Flotilla Press Releases

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March 5, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Sandy Hook is asking boaters to report ice or winter weather damage to the US Coast Guard. “Although this winter has felt mild at times, the cold spells have created significant ice on the rivers and bays in our area” said Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly. “This ice can damage docks and slips, and even move navigational buoys. If this damage hinders safe navigation or hurts the environment, you can report it to the Coast Guard”. With another period of cold weather expected this week, more ice may form on the waters in our area.

The US Coast Guard is responsible for the monitoring and maintenance of Federal aids to navigation in the waters around Monmouth and Middlesex Counties and all of the coastlines of New Jersey. This includes the repair and positioning of many buoys, day markers, and lights. The Coast Guard also protects the environment around the waterfront, which includes watching for oil and debris in the water, or damage to protective bulkheads and docks.

Reports of damaged or missing buoys or navigational markers can be called in to the US Coast Guard at Station Sandy Hook by phone at (732)872-3428 or by emailing them to our Flotilla at info@a0140202.uscgaux.info. “We’ve had buoys in the Shrewsbury River that have been partially submerged, damaged, or moved by the ice in some years. When the Coast Guard gets a report of one, they can dispatch a special team on a locally based Coast Guard Buoy Tender to examine the area and either repair, replace, or reposition a damaged item.” Added Flotilla Commander Gillooly. “The most important thing is to get early reports so that repairs can be made quickly. The longer it takes, the greater the risk that the buoy may sink or a boater may not realize that it’s in the wrong place.”. In our area the Buoy Tenders are docked at Bayonne, NJ and work with the Aids to Navigation Team – New York which covers all of the area around the Port of NY / NJ.

(Photos of ice and buoys in our area and Interviews with Flotilla Officers or Examiners are available upon request)

February 23, 2007 – Middletown, NJ: In a time honored tradition acted out here this evening, the command of the Sandy Hook, NJ Flotilla of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary was passed from one New Jersey resident to another. The formal black tie dinner at Jaque’s was attended by over 30 Auxiliary and Coast Guard members and members of their families.

In a traditional ceremony that included the presentation of awards to the unit’s top performing members, Bill Anania of Middletown, NJ passed command of the Flotilla to Steve Gillooly of Somerset, NJ. Mr. Anania assumed the position of Vice Captain of the 2^nd Division of the Auxiliary, which includes six Flotillas in the Monmouth and Middlesex County area, at an earlier ceremony in Atlantic Highlands, NJ. A member of the Auxiliary for 5 years, Mr. Anania was Flotilla Commander at Sandy Hook since 2005, and previously was Vice Commander, and held several Staff Officer positions in the Flotilla and Division. Bill lives with his wife and son in Middletown, NJ.

The incoming Flotilla Commander, Mr. Gillooly, has been a member of the US Coast Guard Auxiliary for six years, and has previously served as a Flotilla Staff Officer, Division Staff Officer, and Assistant District Staff Officer. He has held the position of Vice Flotilla Commander for several years, serving with Mr. Anania since 2005. “It is an honor and a privilege to lead such a distinguished unit at such an important time in its history” said Mr. Gillooly. “Flotilla 22’s members have long served with the Coast Guard in our missions of Boating Safety, Operational Support, and Homeland Security, and I am proud to be able to build on a the award winning tradition of this unit. Our priorities for 2007 will include maintenance of this high standard of operational excellence, and recruiting new volunteer members to help us to grow and expand our capabilities.” Flotilla 22 has been recognized with the Boat/US ‘Best Flotilla in the USA’ award, the Coast Guard First District’s Admiral’s Award for Operational Excellence, several Coast Guard Unit Commendations, and in 2006 was presented the Presidential Unit Citation along with the rest of the Coast Guard for activities and support during the hurricanes along the gulf coast. He lives in Somerset, NJ with his wife and two sons.

The incoming Vice Flotilla Commander for 2007 is Frank Giblin from Rumson, NJ. Frank has been a member of the Flotilla for 18 years, and is an active Flotilla and Division Staff Officer, Boat Crew member, and Vessel Examiner. Frank and his family live in Rumson, NJ. This is Frank’s first term as a Flotilla Vice Commander.

