MONTAUK, N.Y. – The Coast Guard and several Long Island, N.Y., fire departments signed an agreement to standardize search and rescue training and recovery efforts between the agencies during a ceremony held at Montauk Fire Department, Wednesday.
The agreement was drafted to align firefighter at-sea training standards with those of the Coast Guard, the first of its kind to be completed in Eastern Long Island. Twelve firefighters from the Montauk, Sag Harbor, and Shelter Island fire departments were recognized for completing the Coast Guard training.
“Through this training, we greatly strengthened our partnerships with some of the local fire departments,” said Petty Officer 1st Class Derek Paulsen, executive petty officer Coast Guard Station Montauk. “The station boat crews can now respond alongside these fire department marine units as one unified team.”
The 30-hour training is taught in a classroom and underway by expert boat handlers of Station Montauk and of the East End Marine Task Force, covering the fundamentals of response safety, risk assessment, communications, navigation and search and rescue.
The pilot training program by Station Montauk is part of a larger initiative by Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound, Conn., to train alongside and work closer with its many partner fire departments that respond to emergencies off the coasts of Connecticut and Long Island.
