Civilians aid Coast Guard efforts
U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Andre Billeaudeaux at Coast Guard Group/Air
Station
By Marcie Miller
Peninsula Daily News
PORT ANGELES -- U.S. Coast Guard Lt. Cmdr. Andre
Billeaudeaux, the founder of a volunteer group that helps watch the coast, describes
himself as a Cajun who believes that "simple solutions make sense."
He has applied that rule to what can be a complex
problem for the Coast Guard -- monitoring the hundreds of miles of
Billeaudeaux, director of auxiliary for the 13th Coast
Guard District based in Seattle, is the creator of Citizen's Action Network,
which could be called the "citizens' Coast Guard."
It is the eyes and ears of the Coast Guard.
The network consists of ordinary civilians who have one
thing in common -- they live on the coast.
Billeaudeaux thought of the idea to enlist the
assistance of people who lived in houses overlooking the water while on duty in
He patrolled the waters, looking for illegal aliens from
the
"I thought, why don't they [the Coast Guard] just
let those people be on the lookout?" he said.
He was able to implement his idea when he was
transferred to the
The program has been operating under the auspices of the
Coast Guard Auxiliary for 10 years, without funding.
It depends heavily on an all-volunteer crew and
donations of equipment such as night vision goggles.
"This is government at its best level --the citizens'
level," he said.
The volunteers assist the Coast Guard in monitoring the
coastline from Puget Sound to the
They may be called on to help locate overdue or stolen
vessels, give on-site weather conditions or report suspicious activity.
A map on the group's Web site at www.citizen
sactionnetwork.net shows dense clusters of dots for the approximately 350
watchers in
"Some of these members have lived in their houses
for 40 years," Billeaudeaux said. "Their area knowledge is
priceless."
Network members are alerted by a variety of methods,
including a digital broadcast system that sends alerts to cell phones.
He stressed this is not an avenue for marine vigilantism
and that volunteers should not go after subjects on their own.
"They can help by directing," he said.
However, with the Coast Guard stretched thin, network
members have been known to assist in marine rescues before the Coast Guard
boats or helicopters can arrive.
There are far more network "bases" than Coast
Guard bases.
Searching for missing vessels or tracking a marine
distress call over hundreds of square miles of water can also be time-consuming
and expensive for the Coast Guard. Having citizens aid the search is efficient
and cost-effective, Billeaudeaux said.
Billeaudeaux is in town to assist with a network
training session for the Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 42 on Saturday at the
Port Angeles Coast Guard station. The session is not open to the public.
The training will cover how to report suspicious
activity at sea and how to work in teams to pinpoint the location of disabled
or lost vessels. A Customs and Border Protection agent will discuss drug
smuggling, stolen boats and terrorists.
Leo Leonard, Flotilla 42 commander, said the
The network also has members in
Leonard said anyone can be involved; all that is needed
is a phone and a marine view.
"The idea is simple, but magic," he said.
Billeaudeaux would love to see the program expand
nationally, but that is difficult without funding.
He manages the program as part of his duties with the
Thirteenth Coast Guard District Auxiliary.
"I'd love to get funding," he said.
For information on the Citizen's Action Network, visit
the Web site at www.citizensactionnetwork.net.
________
Features editor Marcie Miller can be reached at
360-452-5467 or marcie.miller@peninsuladaily
news.com.
Last modified: August 13. 2009
9:22PM