At the dinner, Awards were presented to members who were recognized for their outstanding contributions in the operations of the Flotilla. Those included top operational Coxswain award to Dolores Verbanaz of Wrightstown, NJ and Lou Bopp of Tinton Falls. Top crew awards were presented to Trudy Bopp of Tinton Falls, and Don Lambrecht of Ocean, NJ. The Marine Safety award was presented to Ms. Verbanaz and to Donna Cole from Little Falls, NJ. The top Coast Guard Operational Support awards were presented to Phyllis Lindmeier of Highlands, NJ and Mr. Gillooly. The Dobbins Award for the outstanding Auxiliary Flotilla Member of the Year was presented to Trudy Bopp.

Honored Guest speakers at the event included US Coast Guard Chief Warrant Officer Todd Stoughton, the commanding officer of Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook, and Chief Petty Officer Joseph Carlino, the Executive Petty Officer of the Station.

Flotilla 22 is one of the oldest in the Coast Guard Auxiliary, having been founded in 1942 as a part of the Coast Guard Reserve, later to become the all volunteer civilian Auxiliary. The Auxiliary supports the Coast Guard in all of its missions, and works directly with the boating public to promote safety and boating education. During the boating season the Flotilla conducts safety and search & rescue patrols in Sandy Hook Bay, the Shrewsbury and Navesink Rivers, Raritan Bay, and the Raritan River. Anyone interested in more information about the unit or how to join can visit their web site at www.boatsafenj.org.

(Photographs of the event and interviews with award winners are available upon request)

March 1, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Sandy Hook is reminding boaters that there is still time to get the required New Jersey boating safety training done before summer.

“The cold months are the best time for getting the required courses done.” says Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly. “This is a great time, before the warm weather arrives and boaters get busy preparing and using their boats.”

The most popular of the Flotilla’s boating courses, the America’s Boating Course or ABC, only takes 8 hours and includes the NJ Boating Safety Certificate which is required for most power boat operators in NJ waters. Flotilla 22 has ABC courses at Red Bank High School that start on March 6^th, march 12^th, and April 16^th. An Advanced Coastal Navigation Course will start on March 12^th. This course covers more complex topics such as navigation, course planning, and boat operations. All courses are taught by US Coast Guard Auxiliary trained and certified instructors using professionally developed training materials, and include a completion certificate and the NJ Boating Safety Certificate.

For more information on these courses, or to request a course for your group, please call Public Education Officer Len Pampaloni of Jackson, NJ at (732)928-5246. Course information and registration forms are available on the Flotilla website at www.boatsafenj.org .

(Interviews with Flotilla Officers or Instructors are available upon request)

March 1, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: US Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Highlands, NJ reminds boaters that they should check their equipment for expired safety equipment during the off season

“Emergency flares expire 42 months after manufacture” explains Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly of Somerset, NJ. “The date of expiration should be printed on the side of the flare. If the date has passed, or even if it is coming up this season, this is a good time to visit your favorite boating supply store and pick up a fresh set.” Most recreational boats are required to carry at least 3 day/night signaling flares, but the exact number and type depend on the size of your boat. “Information on the required safety equipment is available at major boating retailers, and at the Coast Guard Auxiliary’s national web site www.cgaux.org

” added Flotilla Commander Gillooly.

The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the volunteer branch of the US Coast Guard, and works with boaters to help them to understand the required safety equipment for their boats, and to conduct free vessel safety checks. “A vessel safety check is a no-risk and no-charge visit by a trained and certified Coast Guard Auxiliary Vessel Safety Examiner who will go through the required equipment with a boat owner. If anything is found to be missing or expired there is no penalty or fine to the boater. We want you to be safe, and this is a fast and simple way to verify that you’ve got the right equipment.” During the summer months, the examiners of Flotilla 22 conducts hundreds of safety checks on boats at local marinas and launching ramps. “Most boats are great, but every now and then we find something that the owner didn’t realize was missing – that’s a win for the boater, and for the Coast Guard. If we can prevent one rescue, or help someone get help faster when the need it, our work has been worth it” added the Flotilla Commander and long time vessel examiner.

For more information on boating safety and to request a free vessel safety check please go to our Flotilla website at www.boatsafenj.org .

(Photos of Vessel Safety Checks and Interviews with Flotilla Officers or Examiners are available upon request)

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March 15, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: Members of Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Sandy Hook have recently received several service awards from the US Coast Guard. These awards are in recognition of individual contributions the all-volunteer unit and the Coast Guard.

