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To the casual onlooker, it's just another sunny, balmy day along the coastal waters of Florida and along the

Intracoastal Waterway. But to members of the Customs and Border Patrol, Department of Homeland Security, working out of the National Marine Center in Ft. Laud- erdale, it's another day of vigilance on the seas. What the civilian boater may see as an ordinary pleasure boat could turn out to be a vessel laden with hundreds of pounds of contraband. As Director of the National

Marine Center in Ft. Lauderdale, Tom Norton puts it this way, "We have specific areas of responsibility and boats on the water that we're responsible for throughout the country, obviously here in the Ft. Lauderdale area, we patrol a major hot zone for bad guys."

To be sure, the war on drugs and the threat of terrorism since 9/11 is a difficult battle to fight over so many nau- tical miles, but the personnel of the Customs and Border

Patrol in Ft. Lauderdale are well equipped for the task with air support including UH-60 Black Hawk and A-

Star helicopters, C-210 and C-12 jets and two 39 ft., Mid- night Express powerboats. These boats were originally designed for lobster fishing but have been modified for use by the CBP as primary interceptors. The addition of four Mercury 225s push the boats to 65-plus mph. Sharp entry and spray rails help keep crewmembers dry while running offshore and personnel wear PFDs while on patrol. There's even a custom-made, rubberized, non-skid flooring to help crewmembers maintain stability. "The result is a boat that is safe, stable and fast enough for interdiction operations," says Tom Stellhorn, Supervisor of Operations in Ft. Lauderdale.

Each boat is typically manned by an Operator and two or three Boarding Officers. Clear communication is crit- ical for the crew members of the CBP. "We needed to increase the effectiveness of communicating between crew members, from boat-to-boat and aircraft-to-boat," says Tom Norton, "obviously there is significant noise involved." Those noise issues include wind, pounding surf and the roar of the Midnight Express' engines, which can easily be in excess of 85 dB at full throttle - so loud that communication in normal voice levels is virtually impossible (OSHA has determined that prolonged expo- sure to noise levels within the 80-85 dB range can cause permanent hearing loss).

To solve this problem, the decision was made to equip each vessel with a Marine Intercom System (MIS), fea- turing noise-attenuating headsets and manufactured by

David Clark Company. The headsets are available in multiple styles and feature stainless steel hardware to guard against corrosion due to salt and spray. "For the longest time we could not hear radio traffic from other boats or aircraft because of the high wind and engine noise. Additionally, the speakers used to be mounted under the gunwales of the boat to keep them out of the elements, which didn't help. We would often have to stop the boat in order to receive information via the radio," said Stellhorn. There is no question that the noise-attenuating headsets have brought about a dramat- ic change in the crew's ability to communicate. Water- resistant, dynamic microphones provide clear voice transmission. Even during long hours of use, the headsets have proven comfortable to wear with gel ear seals, air- flow head pad and low-tension headband assembly.

The difference made by the David Clark Company

Series 9500 Marine Intercom System was immediately clear. "Certainly, the system has improved safety and communications. Prior to installing the Series 9500, we did a lot of yelling during a chase or an intercept that resulted in a lot of information that wasn't heard or under- stood properly", said Stellhorn. The heart of the system is the Master Station that accommodates up to eight crew members - more than enough capability for virtually any application. Compatibility issues are virtually non-exis- tent as the Master Station can be used with most VHF, UHF and marine band radios with- out any modifications. Up to three mobile radios can also be connected.

Although improved com- munication was the primary goal, other challenges had to be met, not the least of which was the harsh, corrosive environment that the system had to withstand. "You name it…speeds up to 60 knots, high winds, six to eight foot seas, heavy rains and lightning and mostly continu- ous exposure to splashing seawater," quotes Scott Leach, crew member aboard the Midnight Express. To combat the issue of corrosion, all major components are water- sealed and feature RFI shielded enclosures. Stainless steel hardware is used throughout. All told, the David

Clark Company Series 9500 system has more than held its own against the elements. "Occasionally we will have a mic sock blow off or an earpiece come loose, but these are easy fixes," says Leach.

After the system was installed, there were some initial reservations among crew members about using the head- sets, which were quickly overcome. "Initially some of the guys thought the headsets would be somewhat restrictive or not allow them to hear outside noises such as approaching vessels or the sound of the engines when trimming the vessel. However, once everyone used the headsets, the realization of improved communication and much less fatigue quickly outweighed our concerns," says Garry Saxton, crew member. Mobility is enhanced by belt stations with individual volume control and remote, push-to-talk body switches for "hands-free" operation.

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The preceding was authored by Keith LeBlanc of David

Clark Company Inc. 30 • MarineNews • March 2006

MARITIME SECURITY

Clear Communication Key in Fast Patrol Boat Ops

Customs and Border Patrol crew members communicate clearly at normal voice levels using the Series 9500 Marine Intercom System

Noise-attenuating headsets with stainless steel hardware are available in Over-the-Head and Behind-the-Head styles.

Night Vision

System Endures the Elements

Heavy-duty night/day vision systems from Night Vision Technologies are designed to withstand extreme environ- ments. Utilizing stainless steel hardware, gears and heavy-duty components, these hefty units stand up to storm conditions and rough seas. The models are available with an expanded selection of lens and camera combinations, rangefinders and robust motorized focus housings. Color, thermal imaging, ultra low light and Gen

III light intensification cameras can all be incorporated into the units. Lenses with the ability to detect human movement over 1000 meters away can also be added.

Low light cameras can employ a zoom lens. The equipment also produces an image using limited levels of available light. It provides a detailed image in an environment too bright for light intensifi- cation equipment but still restricted by darkness. All units provide standard

NTSC or optional PAL video output.

They are easily integrated into commer- cial craft, a ship's information center/bridge or land-based monitoring and control rooms.

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FLIR Debuts

ThermoVision

Mariner

FLIR Systems, Inc. announced the release of the ThermoVision Mariner, a thermal imager for maritime navigation, search and rescue, and security applica- tions. At the heart of the new product is a thermal imager with the a resolution of 320 by 240, a field of view 36 degrees and a range in its class up to 1,640 ft. The image definition gives navigators the abil- ity to see in total darkness, and through fog and smoke.

Unlike night vision scopes that require light to provide an image, the Mariner fea- tures the same thermal imag- ing technology used by the military. All of the Mariner's image process- ing are fully automatic. The all-weather corrosion resis- tant housing protects the imager and drive motors. Housed in a marinized pan/tilt enclosure, the Mariner features remote operation, automatic pro- cessing, and the video output will display on monitors or GPS devices.

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