The FAA denied that BP employees or contractors made decisions on flights and access, saying those decisions were made by the FAA and Coast Guard.[1][2] The FAA acknowledged that media access was limited to hired planes or helicopters, but was arranged through the Coast Guard.[3] The Coast Guard and BP denied having a policy of restricting journalists; they noted that members of the media had been embedded with the authorities and allowed to cover response efforts since the beginning of the effort, with more than 400 embeds aboard boats and aircraft to date.[4] They also said that they wanted to provide access to the information while maintaining safety.[181]