Meet the 2009 Boating Officers of the Year

NASBLA BOAT Program: The Coast Guard’s Force Multiplier

Nov-Dec 2009 | Vol. 24 No. 6 National Association of State Boating Law Administrators NASBLA BOAT Program The Coast Guard’s

By Ames Holbrook, U.S. Coast Force Multiplier Guard Office of Boat Forces Mentally concoct any maritime emergency, and won’t be enough Coast Guard boats in the water immediately after September 11, 2001, and had you can bet that the Coast Guard has to adequately address the Major Event without established a Regional Domestic Security Task already considered it. Our Coast Guard makes its help, and yet the Major Event must be adequately Force (RDST) in each as a cooperative structure living anticipating and defending against the next addressed, then where do we get our help? for multiple agencies to coordinate plans for maritime Major Event that will shake America. Years have been spent struggling with this terrorism and other disasters. Now, following a Catastrophic oil spill immediately off our shores quandary, and, just now, it appears the Coast small-vessel threat summit, a Florida RDST con- – check. Near-simultaneous hurricanes flooding Guard is on the verge of a solution. The solution, sulted with SRI International’s Center for Maritime major population centers on our Atlantic and Gulf it turns out, embodies a level of inter-agency and Port Security (CMPS) in an effort to identify Coasts – check. Foreign-flagged tanker ship skirt- cooperation with few parallels in our era. The the state’s security needs. ing our coast while dropping inflatable speed- same can be said for the route that was taken to Simultaneously, officials on Florida’s west boats loaded with armed terrorists and explosives arrive at it. coast were consulting with CMPS in an effort to into the water every half-mile (think Mumbai Back in the heightened security environment develop a comprehensive naval security platform 2008 on a grand scale) – check. The U.S. Coast that followed September 11, 2001, a seasoned for the Tampa Bay area. When the CMPS staff and Guard has war-gamed these scenarios and count- Coast Guard Boatswain named Mark DuPont was Gary Abernethy (who describes his employer less others, and while it has prepared for them, it escorting liquefied natural gas carriers into Bos- SRI as a non-profit research and development also acknowledges the inescapable truth: When ton Harbor, when the Chief Warrant Officer came company for the public good) analyzed Tampa the day of catastrophe arrives, there will not be to the conclusion that he would have to train local Bay’s security preparedness, they uncovered two enough Coast Guard boats in the water to handle partners in this same task. DuPont set up the significant factors: a disconnect between state and the threat without help. first classes to train Massachusetts maritime law local enforcement, and a strong requirement for This is a sobering thought, but fortunately not enforcement partners, and soon after he brought mutual communication and force multiplication a hopeless one. The U.S. Coast Guard does not the training to . The state of Maine took it with the U.S. Coast Guard. subscribe to “hopeless.” As the smallest and by a step further when it adopted the program and As it happened, the Coast Guard had someone far the least funded branch of America’s military, itself began training more local partners. This got working on this very inter-agency cooperation ef- the Coast Guard has a history of taking initiative to the attention of Admiral , who, as then- fort at the time: none other than Boatswain Mark fix problems on its own (for a modern example, commander of First Coast Guard District, oversaw DuPont, who had been reassigned down the coast see the response to Katrina – while other agencies all Coast Guard operations from to to Florida as a Port Security Specialist following and their leaders were crucified by the public and the Canadian border. Impressed with the tactical his assignment. From the moment he’d media for poor reactions, the Coast Guard was cooperation between agencies, Admiral Crea arrived in the Sunshine State, Florida maritime honored as a model and then-Vice-Admiral Thad suggested it could be a workable program for the authorities had pressed him to help with their Allen was elevated to direct the recovery before entire East Coast. biggest challenge. “We have 29 state and local his ultimate selection as Commandant of the Coast In the southern part of that East Coast, the enforcement agencies on the water in the Miami Guard). state of Florida was occupied in an active quest area alone,” Florida leaders told DuPont. “So how With the same spirit of adaptability and innova- to determine its own maritime enforcement do we get them together?” tion, the Coast Guard long ago set out to answer requirements and capabilities. Then-Governor DuPont gave Florida the answer he’d already the question set up in paragraph one: If there Jeb Bush had divided the state into seven regions put into practice back in Boston and Portland.

