The sinking of the Titanic (1912), Eastern Air Lines Flight 633 plane crash off Jones Beach (1965), John F. Kennedy, Jr. plane crash (1999), September 11, 2001, Miracle on the Hudson (2009), 3 lost-at-sea football players (2009) … all have one very important connection in common – The United States Coast Guard.

In 1790, the first Congress established the Revenue Cutter Service when ten vessels were commissioned to enforce tariff and trade laws and to prevent smuggling. In 1915, the Revenue Cutter Service and the United States Life-Saving Service merged to become the United States Coast Guard. As the Nation grew, and as national security concerns increased, the USCG has expanded in size and responsibility. It is interesting to note that in peacetime, the USCG operates under the direction of the Department of Homeland Security; while in times of war (or at the direction of the President); the Coast Guard operates as a service in the Department of the Navy.

On Saturday morning, March 21 the LIWHS (Long Island Wireless Historical Society, www.liwhs.org) welcomed Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 18-03 Commander, Bill Tooker, and US Coast Guard Auxiliary member, Rick André. These men delivered an interesting, informal, and extremely educational two-part presentation about the history and future of radio communication, as it relates to the mission of the US Coast Guard. As one of our Nation’s five armed forces (and the smallest armed service of the US), the Coast Guard’s mission is, “… to protect the public, the environment, and the United States economic and security interests in any maritime region in which those interests may be at risk, including international waters and America's coasts, ports, and inland waterways”.

Commander Bill Tooker regaled us with the Coast Guard’s history -- For hundreds of year’s lighthouses, erected every few miles along the outer coast, were built to mark and signal hazardous areas of waterways. Communication from ship to shore simply did not exist. As water use gained popularity (for business as well as pleasure), more and more shipwrecks occurred along the East Coast. When you set out to sea hundreds of years ago, your chances of returning safe and sound, in one piece, were not very good. However, if your vessel got into trouble close enough off shore for a rescue to be initiated by the Coast Guard your chances of survival increased substantially -- the Coast Guard adopted as its unofficial motto, "You have to go out, but you don't have to come back", from the 1899 regulations of the United States Life Saving Service. Simply put, members of the US Coast Guard were prepared to put their life on the line in order to save yours.

The sinking of the Titanic (1912) heralded in a new era of communication on the high seas. While the Titanic did have radio equipment on board there were not enough similarly equipped ships nearby or rescue resources with radios to receive the ‘Mayday’ distress signals from the doomed liner. Additionally, at that time, no system existed to guard ships in the Northwest Atlantic Ocean against the perils of floating ice. In 1914, the International Ice Patrol was established to monitor the movement of icebergs and oceanographic conditions in the Grand Banks region of the North Atlantic Ocean to warn transatlantic mariners of iceberg dangers.

During the late 1800’s-early 1900’s, wireless and radio communication was being explored, tested and perfected by men such as David E. Hughes, Heinrich Hertz, Nikola Tesla, and Guglielmo Marconi. Eventually all maritime vessels would have communication equipment installed in order to better navigate the seas or locate a ship in distress, in order to join in a search and rescue.

Today shipping vessels (as well as pleasure craft) have radar, sonar, cell, satellite, and GPS at their disposal. However, the United States Coast Guard is not satisfied with the communication systems that are in use today. There is no ‘industry standard’ so to speak, and this sad fact can often mean the difference between rescue …or…recovery.

The goal of Rescue 21 is to enable the USCG to be linked, via a standard means of communication, with Federal, State and local rescue services, as well as nearby boats, in order to swiftly respond to a ‘Mayday’ vessel, in real time. In my research for this article I was struck by the statement, “… with the implementation of the Rescue 21 system, the Coast Guard is trying to take the ‘search’ out of ‘search and rescue’”.

As of 12/31/2008, Rescue 21 was operational in the following Sector Regions: Long Island Sound, New York, Hampton Roads, Delaware Bay, Baltimore, Mobile, St. Petersburg, Miami, Key West, Jacksonville, Seattle, Group/Air Station Port Angeles, New Orleans, Portland, Group/Air Station Astoria, OR, Group/Air Station North Bend, Houston/Galveston. At present, the timeline for achieving full operating capability of Rescue 21 is 2011.

The following italicized paragraphs outline, much better than I ever could, exactly what Rescue 21 is. I obtained this information directly from the US Coast Guard website (see link below):

“The Coast Guard has implemented a major systems acquisition program entitled Rescue 21 (www.uscg.mil/ACQUISITION/rescue21/). By harnessing global positioning and cutting-edge communications technology, Rescue 21 enables the Coast Guard to perform all missions with greater agility and efficiency. The new system will close 88 known coverage gaps in coastal areas of the United States, enhancing the safety of life at sea. The system's expanded system frequency capacity enables greater coordination with the Department of Homeland Security, as well as other Federal, State and local agencies and first responders.

Rescue 21 will cover coastline, navigable rivers, and waterways in the continental United States, Alaska, Hawaii, Guam, and Puerto Rico. By replacing outdated legacy technology with a fully integrated system, Rescue 21 provides the Coast Guard with upgraded tools and technology to protect the nation’s coasts and rescue mariners at sea.

“Installation of Rescue 21 across the nation represents a quantum leap forward in command, control, and communications. By closing coastal coverage gaps and capturing more accurate data from radio transmissions, the system offers an essential tool in maritime security, search and rescue and marine environmental protection.”
— Admiral Thad W. Allen, Commandant, U.S. Coast Guard

In closing, dear Reader, I want to tell you that the Long Island Wireless Historical Society (631-378-4564) is a fascinating and interesting group of men and women. Please check out their website: www.liwhs.org, and mark on your calendars this date: Saturday, April 18, 2009. On April 18, the LIWHS and WCWP Radio (www.liu.edu) present Long Island Radio & TV Day at the Tilles Center Atrium (CW Post Campus, 720 Northern Blvd., Brookville, NY). I plan to attend, please try to come, as well.

Rick Andre, CG Auxiliarist & Bill Tooker, Flotilla Commander

Contact the writer, Ginnie Moore: gmoorecalla@optonline.net