U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 08 September 2008

Contact: Anthony Turner
Chief, External Communications Division 
(562) 577-0343 
anthony.j.turner@uscg.mil
http://www.new.auxpa.org/

Coast Guard Auxiliary Remains Ready to Answer the Call - Answers the Call following Hurricane

With the Atlantic Hurricane season in full swing, members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are at a heightened state of readiness not only in the affected areas but all over the country. In southern California for example Auxiliary members of the Coast Guard concentrated on honing their communications skills by establishing a makeshift communications center, very similar to the makeshift communications centers that were established in the aftermath of Hurricanes Katrina, Rita and now Gustav and perhaps Ike.

Although the temporary radio station established this weekend was used to maintain communications between the Coast Guard  Operations Center at Sector  Los Angeles/ Long Beach and Coast Guard Auxiliary boats assisting civilian planners with a regatta patrol in Dana Point Harbor, California, "the effort provided practical experience in establishing a communications center that could be duplicated anywhere in the United States in 5-hours or less" said Harry Jacobs, the Incident Command Section Chief for Communications for the exercise.  "Disasters such as hurricanes and earthquakes have the potential to disrupt traditional communications such as landline, satellite and cellular telephone service and so we train to be able provide conventional radio communications in an emergency" according to Bill Sholz a communications specialist for the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Immediately after Hurricane Gustav struck, Coast Guard Auxiliary communications specialist put their training to work “real time” and set up a makeshift communications center in the affected area. Other Auxiliary units have been mobilized providing logistical support to Coast Guard Sector New Orleans and outlying Coast Guard units in the region. More than 50 Auxiliary members are involved in everything from surveying marinas and harbors for sunken boats and floating hazards to the delivery of personnel, food, water and ice to the affected area.

With Hurricane Ike looming in the distance,  Auxiliary units around the country will remain ready to serve. 

Pictured above - Coast Guard Auxiliary personnel operate a makeshift communications center as part of a communications training exercise. (U.S. Coast Guard Photo by Anthony Turner)

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports the Coast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcement actions.

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