TOLEDO, Ohio —
Staffing shortages have hit Toledo's Coast Guard station.
"The Coast Guard has been faced with unprecedented personnel shortages," Daniel McGrath, officer in charge at Station Toledo. "The Coast Guard is down about 10% of its enlisted force."
The staffing shortage isn't unique to Toledo. In fact, it's an issue plaguing stations across the United States.
Because of the shortages, coast guardsmen responsible for search and rescue are being pulled from their home stations to locations that need more help.
In Toledo, officers are being called to Belle Isle in Michigan and Marblehead in Ottawa County.
"That was determined by an analysis of statistics over the last few years to determine whether there's overlapping coverage for search and rescue," McGrath explained.
When on shift, coast guardsmen typically stay on station for days, only leaving to get food which allows them to be ready to rescue at all times. With search and rescue efforts being pulled away though, shifts are being cut back.
"We have a 44-hour work week," McGrath said. "We work on unit maintenance, unit administration, training and we do boat operations, but on a scheduled basis."
The Coast Guard is now relying more on other local departments, including Toledo Fire and Rescue.
In a statement to WTOL 11, Toledo Fire & Rescue said, "We are coordinating responses to what was normally assigned to USCG Station Toledo with our neighboring partners Oregon Fire, Jerusalem Township Fire, and Washington Township Fire. This plan will provide timely emergency responses while not overly burdening any one department."
According to Toledo fire, the extra help isn't impacting how it staffs its three boats daily.
The department also hasn't noticed an increase in calls for service so it's not taking away from other responsibilities.
"I don't think people should be worried about it. It is temporary," McGrath said. "I think at some point the Coast Guard will be fully staffed again and we'll have the units be fully manned to the way they were before."
There isn't a timeline for when the Coast Guard will be fully staffed again, but WTOL 11 is told that recruitment and retention are actively being worked on.