ones include them assisting his vessel after they snagged a longline in the props, and a couple weeks later a longline snapped and hit him in the head, fracturing his skull.

They do some nice things in our community as well. For example the crew of the CG Cutter Alex Haley turned their boat into a Haunted House for the local kids this past Halloween. They thought it was pretty cool, and it was way nice for them to go out of their way to do something different for the kids.

-B.

 

[fisherdvm]

In Michigan, the coast guard is misused as a free tow for the thousands of boaters. Certainly they will respond, to keep your boat from smashing into the shore... But most boaters are too cheap to call for a tow, which cost megabucks.

I think their resources are stretched pretty thin during the busy boating season... Now with added responsibility of homeland security (patrolling bridges, borders, and protecting cruise ships in harbor)... We're lucky that they can even pick up the phone in the case of an emergency.

 

[Rick Murchison]

... My perception is that they do not think of themselves in terms of helping the local citizens and how they can assist. I think they seem consumed with their regulations and paper work requirements. ...

Your perception is not without merit.
There are reasons for the shift.
It is not politically correct to discuss them, for it flies in the face of certain "holy" social experiments foisted on the CG. (And the rest of the military for that matter)
Rick

 

[fisherdvm]

I think the problem Catherine has here might be the need for large organizations to control the flow of information. Inaccurate information, eventhough timely, can hurt people.

The example is the mining accident several years ago, where it was leaked that many of the miners survived, and "walked" out of the mine. At the end, the jubilation was quelled, when only one miner made it out - barely.

I don't think it is the coast guard's job to hand out certification of death. And it is not their job to identify who are the "survivors". Through very strict confidentially standard passed 2 years ago (HIPPA), the name of the injured or dead is confidential, and can not be released by the coast guard, ambulance, or hospital.

Because of this, I think the coast guard can not confirm or deny the death or survivor in a boat. Their job is simply to arrive, assist, and rescue. Not to do a head count and assist in dissemination of "survivor" statistics.

Death certificate will take hours, if not days to generate. The ability to release information such as names of the survivor depends on the folks on the boat, and the boat captain. By the time they are done with the investigation, etc... That might be hours before the captain can disseminate information about the accident.

 

[Brandon]

Because of this, I think the coast guard can not confirm or deny the death or survivor in a boat. Their job is simply to arrive, assist, and rescue. Not to do a head count and assist in dissemination of "survivor" statistics.

From experience, the Coast Guard will not release the names of the deceased until after the family has been notified.

If you suspect a family member is onboard - call the duty station for your area. Let the watch officer know that you're aware of an incident that they're responding to, and believe one of your family members is involved. They'll take your family member's name and let you know if that person is involved, but if the answer is no, that's all the infomation you're going to get.

Thankfully, every time I've called it was a no.

IMHO, this response is completely reasonable.

-B

 

[ronbeau]

Catherine the coast guard is a branch of the military ( during war time which I think this is) We all know how the military works in strange ways.

The Coast Guard has not been part of the DOD or the military for quite a long time.

Before being recently merged into the Department of Homeland Security they were part of the Department to Transportation.

 

[irishsquid]

I know people who make a living in the ocean, here. Trust me, I am not going out of my way to pick on them. My observations are shared by most people I talk to here. Other agencies that deal with them, as well.

One problem, is that here they often insist on searching for people where they entered the water even in a ripping current in a given direction. They are often inexperienced in our waters and insist on following pointless protoccols.

Also, they don't have a reputation for working well with others, it seems. Here, that is.

The consensus is that they need some community based training and need to ask themselves how they can help vs what paper work do they need. maybe drug testing the crew could be done after the more important things are handled?

I don't know much about the USCG, but would venture they are stuctured similar to the Military. I am prior US Navy and would assume that all USCG members have the same basic training. Some continue on and excel and some ride or skate as we used to say, to get by. Chances are; there are some fine personnel there, but are possibly commanded by administrative types who are riding the PC wave that has become prevalent in the Forces & Gov't, as it seems a pre-requesite for career advancement. Maybe a few well written letters to the Public Affairs Office would help?
Some times it does and then again I've seen PAOs that couldn't care less. Hopefully, things will get better as newer personnel rotate and maybe a change of Command. Just my thoughts!