As thousands of visitors prepare to visit Traverse City for the National Cherry Festival and its annual airshows, the local U.S. Coast Guard Air Station is gearing up for any emergency that may come its way.
Commander Ryan Hawn, a 20-year helicopter pilot and leader of the Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City, says the station is a “jack-of-all-trades,” when it comes to responding to airplane and helicopter emergencies.
“We always have a crew and a helicopter ready to launch within 30 minutes,” Hawn said. “So that's every day out of the year – day or night.”
To ensure a speedy response time, the station is staffed to accommodate long periods of operation in case of a major accident.
The Traverse City air station is staffed by 115 people, including pilots, medical purchasing and acquisition staff and administrative personnel. Flight crew members make up two-thirds of the station.
The station also supports Coast Guard units in northern Michigan with medical and logistical resources.
In the days leading up to the airshows, the station pre-plans additional training to keep “extra sharp,” Hawn said. “About 50% of our flight time is spent training and running exercises."
For example, on Wednesday, the station conducted a mass casualty drill with its boat station in Manistee, preparing for a possible scenario in which an airliner goes down in the water.
Should an actual emergency arise during an airshow, the immediate focus would be on rescuing and protecting those involved, Hawn said. Alerts to the public would then be coordinated through airport authorities, the Federal Aviation Administration, and media partners.
“The first actions are really to save people, help people, make sure they're safe, and then get the message out as quickly as we can,” he said.
Hawn also offered this reminder for those enjoying the beach during the festival: Though the weather may be warm and sunny, the water temperature is still low enough for swimmers to become hypothermic “really fast.”
Hawn recommends carrying a waterproof phone or radio. He said having a way to call for help is a necessary precaution when near or on the lake.
The Coast Guard Air Station Traverse City was established in 1945 and serves the entirety of Lake Michigan and the majority of Lake Superior and Lake Huron.
This story was produced by the Michigan News Group Internship Program, a collaboration between WCMU Public Media and local newspapers in central and northern Michigan. The program’s mission is to train the next generation of journalists and combat the rise of rural news deserts.