The awards were presented at the monthly meeting of Division 2 at Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook. In attendance were the Auxiliary Division Officers, Flotilla Commanders, and the Commanding Officer of Station Sandy Hook, Chief Warrant Officer Todd Stoughton, who personally presented several of the awards.

Flotilla 22 at Sandy Hook has 32 active members who provide thousands of hours of operational support, boating safety and public education activities to support Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook. For more information on our Flotilla or to speak with one of our Staff Officers about becoming a member, please refer to our Flotilla website at www.boatsafenj.org or email us at info@a0140202.uscgaux.info.

(Interviews with Flotilla Officers are available upon request)

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March 15, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Sandy Hook announces their Staff Officers for 2007. Local residents make up the majority of these important volunteer positions in the unit.

“The Coast Guard Auxiliary is the volunteer part of the US Coast Guard. Our operational units are called Flotillas” explained Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly. “We are organized around the critical missions and programs that support the Coast Guard. Each of those areas has a Staff Officer who coordinates and leads those programs. These officers report to our Chief of Staff, the Vice Flotilla Commander, Frank Giblin, from Rumson, NJ.

The programs and their staff officers are:

Aids to Navigation – Colleen Pinelli from Port Monmouth, NJ

Communications – Lou Bopp from Tinton Falls, NJ

Marine Safety – Donna Cole from Little Falls NJ

Operations – Don Lambrecht from Ocean, NJ

Public Education – Lenny Pampaloni from Jackson, NJ

Program Visiting – Trudy Bopp from Tinton Falls, NJ

Vessel Examination – Bill Anania from Middletown, NJ

Operating such a busy Flotilla requires that we have some of the similar administrative departments as a small business. These staff officers provide important support to keep our unit operating smoothly:

Finances – Dolores Verbanaz from Wrightstown, NJ

Information Services – Steve Gillooly from Somerset, NJ

Materials – Roger Beales from Eatontown, NJ

Member Training – Paulette Nedrow from Cedar Grove, NJ

Personnel Services – Steve Gillooly

Publications – Trudy Bopp from Tinton Falls, NJ

Public Affairs – Scott Handsuch from Randolph, NJ

Secretary & Records – Mark Fleder from Westfield, NJ

For more information on our Flotilla or to speak with one of our Staff Officers about becoming a member of our Flotilla, please refer to our Flotilla website at www.boatsafenj.org .

(Interviews with Flotilla Officers or Instructors are available upon request)

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March 15, 2007 – Highlands, NJ: Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 in Sandy Hook has completed their updated incident response plans for 2007. In coordination with other Coast Guard and Auxiliary units in the area these plans will enable the busy volunteer unit to respond to emergencies in Monmouth and Middlesex Counties when called.

The US Coast Guard uses a system called the Incident Command System to standardize and coordinate the complex mobilization of people and equipment whenever there is an emergency in our area. Such an emergency could range from a small oil spill, a major storm or flooding condition, or anything that required several Coast Guard cutters, boats, units, and personnel to respond.

The Auxiliary Flotilla at Sandy Hook is no exception to this process, and has updated their incident response plans to incorporate the latest updates to the system that have been adopted by Homeland Security and the Coast Guard. “All of our members go through incident command and response training, and our officers and operational units go through as many as four or more advanced training courses to be prepared to work with the Coast Guard whenever requested” said Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly. “Our boat crews all must take Incident Command course 100 and 200 , while boat commanders, called Coxswains, must additionally complete courses 700, and 800.” The courses are all provided at no charge through online training systems managed by FEMA, and locally coordinated by the Flotilla Member Training officer Paulette Nedrow, and Marine Safety officer Donna Cole. The training is linked to emergency response plans that are meticulously documented for each member, and are reinforced with periodic training and practice drills throughout the year. “We have used our response plans to mobilize in support of the Coast Guard for drills, storm damage assessments, and special event support” added Flotilla Commander Gillooly. “each time we use the plans we update and improve them for the next time we are called out.”

(Interviews with Flotilla Officers or Instructors are available upon request)

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April 11, 2007– Highlands, NJ: The US Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary remind boaters that even if the air is warm, the water temperatures around Sandy Hook and the local waters of the Shrewsbury and Navesink rivers are still dangerously low.

