Time and Tide
Marine Engineers' Beneficial Association
District No. 1-PCD (AFL-CIO)
Boston Marathon
from the Water
By Jason E. Smith `96 , CDR,
USCG
Everyone has most likely heard of the strong
community support and camaraderie throughout
Boston, New England, and the nation in response
to the Boston Marathon attack including the
stories of how the city came together to protect
the public, apprehend the suspects and repair the
physical and emotional devastation created by the
bombings. The port community was an integral
part of the unified response to the bombings with
a clear mission to ensure the safety of the citizens
of Boston and eliminate the potential for the suspects' escape by, or attack upon, marine transportation.
On an average day, normal operations surrounding any port take a team of specialized individuals with essential roles that ensure safe, secure and effi-
cient marine transportation. Within the port of Boston, a majority of these individuals are maritime academy graduates. Al year long, agents like CAPT
Steve Palmer '72, Maine Maritime, coordinate port cal s. MassPort representatives like CAPT Brad Wellock '74, Mass Maritime, arrange berth space. Pilots
like CAPT Marty McCabe `82 Mass Maritime, navigate inbound and outbound transits. Harbor tug operators like, Mass Maritime, assist arrivals and depar-
tures. Government officials like LT Ron Miller `07 California Maritime, clear vessels for entry. Facility operators like Terry Sullivan '96, Maine Maritime,
manage the cargo loading and offloading. And ferry operators like Bil Walker '80, Mass Maritime, oversee the transportation of thousands of passengers
daily. Thanks to this highly skilled team, al this usual y happens without interruption, but on Monday, April 15, 2013, the day the state of Massachusetts
M.E.B.A. Headquarters
Boston Union Hall
celebrated Patriots Day and the 117th Boston Marathon, the maritime professionals who col aborate to move maritime traffic ended up doing just the oppo-
site: they worked together to stop the flow of traffic.
444 North Capitol St., NW
Marine Industrial Park
Within minutes of the explosion, the Coast Guard Captain of the Port, John O'Connor of Sector Boston, established an Incident Management Team
Suite #800
12 Channel St., Ste. 606
(IMT) with CDR Jason Smith '96, Maine Maritime, as one of the three Incident Commanders chosen to manage the command and control of the maritime
response. After news of a reported explosion near the waterway, and after careful consideration of the economic implications, Sector Boston raised the
Washington, D.C. 20001
Boston, MA 02212
regional Maritime Security (MARSEC) level for the first time in over 10 years.
Phone: (202) 638-5355
Phone: (617) 261-2338
For the next 5 days, the Coast Guard modified the MARSEC level for only passenger vessel operations, and continued to assert positive control over the
port by implementing numerous additional security measures: boarding teams on al ferry transits, random passenger screening, shore side harbor patrols
mebahq@mebaunion.org
boston@mebaunion.org
of waterfront facilities, 24-hour on-water security, vessel escorts, armed over-flights, and underwater examinations of critical maritime structures. Final y,
on the last day, the city and port went into lock-down to isolate the remaining suspect. By the end of the week, one of the two suspects was killed in a
Mike Jewell
Chris Guerra
shootout with police, and the second suspect was found hiding in a laid up recreational boat wel outside the maritime environment.
This intense and highly coordinated maritime effort to secure the port was accomplished not only by in-house Sector Boston resources but external Coast
M.E.B.A. President
Atlantic Coast V.P.
Guard teams such as the Boston and New York Maritime Safety and Security Teams, with one of the divisions lead by LT Adam Schmid '99, Mass Maritime,
and close col aboration with FBI, Mass State Police, Boston Police Department, Mass Bay Transit Authority, Mass Port Authority, and Mass Emergency
Bill Van Loo
Robert Heanue
Management Agency. That said, none of it would have been possible without the endless support from the port of Boston team of industry partners. The
Secretary-Treasurer
Boston Representative
agents communicated the restrictions to the 1) foreign masters, pilots and harbor tug operators to verify arrival and departure traffic, 2) facility operators to
increase security at their terminals, and 3) passenger traffic leaders to essential y shut down for the 5-day response operation. Not only were these industry
partners supportive of the efforts to secure the port, they welcomed and encouraged it. Sector Boston prepared itself for complaints about the restrictions
M.E.B.A. is the nation's oldest maritime labor union, established in 1875. We represent licensed
but only received cal s asking what more could be done.
One week after the tragic events of April 15th, the BOSTON GLOBE posted a picture of the FBI returning Boyleston Street to the City of Boston. The
engine and deck o cers aboard seagoing vessels, ferries and government-contracted ships. Our
picture showed the Mayor accepting the American flag, encircled by leaders of local law enforcement and emergency response agencies. Standing over the
Mayor's shoulder with his many peers was Captain O'Connor who later commented that he was not only representing the Coast Guard, but also the hun-
members also serve on tugs and barges, research vessels and in various capacities in the shore-
dreds of port partners that stood alongside him to keep the port of Boston strong. To document his appreciation to the port, Captain O'Connor released
side industries. In wartime, our members have sailed in virtual y unarmed merchant ships deliv-
a Port Bulletin thanking the port partners for their unfettered support and a picture montage of the port in action during the maritime response to this
tragedy.
ering critical defense cargo despite attacks from enemy aircra , submarines and warships.
On Watch In Peace And War Since 1875
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