HEAVY HEARTS

Taken from uscg.mil.

3 killed, 1 missing in Honolulu Coast Guard helicopter crash

By Rod Ohira

Advertiser Staff Writer

A Coast Guard HH-65 Dolphin helicopter crashed last night during a search-and-rescue training exercise six miles off Sand Island, killing three of four crewmembers aboard

Search efforts were continuing for the fourth crewmember.

"This is a very difficult case because rescuers are being rescued," said Rear Adm. Manson Brown, 14th Coast Guard District commander.

Honolulu Fire Department spokesman Capt. Terry Seelig said three of four people aboard the helicopter, which crashed about 8:15 p.m., were accounted for.

The Coast Guard said the three were recovered from the water by the Honolulu Fire Department and transported by another HH-65 Dolphin rescue helicopter to the Queen's Medical Center, where they were pronounced dead.

Brown said witnesses aboard a passing Air Force C-17 transport aircraft and Coast Guard 47-foot motor lifeboat saw the Barbers Point-based helicopter go down. The helicopter and boat were doing "routine training," Brown said.

Coast Guard officials said the last major crash of one of its rescue helicopters occurred in 1982 on Moloka'i.

The Coast Guard was notified of the crash by the FAA and launched a C-130 search plane from Air Station Barbers Point.

The inbound Air Force C-17 circled the crash site until a rescue boat from the Honolulu Fire Department could get on scene.

Fire, police and Navy personnel were assisting in the search for the crewmember.

Our thoughts and prayers are with the families of these shipmates and with all our shipmates who have been impacted by this accident.

MILITARY DISCOUNT OF THE WEEK

I am trying to find one free or discounted item every week and this is what I came up with this week. I know this one is a bit odd, but you never know when it might come in handy.

HomeTrafficSchool.com is a website that offers free online traffic school to members of the military who have received a traffic violation.

(Hopefully no one will end up needing this). But if you do - go and check it out and save some time and money!

GUSTAV LOOMS

click the picture for a current link to the NOAA Hurricane Update.

As the news about the hurricane gets more intense I have started to wonder about what role the Coast Guard will play in the next few days and weeks. It will no doubt be interesting to watch. More importantly this has made me rethink what disasters we are susceptible to here in California and if we as a station or as a family are prepared for them.

JUST A THOUGHT.....
From an ombudsman point of view, I think it would be helpful to have a plan in place, with all of the phone numbers and contact information for each of the families at the station. In the event of an emergency or earthquake, etc. it would be helpful to have a procedure and a point of contact and a phone tree to make sure each of the members of our unit and their loved ones are accounted for, safe and have their needs met. It would also be less hectic in terms of contacting our loved ones, and finding out information as the Station would no doubt be involved in some sort of relief/rescue effort.

I think I'll get to work on that. Any thoughts???? - please feel free to comment below.

In the meantime, here is a listing given by FEMA about a basic survival kit that each family should have. I know we used ours in the aftermath of hurricane Isabel when we were stationed in Virginia and it was a great relief to have been prepared!

Basic Disaster Supplies Kit

The following items are recommended for inclusion in your basic disaster supplies kit:

• Three-day supply of non-perishable food.
• Three-day supply of water - one gallon of water per person, per day.
• Portable, battery-powered radio or television and extra batteries.
• Flashlight and extra batteries.
• First aid kit and manual.
• Sanitation and hygiene items (moist towelettes and toilet paper).
• Matches and waterproof container.
• Whistle.
• Extra clothing.
• Kitchen accessories and cooking utensils, including a can opener.
• Photocopies of credit and identification cards.
• Cash and coins.
• Special needs items, such as prescription medications, eye glasses, contact lens solutions, and hearing aid batteries.
• Items for infants, such as formula, diapers, bottles, and pacifiers.
• Other items to meet your unique family needs.

Click here for more extensive information from FEMA
about emergency kits and disaster preparation.

HURRICANE RELIEF - USCG ON STANDBY

As of yesterday, the associated press was announcing this....

(08-30) 19:37 PDT San Francisco, CA (AP) --

California-based Coast Guard units are being deployed to the Gulf Coast as the region braces for Hurricane Gustav.

An estimated 1 million people have fled the region as forecasters predicted that Gustav could grow to Category 5 and make landfall Monday afternoon somewhere between East Texas and western Mississippi.

The Coast Guard plans to send units from San Francisco, including an HH-65 helicopter, to Houston on Sunday. Also traveling to the region from the San Francisco Bay area are teams trained in disaster assistance, damage assessment and reconstruction.

Units from Los Angeles, San Diego, Sacramento and Humboldt are on standby.

Are any of our guys on standby? -
I know many of the members at our station would be more than willing to go.