Coast Guard Sector Corpus Christi and NASBLA state members rehearse BOAT Program maneuvers at the recent National Association of State Boating Law Administrators annual conference. “Train them together,” he said. “Get them doing Wildlife got the call to respond to Katrina. Former and experience, to repeat the successes while not the same tasks to the same standard.” Between Mississippi-boy Williams was the first to set up repeating the mistakes. the Coast Guard’s DuPont and SRI’s Abernethy, a command center there. His knowledge of the Lessons like these weren’t lost on Mark Florida was hearing a common chord. The urgent territory enabled him to assign the location before DuPont, who was now more determined than need was for the clear exchange of information he’d arrived – a huge parking lot not far from the ever to get more units trained in security and and tactics across agency lines: What the Depart- coastline. Only, when he landed on the ground, he recovery tasks. But stark challenges continued to ment of Homeland Security now likes to call discovered that part of his operating area was now emerge. The Coast Guard was going to need state interoperability. occupied by the dockside casino that Katrina had and local help in a Major Event – that had been Florida acted on the counsel. It was then that ripped off its moorings and thrown down in the decided. But it wasn’t enough to simply provide Florida Fish and Wildlife Captain Brad training, even good training. The training Williams, a former firefighter with roots would have to be standard. Otherwise – if back in Mississippi, began working on the cooperating units didn’t share an a training template that would lay the operational framework, perform drills groundwork for the program that is the same way, use identical terminology – emerging today – a national program the whole program would be useless. The of standardized training, typing, and U.S. Coast Guard couldn’t just trust anoth- credentialing across diverse enforcement er agency to tow a distressed passenger agencies that is shaping up to be the most vessel, or establish security, or protect significant maritime security advance in a high-value target, or conduct a search the United States since Alexander Ham- pattern, to take four essential examples, ilton formed the Revenue Cutter Service if there was no identifiable standard to in 1790. indicate whether that agency was capable But we’re not quite there yet. And on of performing the task. So how did one the way to where we are now, there were go about aligning several-hundred state obstacles that threatened the entire effort. Coast Guard Vice Admiral (center) made a special appear- and local agencies to a single standard? ance at NASBLA’s recent conference and spoke in support of the new BOAT Different agencies working together on Program. Also shown are (l-r) Gary Abernethy, Jeff Wheeler, Mark DuPont, and And where would this seemingly magic the same page is a terrific notion, but John Fetterman. standard come from? history is loaded with such cooperative To answer that, DuPont turned to an notions that wound up derailed over territorial middle of his parking lot. In the understated hu- old friend from his military days: a fellow former disputes, misunderstandings, and that particularly mor characteristic of veteran enforcers, Williams Boatswain by the name of Jeff Wheeler. Wheeler American brand of restless impatience. Years went got on the radio and announced: “Well, there’s had retired from the Coast Guard as a Chief War- by after Williams created the first template. Even not as much room here as I thought there’d be, rant Officer three years earlier, taken a weekend the most valid project can die over time. Interest but it’ll work.” off, and then jumped right back in as a civilian tends to wane, whims change, and supporters fall Hurricane Katrina, we now know, turned out employee. Now he was Deputy Chief of the Office off board. Years of gestation are rarely healthy for to be an epic disaster. But from bad events come of Boat Forces, the headquarters program that a revolution. good morals, and by the time her floodwaters oversees every Coast Guard vessel under 65 feet, By the time Hurricane Katrina slammed the eventually receded, Katrina had managed to make which is to say the more maneuverable class of Gulf Coast on August 29, 2005, Mark DuPont was a lot of people wiser. Among her defining lessons vessels and those that perform the majority of the a retired Coast Guard Boatswain, working for were these: 1) Maritime agencies are going to Coast Guard’s search, rescue, patrol, and security Florida Fish and Wildlife alongside Brad Williams. have to work together, whether they like it or not. missions. Wheeler immediately understood his Not surprisingly, given their hurricane experience 2) Agencies have to evolve to do a better job in old friend’s quandary, and he provided an answer and prime location – outside the Category-3 strike the next disaster, whatever it is. 3) Agencies have in the form of the Coast Guard’s Boat Operations zone, but close enough to help – Florida Fish and to engage in strict evaluation, of both training and Training (BOAT) Manual. This was the pub- NASBLA BOAT Program…CONTINUED lication outlining the basic skills of Coast Guard that the Coast Guard wouldn’t be able to handle ing (C-PORT, the foremost national water towing boat crews: everything from donning a life jacket without help, NASBLA had just hatched the and salvage association) was equally eager. Said to navigating a search pattern. Together, DuPont, program that would deliver that help. The force C-PORT Chairman Terry Hill: “We’re the biggest Abernethy and Wheeler stripped the book of its multiplier would effectively put more good guys in first-responder on the water. The Coast Guard Coast-Guard-specific material and adapted it to the water, not only to help each other, but to work does twenty-four thousand search and rescue a civilian format covering the skills necessary for side-by-side to help the federal authorities – the missions a year. We do over a hundred thousand. state and local boat units to assist in the handling Coast Guard, FEMA, and the rest – in times of We also call in migrant and drug offenders. We’ve of emergencies and