Leave your feedback Share Copy URL https://www.pbs.org/newshour/show/low-public-support-for-live-fire-drills Email Facebook Twitter LinkedIn Pinterest Tumblr Share on Facebook Share on Twitter Transcript In an attempt to increase security after 9/11, the U.S. Coast Guard has conducted over two dozen live-fire drills using their new deck-mounted machine guns in the Great Lakes region. A reporter discusses the public's reaction to this new program. Read the Full Transcript Notice: Transcripts are machine and human generated and lightly edited for accuracy. They may contain errors. ELIZABETH BRACKETT, NewsHour Correspondent: The automatic machine gun stood out on the bow of the Coast Guard boat, and it made its way through Lake Michigan's choppy waters under gray November skies.The Coast Guard began mounting the M240 machine gun on its boats as part of an increased security program after 9/11. Then, last summer, the Coast Guard created 34 areas in the Great Lakes to practice shooting live ammunition with the M240s. Rear Admiral John Crowley explained why. REAR ADM. JOHN CROWLEY, U.S. Coast Guard: The live fire zones are to enable our men and women to train. Training and certification is essential for standardization, which is the foundation for safety and effectiveness of our operations. ELIZABETH BRACKETT: The 34 live fire safety zones were temporarily located five miles off shore in all five Great Lakes. Lake Michigan has the most zones, at 14; Lake Superior has seven; Lake Huron, six; Lake Erie, four; and Lake Ontario, three.Now, Crowley says, the Coast Guard wants the zones made permanent so boaters will remember where they are. REAR ADM. JOHN CROWLEY: The zones are used typically only a couple times a year for somewhere between two and six hours at a time. We're estimating that any particular zone is used for under 24 hours during the course of an entire year and the remaining time the mariners' commercial pleasure alike will have unfettered use for those areas.