Reduced Operations Considered at Avon Station
By TOM SHORTELL
Local officials announced their opposition to a Coast Guard proposal that would reduce operations at the Shark River Coast Guard Station in Avon to the summer months.
The proposal would close the station, located at 125 Washington Ave. in Avon from October to the week before Memorial Day. It is the result of a 10-year study by the Coast Guard on how to best utilize its resources, said Lt. Gene Maeseas.
If you look at the responsibilities of Station Sandy Hook (17 miles away) and Station Manasquan (5.5 miles away), you see they overlap with Station Shark Rivers, Maeseas said.
Technological improvements have played a role in the proposed reduction. An engine upgrade of the H-65 helicopters at Coast Guard Station Atlantic City allows them to assist in rescues, and the new Rescue 21 system, which uses advanced satellites and communication equipment, better relays information, Maeseas said.
U.S. Representative Frank Pallone, who opposes the plan, has organized a public forum Aug. 8 at the station from 7:30 to 9:30 p.m. to allow residents to discuss the proposal with Coast Guard representatives.
Avon Mayor Robert Mahon agreed with Pallone.
In our opinion, its a mistake, he said. The reduced operations would negatively impact not just the Avon community, but the local fishing and boating communities as well.
If the proposal goes through, the crew of seven at Shark River Station would move to Station Manasquan during the off-season months. The move would give two 47 motor life boats to Station Manasquan during the winter months. The motor life boats are the best option for search and rescues out at sea, Maeseas said.
Pallone acknowledged that the boat traffic is greater during the summer months, but the worst weather and the most dangerous conditions at sea occur during the off-season.
I oppose the unnecessary closure of the Shark River Coast Guard Station during the off-season months because it will result in diminished coverage of our shore that could mean the difference between life and death, Pallone said in a press release. Last year alone, there were 13 search and rescue cases documented during the off-season period. If the Shark River Station had been closed during this time, as the Coast Guard is now proposing, these cases would not have been handled in a timely manner.
Pallone also expressed concern that the reduction could be the first step to close the station. Lt. Bill McKinstry said a permanent closure is not in the plans at this time.
This is not the first proposal to make the station seasonal. In 1995, the Coast Guard proposed a plan that would have closed the station during the winter months, but it was unsuccessful.
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