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Hundreds of thousands of Mainers and tourists flock
to our pristine beaches, inland lakes, and
connecting waterways each year to partake in
seasonal activities. Recreational boaters, fishermen
and swimmers explore the vast diversity of Maine’s
5,300 miles of coastline, countless inland lakes,
and endless rivers and streams - often with family
in tow - often without thinking that their personal
safety could be endangered. It is almost a
second-thought for Mainers and visitors alike that
should an emergency arise, trained professionals
will be able to quickly respond. Currently, 24-hour
emergency search and rescue capabilities provide
comprehensive coverage across our state and off our
coastlines, continuing in a proud Maine tradition
held for decades. This tradition must be ensured for
decades to follow. Dedicated to ensuring adequate,
continuous coverage, I authored a provision in the
Coast Guard Authorization Act of 1998 that required
the Coast Guard to provide a report to Congress
identifying waters out to 50 miles from the
territorial sea of Maine that could not be served by
multi-mission Coast Guard search and rescue
helicopters within two hours of a report of
distress. However, in March 2004, I was deeply
concerned to learn of a proposed transfer of the
only two search and rescue helicopters from the
Brunswick Naval Air Station to destinations outside
of Maine, and far beyond the state’s northern
coastline and waters.
As Chair of the Senate Commerce Subcommittee on
Oceans, Fisheries and Coast Guard, I immediately
recognized the extensive coverage gap that would be
created, prolonging emergency responders from
reaching potential life-threatening situations. I
contacted Admiral Thomas Collins - Commandant of the
U.S. Coast Guard - and requested that the Coast
Guard provide a comprehensive briefing of the future
status of rescue helicopters presently stationed at
the Naval Air Station. Additionally, I petitioned
Admiral Vernon Clark, Chief of Naval Operations, to
provide a reason as to the Navy’s decision to remove
the search and rescue helicopters.
To further examine shortfalls of search and
rescue coverage, both in Maine and in waters across
the country, I conducted a Senate oversight hearing
in April. While I recognize the Coast Guard is
resource-limited and must make resource decisions
based on prudent risk management, it is critical to
ensure the State of Maine, and waters across the
country, are adequately protected at all times. The
presence of the Brunswick units dramatically reduces
the potential for the unnecessary loss of life off
Maine’s coasts and, therefore, must be protected by
any means available. Over the past year alone, the
thirteen missions and five rescues performed by the
helicopter units stationed at Brunswick in Maine
coastal waters provide further justification of the
necessity of a round-the-clock search and rescue
presence.
I was pleased when the Admiral Collins promptly
replied with a plan to alleviate the concerns of not
only myself, but the countless mariners who take to
Maine’s waters each year. The Coast Guard’s plan
included the initial deployment of three additional
fast-response boats this year along the coast of
Maine with nine additional boats to follow in
subsequent years. They also established an agreement
with the Canadian Coast Guard to ensure that search
and rescue helicopter coverage from nearby Nova
Scotia is made available. Additionally, both the
U.S. and Canadian Coast Guards will participate in a
Search and Rescue Exercise this summer to
demonstrate the feasibility of this proposed plan. I
also secured the assurance that the search and
rescue helicopters based at Air Station Cape Cod in
Massachusetts will be able to pre-stage and refuel
at the Brunswick Naval Air Station whenever
necessary.
This past June, however, I secured yet another
assurance that search and rescue units would be
maintained at Brunswick, throughout the state, and
across the country. A provision I co-authored with
Senators Trent Lott (R-MS), Thad Cochran (R-MS) and
fellow Mainer Susan Collins was adopted by the full
Senate to the fiscal year 2005 (FY05) Defense
Authorization Bill, which preserves the nation’s
search and rescue capabilities, including the units
at Brunswick. Specifically, the bill dictates that
the Secretary of Defense is not allowed to reduce or
eliminate any search and rescue capability at any
U.S. military installation without first
demonstrating that equivalent search and rescue
capabilities will be provided without interruption
by other federal agencies in accordance with the
National Search and Rescue Plan. As the FY05 Defense
Authorization Bill enters into House-Senate
conference, I will continue to fight for the search
and rescue provision to be included in the final
legislation.
Ensuring that mariners in Maine’s waters, and
waters across the U.S., are adequately protected at
all times is vital to safe recreational boating,
swimming and various other water-related activities.
As the summer season heats up, thousands of Mainers
and tourists will again take to our state’s lakes
and coasts - and they will do so with the knowledge
that there will be no interruption to the Maine
tradition of reliable emergency services by
professional responders available whenever a call
should come in.
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