Volunteer on watch

Dedicated volunteers acting in partnership with the 13th U.S. Coast Guard District, headquartered in Seattle, have brought a fledgling program into the spotlight.  (Auxiliarist) Bob Lyden has been promoting the “Citizen’s Action Network” (CAN) for over six years.  “Our program recruits citizens who either live on or have views of the waterways in the 13th USCG District, which includes Washington, Oregon, Idaho and Montana. 

The program currently has over 300 shoreline members in Puget Sound from Olympia to British Columbia, on the Washington and Oregon Pacific coasts and a few members on the Columbia River,” Lyden says.  “The missions may include assistance with search and rescue, flare sightings, pollution control, verifying navigational aids and reporting weather conditions.  Eligible partners include private citizens, businesses and public agencies that have a marine view and a telephone.”

Bob provided an example of one such case: “On the morning of February 23, 2005, members of the Citizen's Action Network were called for assistance in a breaking case.  Police were searching for a homeless man who had stolen a yacht and taken a woman hostage.  Upon receiving this report, the Coast Guard launched or diverted all of its available boats and helicopters to support the sheriff's marine units already searching the region's waterways, numerous islands and nearly 1,000 miles of shoreline.

CAN members were put on watch to join the search and maintained a lookout from their waterfront homes.  Throughout the day's search, live information relayed from CAN membership allowed the Coast Guard's command center to narrow the search area and most effectively utilize the handful of assets taking part in the extensive effort.  

Bob Lyden receives the Federal Executive Board Public Service Gold Medallion Award. Lt Commander Andre Billeaudeaux is the presenter of the Award, May 2006 in Seattle. (Photo courtesy Bob Lyden)

Some of the network members in the South Puget Sound region could see across narrow waterways, from shore to shore, and effectively acted as a visual "gatekeeper" to all marine traffic.  Others, with more expansive views, were able to rule out entire swaths of waterways.  All CAN information was shared with city and county underway law enforcement vessels.  By the afternoon, CAN members were released when the subject vessel was identified.  The suspect was subsequently arrested and the hostage was freed unharmed.”

Bob Lyden got involved as a member of the USCG Auxiliary Detachment at Anderson Island, WA.  Unit member Mike Dickover introduced him to the first USCG citizen’s program called “Eyes on the Sound,” later called Northwest Watch and now known as the “Citizen’s Action Network.” 

“For a program without an allocated budget, this public/private citizen program has come a long way since its inception in the late 1990s by Lt. Cmdr. Andre Billeaudeaux, USCG District 13 Public Affairs Officer,” says Bob.

“I met Andre when I was volunteering at (then) Group Seattle in the evenings in 2000,” Bob explains.  A “Group” is (was) a USCG organization level within the district.  “Eyes on the Sound” originated as a (then) Group Seattle program by Lt. Cmdr. Billeaudeaux.  “I asked him if I could assist with promoting and developing the program because the Coast Guard had no funding and the program was just at the (then) Group level,” Bob says.  “Its sole exposure was a web page with nothing but a phone number to call.  I took over the program and decided one way to get the word out with no funding was via the USCG Auxiliary website,” he says.  “I was introduced to its webmaster, Bruce Miller, and the program took off from there,” he explains.

Mike Dickover, Officer in Charge, USCG Auxiliary Detachment Anderson Island, and Bob Lyden, with award medallion, pose in front of Balch Passage, a south Puget Sound waterway

“Bob is probably the most important asset for CAN since inception,” says Lt. Cmdr. Billeaudeaux.  “He’s the heart and soul of a program, and remember— we have zero budget.  For the Coast Guard to recognize a program, they are recognizing Bob.  He’s the outside sales guy; the media guy.”  Andre continues, “Community relations puts the ‘home’ in homeland security.  I wish I had a dozen of him.  There are many more in this program and in the auxiliary, but he’s the top.”
As the CAN gains acceptance, the program expands.  “One of the newest additions to the CAN ‘tool bag’ is an instant phone alert system which allows Coast Guard dispatchers or any of our cooperating agencies to instantaneously inform participants of important issues or breaking news,” says Lt.Cmdr. Billeaudeaux.

The “Citizens Action Network” may soon be adopted nationally.  In April, Lt. Cmdr. Billeaudeaux has the honor of presenting the Citizens Action Network concept to all USCG District Commanders at National Headquarters in Washington, D.C.  In addition, “The Washington State Citizens Corps met with us in Seattle about recognizing our program and bringing it into their program,” says Bob.  At the same time Bob and Andre met with a representative of the National Citizen’s Corps and the CAN program may be implemented nationally through them.

Adm. Thomas Collins, Commandant of the United States Coast Guard, visits with (from left to right) Auxiliarist Bob Lyden, Petty Officer 3rd Class Adam Eggers and Lt. Cmdr. Andre Billeaudeaux during the 2005 Coast Guard Innovation Expo in California. The group, from the Thirteenth District Public Affairs office, were introducing a program focused on maritime domain awareness and Coast Guard operations. The annual Innovation Expo is held to promote and recognize new ideas and equipment that can better assist the Coast Guard during everyday missions. (Photo courtesy Bob Lyden.)

In the meantime, the “Citizen’s Action Network” is definitely getting attention.  Last year the team won Homeland Security’s “Secretary’s Award of Excellence.”  Bob and Mike made a ten-minute video which is currently shown on TVW (Washington’s public television station) four or more times a week.  “Our program is in the running for the 2007 Mitretek Innovation Award presented by the Harvard School of Government,” Bob says. 

“One of my highlights was being able to meet the (then) Coast Guard Commandant  (Admiral Thomas Collins) and get our pictures taken with the Admiral in California at the Coast Guard Innovation Expo,” he says. “We recently were contacted by the Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research in Boston, for the ‘Pioneer Institute for Public Policy Research's Better Government Competition 2007’,” he says proudly.

Bob is currently the USCG Auxiliary 13th District historian.  He works directly for Lt. Cmdr. Billeaudeaux.  The Citizens Action Network has its own website, www.uscg.mil/d13/can/ with complete information for prospective volunteers.