[Aaron Brown, Cnn Anchor:] Out on a rainy afternoon here in New York, Martin Savidge is on a Coast Guard cutter. The Coast Guard is patrolling the harbor, securing the harbor here in New York. Marty, good evening good afternoon.
[Martin Savidge, Cnn National Correspondent:] Good afternoon to you, Aaron. We are onboard the U.S. Coast Guard Cutter Campbell. This is actually, by the way, the hangar that is inside it. It actually is capable of telescoping out onto the deck, and is also capable of handling not only Coast Guard helicopters, but Navy helicopters as well. We'll take a walk out onto what is the helicopter pad, and then I think you instantly see sort of where we are. This is the New York Harbor area here. You look off in this direction, you can see the Verrazano Bridge. That is the bridge that connects Staten Island with Brooklyn. Also, essentially, it is the embarkation line that signals the beginning of New York Harbor. New York Harbor, obviously, could be a potential target for further terrorism. That is the reason that the Coast Guard is here. This vessel is sort of the on-scene command vessel for a number of other Coast Guard vessels that are out in this area. Usually New York Harbor is very busy. There are about 120, maybe 140 ships a day that would normally transit through here; these are not normal times. The port was shut down for two days immediately after the World Trade Center was attacked, and now that shipping has reopened, they're only getting about 20 ships a day. Farther out to sea is another perimeter of Coast Guard vessels about 10, 12 miles away. They initially will stop commercial vessels heading this way. They board them, they go through the cargo, look at the manifest and will also go over the credentials of the crew. If they are cleared, they are then escorted here and moved farther on to their berthing positions inside of New York. A number of vessels have been turned away because they didn't meet those requirements. Some have diverted to other ports, others have simply gone back out to sea. Also we have noted that the Coast Guard vessels out here, many of them are armed. This vessel, for instance, has a 76-millimeter cannon on the foredeck; it has always been there. But other senses other pieces of armament have been added 50-caliber machine guns. Some crewmembers now sporting M-16 rifles. Most of the Coast Guard vessels out here have been armed as well. Now, many people may think that's a difference from the way the Coast Guard normally offers or operates. That is not really the case. The Coast Guard is multi-tasked. They do many things, including law enforcement, search and rescue, as many people know, and national defense and home defense. Historically, home defense has been a major role for the Coast Guard, something that dates all the way back to revolutionary times. It is a role that they are playing now here in New York; a role they say they are well-prepared and trained to carry out, and a role that they are willing to carry out for as long as necessary Aaron.
[Brown:] Marty, thanks. What struck us the other Sunday when we were out there is back behind you in Staten Island they have a command center that looks like an air traffic control center, only it deals with the ships coming into the harbor series of radar screen, computers, the whole thing.
[Savidge:] That's right, they have that in place. One of the concerns, obviously you may look out, see the weather is deteriorating here. There have been forecasts of heavy rains coming into the area and heavy winds; perhaps some of the heaviest rains that New York has seen. Despite that bad weather closing in, the Coast Guard is prepared for it; they have alternate plans. They will be in place Aaron.
[Brown:] Marty, thanks; Marty Savidge aboard the Coast Guard Cutter Campbell in the harbor of New York. TO ORDER A VIDEO OF THIS TRANSCRIPT, PLEASE CALL 800-CNN-NEWS OR USE OUR SECURE ONLINE ORDER FORM LOCATED AT www.fdch.com