Admiral Thad W. Allen Named 4th Recipient of Fred V. Morrone Memorial 9/11

Washington, D.C – September 11, 2010 – The United States Airport and Seaport Police (USASP) and International Association of Airport and Seaport Police (IAASP) today announced Admiral Thad Allen as the fourth recipient of the Fred V. Morrone 9/11 Memorial Award. The award ceremony will take place in conjunction with the Tri-Association Award Dinner in New York City on November 3, 2010 at the Chelsea Pier 61.

Admiral Thad W. Allen assumed the duties as the 23rd Commandant of the U.S. Coast Guard on May 25, 2006. He is a native of Tucson, Arizona and graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy in 1971. On May 25, 2010 Allen retired from the U.S. Coast Guard. He has been widely-praised for his performance directing the federal response to Hurricanes Katrina and Rita in the Gulf Coast region from September 2005 to January 2006. Following his position as commandant, Allen continued to serve on active duty for 36 days in his role as National Incident Commander of the Unified Command for the Deepwater Horizon oil spill in the Gulf of Mexico. Allen officially retired from the U.S. Coast Guard on June 30, 2010, but continues to serve as the National Incident Commander of the Deepwater Horizon oil spill as a senior executive of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security.

Admiral Allen previously served as the Coast Guard Chief of Staff and Commanding Officer, Coast Guard Headquarters in Washington, D.C., from May 2002 to April 2006. He also served as the Chairman of the Department of Homeland Security’s Joint Requirements Council from 2003 to 2006. In September 2005, Admiral Allen was designated the Principal Federal Official for Hurricane Katrina response and recovery operations in Louisiana, Mississippi and Alabama. He additionally served as Principal Federal Official for Hurricane Rita response and recovery activities in Louisiana.

Prior to his assignment as Chief of Staff, Admiral Allen served as Commander, Coast Guard Atlantic Area, Fifth Coast Guard District, and U.S. Maritime Defense Zone Atlantic in Portsmouth, VA, where he was the operational commander for all Coast Guard activities in an area of responsibility spanning five Coast Guard Districts, encompassing more than 14 million square miles and involving 26,000 military and civilian employees, and 27,900 members of the USCG Auxiliary. Admiral Allen led the Coast Guard’s Atlantic Area forces in response to the terrorist attacks of September 11, 2001.

“Today, America and the world’s communities are a safer place because of the work accomplished by Admiral Allen,” said Jay Grant, director of the United States Airport and Seaport Police (USASP). “I have personally worked with him over the past years and have found his leadership inspiring, his skills to accomplish a job extraordinary and his commitment to succeed in his tasks masterful. It is hard to find an individual of this stature. He has served his Nation with great distinction. We honor him in the name of Fred Morrone and the 36 brave officers from the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department who perished in the World Trade Towers and to all first responders who gave their lives on nine-eleven and those who serve each and every day.”

“We are pleased to celebrate the accomplishments of Admiral Allen,” said Ronald J. Boyd, chief of the Los Angeles Port Police and president of the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police (IAASP). He had a direct impact on the 9/11 aftermath and has shown great leadership in the fight against global terrorism and is well deserving of this honor. The world is a different place because of the events of 9/11. We have an obligation to never forget our fellow officers, who gave their lives to save others, and are pleased to bestow the Fred Morrone 9/11 Award to great individuals such as the Admiral for their unselfish work.”

About the Fred V. Morrone Memorial 9/11 Award

The Fred V. Morrone 9/11 Award was jointly established by the United States Airport and Seaport Police and the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police in 2007. The inaugural recipient was the Honorable Rudy Giuliani, former Mayor of the City of New York. In 2008, the Honorable Asa Hutchinson, former Undersecretary for the Department of Homeland Security was the second recipient; and in 2009, Francis Townsend, Assistant to President George W. Bush for homeland security and counterterrorism was the third recipient.

On September 11, 2001, New York & New Jersey Port Authority Police were the first law enforcement personnel to respond to the terrorist attacks at the World Trade Center. Officers quickly rushed into the burning buildings and helped rescue thousands of employees who arrived at work moments earlier. Thirty-seven of these heroic men and women were killed that day when the towers collapsed. One of those heroes was Superintendent of Police Fred Morrone, the most senior officer to perish.

Superintendent Morrone was also serving as the incoming president of the International Association of Airport and Seaport Police at the time of this death. One of Fred's concerns was always the lack of professional port police training for police officers from third world countries and ensuring all police first responders working in the public transportation filed were properly trained. As part of his vision he wanted to establish subsidized training programs to further assistance within the profession.

Following Fred's untimely death, the international board resolved to continue the initiative and to establish a strategic plan to make the Education Fund concept become a reality, in Fred's memory. The Fred Morrone Education Program relies mainly on donations and fund raising activities.