CHATHAM -Chatham selectmen are sending a letter to Washington to get clarification on why the Coast Guard has downgraded Station Chatham from a surf station to a heavy weather station.
Town officials are concerned about the effects the downgrade will have when it comes to the ability of crews when responding to emergencies during high surf.
Senior Chief Boatswain’s Mate Carlos Hessler answered questions from selectmen last week.
He said that the downgrade will not have an effect on staffing or resources but that rescue boats will only be able to respond through breaking surf of eight feet or less, rather than 15 feet.
“That’s just something they have to do,” said Hessler.
“Nothing’s static, nothing stays the same, so they have to go through a process to re-evaluate, and that’s what happened.”
If a rescue is necessary during those conditions, the Coast Guard can respond with boats from Stage Harbor, Provincetown, Nantucket or with a helicopter from Air Station Cape Cod.
The decision on the downgrade came after a reevaluation of all stations and Station Chatham was found to be lacking two necessary criteria of a surf station.
“There’s a division in the Coast Guard that’s called Office of Boat Forces,” said Hessler.
“They are the ones who oversee all the stations. To be a surf station, there’s actual criteria and Station Chatham doesn’t fit that criteria.”
Chatham Harbor is not a federally maintained harbor and the area has not had breaking surf of over eight feet for at least 10 percent of each year.
In the letter, selectmen are requesting that the Coast Guard revisit its calculations and data.
Despite the decision to downgrade, the Coast Guard is looking at adding an additional boat to Stage Harbor.
By JUSTIN SAUNDERS, CapeCod.com Newscenter
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