Volunteers with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary help maritime communities across the state stay safe on the water, but leaders say membership has fallen off in the last few years. Some auxiliary groups have even dissolved. It’s been about a decade since a new group has been chartered in Alaska — but that streak was broken on Wednesday, September 11, when 14 Petersburg residents revived the community’s auxiliary.
Coast Guard Auxiliary Commodore Marion Parrish was swearing in Petersburg resident Derek Lopez at the end of the town’s drive-down dock. Lopez is one of over a dozen residents who were honored for beginning their service to the town’s new Coast Guard Auxiliary group, which is called a flotilla.
There was no lack of fanfare. Right behind them, the Coast Guard’s two Petersburg-based vessels, the buoy tender Elderberry and cutter Pike were docked bow-to-bow. They were flanked by a group of active duty Coast Guard personnel, auxiliary volunteers, community members, and visitors from far and wide.
Desi Burrell is one of the Petersburg flotilla’s founding members, and she’s been the driving force behind recruitment. She said the way things all clicked together for the ceremony — and even the sun breaking through the clouds for just a moment — felt a little bit like divine providence.
“It was so fun to bring in the active duty and share that excitement with all of us together,” said Burrell. “Because really, we’re here to serve them. So it made it even more special, and that they were all in town on this glorious, beautiful day, and that setting was just unbelievable.”
District 2 House Representative Rebecca Himschoot was among the group of spectators. It was September 11, and she said the significance of the day isn’t lost on her.
“You’ve got those people setting up this whole auxiliary on what I consider [to be] the day that causes all of us to pause,” said Himschoot. “I don’t know if that was intentional, but I know I woke up this morning thinking, ‘What good thing can I do today?’ These 14 amazing volunteers [are] saying we can do something to make our Coast Guard more welcome, improve conditions for the folk who are doing all the hard work in Petersburg with their vessels.”
The reasons Petersburg residents are joining the flotilla are as numerous as they are — from making sure local mariners have access to dockside safety exams, to helping out with search and rescue operations to: just having an outlet to stay out of trouble.
Stephanie Payne directs Petersburg’s Parks and Recreation Department. In that capacity, she’s held several outdoor safety classes for local youth. She said she joined the flotilla to bring more marine safety education to kids in Petersburg, and in neighboring communities.
“Like, there’s no reason to not do this,” said Payne. “It is so… I don’t know that I have words for it. To just be part of it, and to be able to help and do what we can […] I’m just excited to be a part of it and do something bigger.”
The energy at the standing up ceremony is high. But that doesn’t capture the whole picture. Marion Parrish, Alaska’s Coast Guard Auxiliary Commodore, said auxiliary membership is dropping off pretty much all over the map. A new flotilla hasn’t been inducted in the United States since before the pandemic — and for Alaska, it’s been over a decade.
“I don’t know why, [but now] society’s just different,” said Parrish. “I also recognize that [for] young people, there’s an expense involved. There’s time involved with kids and everything. But if you look at Petersburg here, everybody in the flotilla is super busy to begin with… So, that excuse kind of falls apart a little bit.”
As it turns out, there’s no rest on the horizon for Petersburg’s chronically-busy auxiliary members. Some are already getting booked out for dockside exams on commercial fishing vessels, and scheduling safety classes for kids in Petersburg and in neighboring Wrangell.
