United States Coast Guard Auxiliary 7th District Breeze - USCGAUX ...

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16 U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary District 7 Breeze District Directorate Chief-Prevention David M. Fuller, DDC-P Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) is at the very heart of what we do for our nation, our states and territories, and our local communities. It is our primary mission and the reason for our existence as an organization. When you first became a member of the Auxiliary, you probably joined because you wanted to make a difference. We all have various interests that influence what specific function we wish to perform, but the glue that binds us together is that we all want somehow to make a difference. RBS is an area where you can have a dramatic impact on people’s lives, both immediate and long term. Your efforts probably will not make the headlines or be featured on your local TV news broadcast. Every time you teach a Public Education class, perform a Vessel Safety Check, report a missing or damaged Aid to Navigation, visit our partners and give them information and literature, facilitate Member Training, or perform Marine Safety duties, you are having an immediate and lasting impact on people’s lives. Our State Liaison Officers also have a direct impact, working behind the scenes and out of the headlines. Once you have the initial training to earn one of these qualifications, you have the tools necessary to begin to make a difference. Begin practicing your craft and seek a mentor to help you improve and sharpen your skills. Just as in anything you do, regular participation is one of the keys to keeping your skill set sharp. You have heard it said many times that “if you don’t use it, you lose it,” and I could not agree more. You need to do more than the minimums to retain the skill set, so regular participation is critical. Make every effort to attend annual workshops when they are offered. They will help to keep you up to date and even sharpen your skill set. One key difference between an amateur and a professional is that the amateur practices until they get it right while the professional practices until they can’t get it wrong. Strive for excellence in everything you do, and aspire to become a professional. In order to accomplish our goals, we must work together as a team. No individual can do it alone. Just ask Eli Manning of the New York Giants. While he is undoubtedly a great quarterback and leader, his team won the Super Bowl. The same concept applies to the Auxiliary. Each of our areas of responsibility requires interaction and help from others. As an example, to put students in the seats of our Public Education Classes, every member should be a recruiter and help spread the word. Vessel Examiners can spread the word and hand out class schedules to boat owners during an inspection, and our Program Visitors can stock their partner racks with class schedules. I am certain you can think of unique ways to reach out to the public. Please share these ideas with your Flotilla Staff Officers and the leadership of your flotilla. You can make a dramatic and lasting difference in people’s lives by regular participation in Recreational Boating Safety programs. It is very satisfying to know that you have made a difference, so go get that feeling! It is the real reason you joined the Auxiliary. Ω TAMPA, Fla.- Helen Russee shows how Vessel Safety Check data can yield Boang Safety Taccal Informaon at the 2011 Coast Guard Innovaon Expo in Tampa in October 2011. With the Auxiliary shi in focus to effecveness measures, John and Helen Russee from Flolla 14-5 Green Cove Springs, Fla., are ahead of the pack with a simple tool designed to improve recreaonal boang safety by idenfying and addressing the areas of greatest need to recreaonal boaters. Photo provided by John and Helen Russee
TAMPA, Fla.—Think Green was the theme of the Coast Guard‘s 2011 Innovation Expo held October 25-27 in Tampa, Florida. USCG, USCG Auxiliary, and industry exhibitors showcased practices, initiatives and products to reduce carbon footprints by decreasing energy needs or dependence on carbon emitting fuels. As Auxiliarists, that means using minimal resources to do things better and more efficiently. About eighty total exhibits were on display, with a dozen coming from the Auxiliary, nationwide. Of those twelve, an impressive 25% (three innovations) hailed from District 7, Division 14. David Cawton and Walt Reppenhagen of Flotilla14-4 presented NAMS, Navigational Aids Management System. With assistance from fellow Auxiliarists Elaine Cornell and Chuck Farmer, they developed a computerized tool to manage Aids to Navigation (ATONS) and Private Aids to Navigation (PATONS) within the Area of Responsibility of the Aids to Navigation Team at Tybee Island, Georgia. The system facilitates identification and documentation of deviations, and submits Aids to Navigation Reports (Form 7054) in real time. It is time-saving, practical and highly accurate. Volume LVIII Issue 1 Spring 2012 17 Think Green: Coast Guard’s 2011 Innovaon Expo Flolla 14-5 proves that effecve innovaons can be simple! By Helen Russee A Portable Multi-Modal Communications System (PMMCS), informally called radio-in-a-box, was crafted and demonstrated by John Russette and Willem Loupatty of Flotilla 14-5. The box is an inexpensive ice chest equipped with power converter and antenna tuner, and the radio is a multi-modal device, consisting of a digital marine and a 2-meter VHF radio. Once mounted on its platform – a sprinkler stand from the local hardware store – the (home-made) external, tunable antenna extends to a height of 26 feet, giving the operator access to the nationwide emergency VHF repeater network. The apparatus is designed to expand the scope of telecommunications operators (AUX TCOs) during emergency conditions by giving them multi-modal access to the nationwide VHF emergency radio network that links public safety agencies. Applying Vessel Safety Check data to yield Boating Safety Tactical Information was the third proposal, originated by John Russette and Helen Russette of Flotilla 14-5. Both the source (Vessel Safety Check data), and the instrument for compilation and analysis (computer software) are readily available, so no additional material resources are needed to implement the program. Outcomes include: 1.) Identification of recreational boater behaviors and vessel deficiencies to help Public Education programs focus on areas of highest non-compliance and risk, and 2.) Report generation to support annual follow up in the Vessel Safety Check program. The ultimate goal is to improve recreational boating safety by identifying and addressing the areas of greatest need to recreational boaters. The 2011 Coast Guard Innovation Expo provided an opportunity for Auxiliarists to demonstrate their creativity and resourcefulness and gain immediate feedback on new ideas. Considerable attention and interest came from members of the USCG, other Auxiliarists, and even industry professionals. This is an annual event, so if you have a good idea that might offer widespread benefits, consider participating in next year’s Coast Guard Innovation Expo.Ω TAMPA, Fla.- John Russee explains to COMO Walter Jaskiewicz how data obtained from Vessel Safety Checks can be used to idenfy areas of greatest concern to recreaonal boaters at the Coast Guard Innovaon Expo October 25-27, 2011. Photo provided by John and Helen Russee
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