By Della Hasselle
DNAinfo Reporter/Producer
MANHATTAN — Private ferry and cruise-boat operators, whose vessels have played crucial roles in emergencies on a voluntary basis, are in talks to ensure that in the future, they will be paid for their services.
Although no agreement has yet been reached, the Coast Guard and the New York Office of Emergency Management agree with the request, and will present a proposed deal to the companies later this month, The Wall Street Journal reported Wednesday.
Companies like NY Waterway have been pressing for some time for a formal arrangement for the work they do during disasters, when they've let thousands ride for free, according to the Journal.
NY Waterway's chief executive, recalling a citywide blackout in the summer of 2003, said that "we’d have had a riot if we didn’t let the people on it without paying the fares."
“If we were obliged to go to work, there certainly should have been a schedule of fees, an agreement, outlining who calls the shots," said the CEO, Arthur Imperatore Sr., the Journal reported.
Other emergencies that the company cited included the Sept. 11, 2001 terror attacks and the “Miracle on the Hudson” U.S. Airways emergency landing.
“The maritime evacuation plan is the remaining piece in an overall evacuation plan,” Coast Guard spokesman Charles Rowe told the Journal.
Maritime companies have been working with New York, New Jersey and federal offices to come up with an evacuation plan that includes evacuation instructions and outlined fees.
