CLEVELAND — Ohio Rep. Dave Joyce on Thursday sounded alarm in a letter to U.S. Coast Guard officers about "ongoing personal and basing challenges" along Lake Erie and in the Ashtabula area.
Joyce, a Republican who serves Ohio's 14th district in the U.S. House of Representatives, expressed his concerns in a letter to U.S. Coast Guard Commandant, Admiral Linda Fagan, and 9th District Commander, Rear Admiral Jonathan P. Hickey.
Joyce's office said in a press release that the congressman has "worked to facilitate communication between Coast Guard leadership and local Ashtabula community officials to improve collaboration on the logistical challenges associated with the Coast Guard’s previously announced staffing realignments, which were implemented to address nationwide personnel shortages."
“The transition of Seasonal Station Ashtabula into a forward operating location last year has fueled uncertainty about the availability of local public safety resources and amplified concerns regarding the impact this realignment has had on response times for search and rescue operations across Lake Erie and the broader region," Joyce wrote in the letter. "These concerns were increased following the July 4th holiday weekend, when the Coast Guard rescued over a dozen individuals across multiple emergency incidents on Lake Erie, and several more throughout the rest of the Great Lakes.
“I write to you today to follow up on those discussions and determine how we may improve these important partnerships to prevent further loss of life and provide stability for the local community,” Joyce continued.
Ashtabula City Manager Jim Timonere said he appreciated Joyce and other federal representatives for opening lines of communication regarding staffing decisions for the Ashtabula station.
"As our port and lakefront becomes busier with tourists activities as well as commercial traffic, having the Coast Guard at the ready at Station Ashtabula is vital to the safety of our residents, tourists and workforce throughout all of Ashtabula County,” Timonere said.
