BAMSAR MINUTES
Minutes of the BAMSAR meeting of 16 August, 2001, held at Patchogue. Thanks to Chief Barrie and Fred Densing
for their hospitality.
Present: Patchogue, South Country Ambulance, Mastic Beach, Mastic, Center Moriches, Coast Guard Group Moriches,
Eastport, Westhampton Ambulance, and Westhampton Beach .
Excused: Southampton Town Chiefs, Brookhaven.
Treasurer's Report: Balance of $1763.20. Bob Jaeger, our Treasurer, has had to resign, due to school commitments.
The books will be taken over by Jim Vaz until regular elections. Our sincerest thanks to Bob, and we wish him well.
Mastic Beach offered back to the organization, the rebate that was due them from the Dive Rescue International
course. Two checks were made out to cover two divers who were billed separately by DRI.
Training: Dive Rescue International is tabled until May. We'd also like to get a hold of a copy of the county's
syllabus for dive rescue training.
Old Business: Todd Nelson wanted to know what was up with the committee that Jim Trappen was to chair, on water
rescue. Nobody has heard from the chairman since the committee was set up. From the C.G. point of view, they don't
know where the county stands on this, and would very much like to hear an answer as soon as possible.
A question was raised about a rumor heard last month about the fact that we're just a training organization,
and won't be called out as a group. Bill reported that County will not dispatch us as a blanket response, but will
dispatch us as individual departments/units, at the request of the incident commander. Tim said that we're at the
point now where we should be doing more lobbying at our respective chief's councils, while continuing our training
role. Todd agreed that we've come beyond being the command and control people, and are now more of a support group,
working for the local Fire Chief (or Police Chief, Coast Guard OSC, etc.) How we present ourselves will define
our chances of future roles in responses. We've come a long way, and it can only get better, if we're willing to
work at it. More productive and encouraging conversation followed.
New Business: Introduced Lieutenant Tim Haws, new Operations Officer at Group Moriches. Welcome Aboard! We look
forward to a very good relationship.
Bridgehampton drowning incident was discussed. Kudos to the command crew from Sag Harbor, Southampton, and Coast
Guard. Job "well- done." Everything went well from the perspective of those who responded.
Some lessons learned from the incident:
1) Local knowledge is a very good thing to have! Fishermen helped out tremendously, with current set and drift
information.
2) Ensure that the local information is relayed immediately to the search planners at Group, so that they can plug
it into their search plans.
3) A local fisherman suggested the use of a haul seine net, set downstream of the scene, in the surf zone, for
body recovery, as a body in the surf will be constantly lifted and deposited in a different place, following the
current.
4) Look for the victim immediately behind any bars, and in between these bars and the beach. Usually, the victim
will be found behind the bar, and may move with the current set, due to the action of the surf.
5) Determination of drift and set can be accomplished through use of a datum marker buoy (DMB), or a free-swimming
diver. By following the speed of the DMB and adding 30% (approximately), a good estimate can be made of where to
place a barrier, or some other recovery device ahead of the victim in the surf.
6) Whatever way the DMB may drift, try to orient your search in that direction. Make sure that this information
makes its way back to Group, for inclusion in the search plan.
7) Remember that divers, as well as boat crews, will get pounded by the surf. Some may experience sickness when
in, or emerging from, the surf environment. Have sufficient backup divers and boat crews available for both rescue
and rehab.
8) Scene documentation is very important! If the Police haven't started documentation, we need to do so.
9) Water rescues will necessarily become a PD/FD/Ambulance, or a PD/FD/CG/Ambulance team effort, and skills should
be practiced that ensure this effort is a smooth one. Group will be working with us in the off-season to improve
CG/BAMSAR coordination of efforts. (John will get with Todd, Tim H., Marc, and Group XO on this.)
10) Coast Guard presence on the beach was a big comfort-level booster. Group will continue to have the local Station
CO, or XPO on the beach, as a minimum. The Group Duty Officer and the Group CO will be at the CommCenter working
on the long-term search plan.
11) Crisis counselors need to be on the beach with the family/friends/spectators/eye witnesses. These folks need
to be cordoned off to keep them from wandering off, interfering with the operations, or just for their own comfort.
Equipment demo: Tentatively scheduled for Sunday, 23 September at 1000, depending on the workload of the folks
at CG Moriches.
Next meeting is at Eastport on 13 September, 1930 hrs.
Any additions, corrections, or comments, please contact the Secretary, John Foley, at 878-9217(H), 344-2350(W),
e-mail: o_foghladha@yahoo.com, or pager 1(516) 407-1332.
John Foley