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42
JERSEY SHORE PROFILE
BLACK SHEEP, continued from page 40
The OASS is composed of a trained
and coordinated team of volunteers
that includes pilots, observers, and
ground support personnel from
all walks of life. During the busy
summer weekends (from the week
before Memorial Day till the week
after Labor Day), they fly "Sunset
Patrols," late afternoon to early
evening missions that cover sixteen
regular checkpoints. These include
traffic choke points, ocean and bay
waterways, major bridges, water treat-
ment facilities, and prohibited entry
areas like gravel pits. The missions
also include vigilance for traffic con-
ditions, and "things out of place,"
which might include fires, stranded
boaters, accidents, pollution, or other
environmental issues.
Since their beginnings, the OASS
has also provided valuable services,
especially as part of an Incident
An OASS observer's photo of the Mantoloking Bridge.
continued on page 44