“Average water temperatures this week have been in the low 40’s” said Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly. “Survival time in water this cold can be as short as 30-60 minutes.” Boaters should take the extra time to verify their boat’s readiness to get underway. Ensure that plugs are in place, and pumps are operational.

“A vessel safety check will provide boaters with verification that their safety equipment is current and meets the minimum Federal requirements for their kind of boat” added Flotilla Commander Gillooly. “All boaters at this time of year should be wearing their life jackets at all times, especially boaters in kayaks and other small paddle craft.”

"There are many people heading out on our inland and coastal waters," said Al Johnson, recreational boating specialist for the Northeast's First Coast Guard District. "Boaters, paddlers and others venturing out on any body of water at this time of year should have a definite plan of action in the event of sudden cold water immersion. Regrettably, so far this year, we've already lost a small boat fisherman and a canoeist," lamented Johnson. "Neither was wearing a life jacket. In the last couple of weeks, we also lost an experienced and properly equipped whitewater kayaker in Maine, and this week we lost two boaters in Long Island Sound, neither of whom was wearing a life jacket."

Johnson recommends a two-step process for surviving in cold water immersion. The first step is wearing a life jacket, and the second step is researching and understanding the latest concepts in cold water and hypothermia awareness and protection.

"Remember, when you're on the water, you're in command," said Johnson. "When you're in the water, you're at the mercy of the elements. And, if you're not properly prepared, the encounter will possibly be fatal. Plain and simple, cold water kills!"

To request a free safety check at their home, boatyard, or marina boaters can contact the Flotilla at info@a0140202.uscgaux.info or by going to their website at http://www.boatsafenj.org .

Flotilla 22 at Sandy Hook has 32 active members who provide thousands of hours of operational support, boating safety and public education activities to support Coast Guard Station Sandy Hook. For more information please check our Flotilla website at www.boatsafenj.org or email us at info@a0140202.uscgaux.info.

(Interviews with Flotilla Officers are available upon request)

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April 12, 2007– Highlands, NJ: Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 22 at Station Sandy Hook received word that they were able to connect some 5^th graders with a Coast Guard Port Security Unit serving in Iraq. This is the story of how that simple connection brought a small school in NJ closer to our service members overseas.

Flotilla Commander Steve Gillooly said, “We put a link to “Any CoastGuardsman”^® (http://anycoastguardsman.com) on our Flotilla’s web page (http://www.boatsafenj.org). The web site provides information on how you can send the crews items that they need for comfort and morale, and how to send other letters and packages directly to them. It’s a simple idea with a powerful impact!” added Gillooly.

The “Any CoastGuardsman”^®web site was the idea of Sergeant Brian Horn from LaPlata, Maryland, an Army Infantry Soldier with the 173rd Airborne Brigade. He was in the Kirkuk area of Iraq when he started the idea to help care for his soldiers by distributing packages that came to him with "Attn: Any Soldier" in the address to soldiers who didn't get mail.

Back in New Jersey, Donna Cole, who is also the Flotilla Chaplain and Marine Safety Staff Officer, sent the link to the Director of a school where she used to work. Donna thought that maybe some of the students would be interested in making a class project out of connecting with some of our Coast Guard family members serving far from home. It would turn out that she was right!

Theresa Miller's 5th grade class at St. Jude Church in Budd Lake, NJ wrote letters to all of the Coast Guard personnel that they found through the website. Just a few weeks ago each student in her class received a personalized letter from Coasties in Iraq. The unit that contacted them is called US Coast Guard Patrol Forces Southwest Asia (PATFORSWA). PATFORSWA conducts security boardings on large ships, river patrols, and oil platform security missions. Shore-side personnel are responsible for maintenance on in-port cutters, providing anti-terrorism force protection support to dry-docked cutters, and augmentation of the Navy’s security forces. The Coast Guard personnel assigned to PATFORSWA are overseas for about one year per assignment.

The 5^th grade students in New Jersey were thrilled to hear from these real live heroes, were very excited to get a picture of Chief Petty Officer Heath standing with a real camel! (It’s not clear whether the camel is a part of his unit, or on official duty)

Thanks to the efforts of Donna Cole we were able to play a part in connecting a group of 5^th graders with some of our Coast Guard service members overseas. Everyone learned from the experience, and the world felt just a little bit smaller!