LORAIN, Ohio — Representatives with the U.S. Coast Guard, City of Lorain, and Lorain area response agencies met in Lorain Tuesday morning to discuss a Coast Guard proposal to optimize its response capabilities by adjusting how it operates Coast Guard Station Lorain in the future.
Under the proposed plan, Station Lorain will remain staffed with response crews Friday through Sunday during the summer months, and will operate and respond from its parent unit in Cleveland on other days. Built into the plan is flexibility for the seasonal station to begin operating on weekends in early spring or into late fall when necessary, and to resume operations if needed during special events.
These changes allow the Coast Guard to better staff, train and equip the boats and crews continuing to serve the Lorain area.
Station Lorain’s search and rescue operations will be fully staffed during the summer of 2016, and if no new information arises that wasn’t previously considered, the proposed changes will be phased in over the next several years as personnel transfer from the region. There are no plans to permanently close Station Lorain.
“It is important for people to remember that even with these changes our boat crews will still on the water in Lorain ready to respond to emergencies and enforce federal laws and regulations,” said Chief Petty Officer Tim Crochet, officer in charge of Station Lorain. “Response crews will continue to serve the boating community in Lorain even though they will not be operating from Lorain year round. We’re also deeply appreciative of the relationships we have with our partners here, who we will continue to work alongside to ensure the public’s safety and security.”
“These operational improvements are long overdue and will help us better serve the community by reducing redundancies that have arisen as technology has evolved during the past century,” said Capt. Brian Roche, commander of Coast Guard Sector Buffalo. “This is not a cost-saving initiative; we are just moving our resources and people to the locations that make the most sense with the technology we have today.”