Sheriffs Marine Unit are honored for Hudson's safety

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Sheriffs Marine Unit are honored for Hudson's safety.

Times Herald-Record

October 26, 2007

Highland — The New York State Bridge Authority honored a dozen police and military marine units yesterday for a busy season on the Hudson River.

"As we all know, critical infrastructure, like our bridges, are a target and must be constantly protected," said Bridge Authority Executive Director George Sinnott.

"These river patrols provide a preventive level of homeland security through intelligent and highly visible patrol measures."

Visible is right. Over the summer months, recreational boaters both commended and criticized the volume of law enforcement cruising the river. There are no clear-cut jurisdictions on the Hudson, so assorted vessels from county, state and Coast Guard units sometimes roamed the same popular stretches of river, checking registrations and conducting safety checks.

But as local marine units accepted their citations yesterday, they also took stock of a long list of less obvious maritime missions throughout the year.

The 11-member team of deputies from the Orange County Sheriff's Office used Marine 80, its 25-foot closed cabin Parker, to assist with several search and recoveries for bridge jumpers, respond to more than 20 disabled or distressed vessels, save a duck with a broken neck, ems calls, boat fires and conduct special operations with the Coast Guard.

"The biggest thing is just continued cooperation among agencies," said Sgt. Tom Mallon, of the Orange County Sheriff's Office. "We want to be more preventative than reactive."

During the downtime, Mallon said his unit will re-evaluate all the security hot spots along its stretch of river: power plants, oil tanks, railroads and bridges.

Though his unit will take the boat out of the water at the end of the month and winterize it (their vessel wasn't made for icy river conditions,) Mallon said the team can mobilize during emergency situations and anytime the Homeland Security Council elevates the national-threat level.

Yesterday's ceremony at the Bridge Authority offices in Highland was designed to thank the river patrols for their security assistance. "We're out there with these guys more than we used to be," said Bridge Authority Director John Bellucci. "They're a great asset."

[PVFD233 68]

Well Deserved.

[NYCOP 0]

Nice to see them reconized for this, I know some Marine Officers in the Hudson Valley that I hope were also reconized. I know they spent many very COLD nights out there, and in the Safety Point around Indian Point. Good Job Guys, and Thanks.