Newburyport Coast Guard City
Newburyport was initially designated as a Coast Guard City in 2011 as the nation’s fourteenth Coast Guard City. The city of Newburyport, Massachusetts, has been recertified as a Coast Guard City during a presentation ceremony, Saturday, at the Newburyport Custom House Maritime Museum, on Saturday, August 6th, 2022, at 11:00 AM by Capt. Kailie Benson, commander, Coast Guard Sector Boston, Master Chief Petty Officer Carlos Hessler, officer-in-charge, Coast Guard Station Merrimack River, and presided over by Sean Reardon, Mayor of Newburyport.
“Despite the fact that there are more than 360 port communities in the United States, only about 20 of them have been designated as Coast Guard cities,” said Poulin. “Designation is special, and the bar has been set high. The city of Newburyport has met the rigorous criteria and more. In fact, I think it’s more appropriate to say the city of Newburyport far surpassed the criteria.”
– Rear Admiral Steven D. Poulin, commander of the
First Coast Guard District
The Coast Guard City program began in 1998 endorsed by both Congress and the Coast Guard to recognize the support that Coast Guard personnel receive from a city. Designation as a “Coast Guard City” is for a five-year period but can be extended as long as the city continues to meet the criteria.
A Coast Guard City is a United States municipality designated as such by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on application of the local civilian government. It is an honorary designation intended to recognize communities of special importance to the U.S. Coast Guard.
Required Criteria
Designation as a Coast Guard City is made by the Commandant of the United States Coast Guard on advice of a review board and upon application by a municipal government. According to the U.S. Coast Guard, applications are expected to demonstrate an applicant jurisdiction’s ability to meet a multi-part criteria that can include: erection of monuments and memorials to the Coast Guard, organization of civic celebrations on the anniversary of the founding of the U.S. Coast Guard, offer of special recognition and merchandise discounts to Coast Guard personnel by the local business community, providing support to local U.S. Coast Guard Morale, Welfare and Recreation initiatives.
It is especially important that Newburyport embrace the ‘Coast Guard City’ designation as this was the city that officially by Congress has proudly held the title, “The Birthplace of the United States Coast Guard”.
The Newburyport Coast Guard Station Merrimack