Ready to Launch

We all remember when we were children at our first fireworks display.  We all loved to watch the pretty colors and feel the vibration of the booms as they exploded on the fourth of July.  This is especially true for this Auxiliarist, as I am fortunate to call this day my birthday. 

My name is Jim Wenzler, I am the Flotilla Staff Officer for Public Affairs and I want to tell you a story.  This is a commonplace story because many of the men and women I work with do this everyday and sometimes don’t realize how important their kindness in service is.

“Rhythm and Booms” is a City of Madison, Wisconsin fireworks tradition.  It takes place on the Saturday closest to the Fourth of July.  “Rhythm and Booms” is the largest fireworks display timed to music in the Midwest.

The USCG Auxiliary takes an active role in ensuring the public’s enjoyment every year by providing safety patrols.  On June 30, 2007, there were three operational facilities, or boats, performing this duty. 
One facility was from Flotilla 91 and two from Flotilla 9-10, both from the Madison, Wisconsin area.

At Lookout Stations

The afternoon patrol, as many Auxiliarists know from experience, starts out routine.  Approximately 500 boats were in Warner Bay on Lake Mendota as well as 200,000 people on land in the adjacent Warner Park.  On board Flotilla 9-10's boat were Vice Flotilla Commander John Linder as Coxswain, and Auxiliarists Bob Story and Ed Burns as crew.  All three have over thirty years of combined, seasoned patrol experience.

This particular patrol started with a call to tow a 24 foot Cuddy Cabin to the nearest boat launch, as their engine had seized.  It really is no fun to have played the radio and enjoyed swimming just to find your motor won’t start.  Auxiliarists Burns and Story enjoyed talking with the Cuddy’s passengers as they towed them to shore explaining the Auxiliary, duties and benefits.

As the fireworks display was ending and the darkness of night seeped in through the waning shots of disappearing fireworks, this experienced team of Auxiliarists was again called to action.  This time by being flagged down by a group of people on a 25 foot sailboat.

With Bob Story at the helm, this well trained Auxiliary crew approached the sailboat and was informed of a potential medical emergency.  A recently adopted two year old child appeared to be experiencing a high fever and convulsions.  “I remember how frantic and worried the new parents looked when waving us down; their little child was having problems and it seemed as though no one was around to help,” recalled John Linder.

Auxiliarist Burns, who is also an EMT, was making observations of the child’s condition and symptoms and relaying the information to Auxiliarist Story.  Auxiliarist Story immediately contacted the Dane County Sheriff’s Department on the radio and relayed the medical information.

It was decided the best thing to do was to quickly transport the child and parents aboard the Auxiliary boat to the closest launch ramp to rendezvous with the Village of Maple Bluff EMTs.

On the Move

“It was amazing to me that this little child’s first Fourth of July celebration in the United States, after being adopted, introduced him to the best the Auxiliary has to offer,” said Story.  “The Auxiliarists in Flotilla 9-10 are active and constantly on patrol in the lakes around Madison, working the core duty of the Auxiliary-“Semper Paratus” –“Always Ready.”

Transport of the sick child and parents took only six minutes.  The EMT team concluded it was necessary to transport the child from the boat launch to a local hospital.  The Auxiliary patrol crew returned to the sailboat and informed the remaining occupants the status of the sick child and the location of the hospital where further care was being done.

As the evening wore on and fell into early morning, Flotilla 9-10 received another call from the Dane County Sheriff’s Department to tow a stranded pontoon boat.  They located the boat within10 minutes and towed it to the nearest launch site without incident.

I have always enjoyed helping others and being actively involved with my fellow volunteer members of the USCG Auxiliary.  It’s a privilege to be a member of Flotilla 9-10, and be among the volunteers who perform their tasks with distinction, every patrol-every time.  

I write this story to express my thanks to all those Auxiliarists who never receive thanks for a job well done.  They continue to return to our lakes and rivers again and again for the one reason we all keep returning; the satisfaction that comes from helping another who is in need.

~DW