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Newsday: "Adding Marine Staff"

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Initially Posted - 05/16/2002 : 09:12:43

Fellow taxpayers surprised recently to learn that the salary of the average Suffolk County Long Island policeman was over 100 thousand dollars (with equally generous provisions for health and retirement benefits, sick time and vacation), will no doubt be relieved by the story in today's Newsday that seems to indicate that at least this money appears to be well spent. They report that in response to the recent drowning of a 51 year old man in "rough-weather" and less than 5 miles from a rescue station, the Police Department here has thought to ask for approval to purchase a "rough-weather rescue boat". A boat of this special type should fill out the fleet nicely, I think. Now where did I put that checkbook?

Andy P.
#5708

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 09:51:54

Andy - Our county sherriff (Houghton County in the UP of Michigan) has a nicely equipped 24 foot patrol boat which spends the boting season tied to a local marina dock - at $18.00/foot. Since there was no provision in the sherriff's budget for regular patrols, the boat just sits. Fortunately we have a very active Coast Guard station. If you value you're tax dollars, register a protest against this frivolous purchase.

Al Eckhart
Gallivant #5801

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Douglas
Master Marine Consultant

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Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 11:48:46

We have a similar program here in Pearce County Washington. Most of the big lakes are patroled in the summer. Its a good program and keeps the drunks of the water. It also assures children on their parents boats have flotation devices on. If the programs have the backing and are used properly they do work.

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Ed Hilton
Deckhand

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Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 12:11:25

The program in Washington State is actually underfunded so most of the time the people out on the patrol boats are the volunteer police
THey are trained as police or sheriffs but have regular jobs during the week.
But hey that saves us tax payers something

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Champipple
Master Marine Consultant

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6855 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 12:16:47

We have no less than 4 jurisdictions on the water at one time, not to mention those moron USCG Auxilliary. (no offense if any of you are auxilliary, but I haven't met one who wasn't Barney Fife with a boat) We have U.S. Coast Guard, Ohio Div. of Nat. Res., Cleveland Police, Cleveland Harbor Patrol, Cleveland Fire Patrol, Sometimes The US Customs, Cuyahoga County Sherrif, and then the various suburbs along the lake all have there own boat or two plus dive teams Helicopters, Cutters, HU-25 Falcon Jets, HC-130's, Zodiacs, M-16 rifles, Mounted 50 caliber machine guns.

Your Griping about one boat? If a body of water is in a law enforcement's jurisdiction they should have a boat. If funds don't allow it to patrol, thats fine. Up until 911 the Coast guard on the Great Lakes only went out on emergency calls due to the high gas prices over the past few summers.

Just try and tell a family that just lost a loved one that they could have been saved if there was a boat. The choice between that and a few bucks in taxes won't seem that bad.

http://www.uscg.mil/d9/opsums.html
http://www.dnr.state.oh.us/

Duane Wolff
"The Flying Wasp"
C-25, #401 std,sk
Chief Measurer C-25/250 National Assn.
<img src="http://im1.shutterfly.com/procserv/47b2dc20b3127cce9cd2f45b211a0000004010" border=0>

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triley
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251 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 21:41:50

Duane,

The lake I used to sail on in Illinois had an active USCG Auxiliary
They were very helpful to us, patrolling races and keeping people out of the race course. Once we had filed our regatta season and the racecourses with the Coast Guard, the Auxiliary was empowered to patrol the course and to receive reimbursements for their fuel and
their time. Their commandant had been an admiral in the Navy, had anded a Carrier and then been pentagon. He kept these guys hopping. They loved him, and would have done anything for him. He died of cancer, I believe, a few years ago.

Tom

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Derek Crawford
Master Marine Consultant

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3321 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 22:38:08

Duane - I have to second Triley's comments.We have a great CG Aux. on Canyon Lake (many of whom are members of our Club). They are knowlegeable, courteous, helpful and take a lot of work off the shoulders of the Sheriff's Dept. and the Corps of Engineers - now there's a useless bunch! (Only in the USA would they put the Army in charge of bodies of water...)
Derek

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Doug
Captain

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457 Posts

Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 22:43:19

Last weekend the Coasties cruised by me while I sailing Commencement Bay. They were on a much smaller and faster boat than I usually see them with, and there were machine guns, flack jackets, and helmets. Things have changed....

Doug - #1913 Noeta

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Response Posted - 05/16/2002 : 22:45:10

No one is in favor of having people drown to death. On the contrary, greed, waste, and criminal incompetence is no way to help anybody, except only the very few to help themselves.

Andy P.
#5708

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aeckhart
Master Marine Consultant

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USA
1709 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 09:43:06

Andy - I totally agree. Fraud, waste, & abuse in public gov't doesn't help anyone except the abusers. We also have the Coast Guard and Dept of Natural Resources that regularly patrol our waterway - very professional. I spent 3 yrs in the Auxiliary in Virginia. Shame on you Duane. In most cases the Aux will give you a tow when the Coast Guard will not - free. They train hard to very high standards. I would prefer them here on the water than an unused sherrif's patrol boat any day.

Al Eckhart
Gallivant #5801

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jm
Captain

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Canada
290 Posts

Response Posted - 05/17/2002 : 11:18:53

On a somewhat lighter note, here's one for the "priceless" category -- talk about having your marital status put in the public spotlight.

Station St. Clair Shores received a call from a Mrs. Linda Kelly reporting that her husband was six hours overdue in his 24ft Stingray. The station conducted PRECOMS and EXCOMS and Group Detroit issued an urgent marine information broadcast, both with no results. The station conducted a shoreline search from Jefferson Beach up to Metro Beach, including several marina's, while Air Station Detroit conducted two searches. All searches had no results. Immediately after Air Station Detroit completed two first light searches it was reported that Mr. Kelly had contacted his wife and reported that he was alright and was enroute Jefferson Beach. During the after search and rescue boarding it was learned that Mr. Kelly was in the process of leaving his wife the night before, but had a change of heart and was coming home when he encountered fog and got disoriented and lost. He spent the night in Belle River, Canada. CASE CLOSED.

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