emergent threats. A new train- national crisis. got two thousand licensed captains on boats right ing doctrine was born. By the end of summer, NASBLA had generated now. We’re a natural for this.” If this seems like a decisive moment, it was. No full-blown momentum for the plan. At their an- If the conference buzz is a fair indication, the program like this had ever existed. But DuPont nual conference, held September, 2009, in Corpus real challenge may be getting the program moving and Wheeler stopped short of celebrating. They Christi, Texas, the organization publicly unveiled fast enough to keep up with demand. That too is had a great plan, but neither Florida Fish and its NASBLA Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) underway. The first training course was scheduled Wildlife nor the U.S. Coast Guard was suitable to Program: the formal curriculum based on the for October, 2009, in Miami for Florida enforce- take it national. There remained the very large Coast-Guard-standard manual Wheeler, Abernethy, ment personnel, to be followed in November by a matter of implementation. and DuPont had created. The mood was high joint Coast Guard and Sheriff’s Department course There was really only one player in the boating when NASBLA Past President John C. Fetterman in Charleston, South Carolina. universe that had a chance of putting something pronounced: “If we roll this out inclusive of our This is where we stand today. The BOAT like this into effect on the national level. The Na- partners, we will succeed.” Program enables a maritime enforcement unit to tional Association of Boating Law Administrators Coast Guard Vice Admiral David Pekoske made qualify in standardized tasks that will be recog- (NASBLA), a nonprofit organization best known a special appearance at the conference and spoke nized by a national authority. State and local agen- for developing public policy for recreational boat- in support of the program. NASBLA bestowed its cies may choose, a la carte, from useful maritime ing safety, was a philosophical match. NASBLA had first Compass Award to Florida Fish and Wildlife skills. Boat personnel can be trained and qualified a history of positive partnership with the Coast for their having created the national model, with in those skills, and have their certifications listed Guard in the arena of boating safety and grants. Mark DuPont and Brad Williams accepting. And by date and type in the national database so that Beyond that, their countrywide network, devel- for the invaluable help Jeff Wheeler had provided, their neighbors and federal authorities can tap oped over years of representing boating authori- Capt. Richard Moore, then-NASBLA President, the skilled units in time of need. Participation ties in every U.S. state and territory, poised them personally presented Wheeler with the President’s in the program is purely voluntary, and units perfectly to take the lead. With the help of DuPont Award. may take part to exactly the degree they desire. and Wheeler, NASBLA rapidly emerged as the most The words and awards were gratifying, but the If New Orleans Harbor Police wants the Vessel important player on the scene, and, ultimately, as NASBLA organization did not rest on them. The Posing Imminent Threat (VPIT) training, but not the father of the program that would dramatically site of the conference being Texas, it seemed only the search pattern training, and the Oregon State advance maritime security in America. appropriate to back up all the ceremony with an Police wants it the other way around, this is fine. In January 2009, NASBLA’s board created a action-packed demonstration. Conference partici- Every agency that qualifies in any standardized Council of Partners comprised of itself, some pants, including the U.S. Coast Guard, Florida Fish task will immediately become an asset to national private entities, SRI, the Florida Fish and Wildlife and Wildlife, Texas Parks and Wildlife, Kentucky security. Commission, the U.S. Navy Center for Asymmetric Fish and Wildlife, Boston Whaler, Protector, SAFE It will no longer be the Coast Guard alone Warfare, the Federal Emergency Management Boat, and Zodiac, engaged in a realistic on-water protecting Americans from the effects of the cata- Agency, the Federal Law Enforcement Training exercise in the Gulf of . While a large strophic oil spill, the back-to-back hurricanes, Center, and the U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boat audience braved the Texas afternoon sun to watch and the speedboats full of terrorists. When the Forces (these last three in the Department of from shore, boat crews role-played good guys next Major Event strikes, the United States Coast Homeland Security). NASBLA, in a letter explain- and bad guys in a string of scenarios, with boats Guard will respond, as they have throughout his- ing the BOAT Program, subsequently tasked performing maneuvers to defend a high-value ma- tory. Only this time, if this program stays on track, the Council of Partners to stand up a maritime rine asset from attack. The demonstration came the Coast Guard will look to its port and starboard enforcement coalition whose purpose would be off flawlessly, driving home the big theme: Behold on the water, and see all the help they need. to train different local and state agencies to one what different agencies can accomplish together standard, in order to “become a force multiplier when we all train to a single standard. –Ames Holbrook is a full-time writer for the U.S. Coast on the nation’s waterways for both local and The reaction in the field was overwhelming. Guard’s Office of Boat Forces, in the Dept. of Homeland Security. regional interoperability.” In essence, the final State and local agencies lined up to become part product would be a nationwide flotilla of skilled of the BOAT program. And some unexpected par- boat crews that knew each other’s capabilities, ties came forward too. Vendors swarmed NASBLA spoke the same language in crises, and could be to ask what kinds of boats and equipment they activated with a single call. could offer to support the program. The Confer- Returning to the dilemma of the Major Event ence of Professional Operators for Response Tow-

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