22 New Coast Guard Auxiliary "Recruits" Sworn In!"

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary
Public Affairs

 

PRESS RELEASE

Date: 11 June 2008

Contact: Kirk Scarborough 
Public Affairs Officer
(714) 777-2300
Captkirk55@aol.com

YORBA LINDA, Calif. - The night of June 5^th, 2008 started the beginning for 22 new members of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Commander Richard Symons, Director of Auxiliary for the 11^th Coast Guard District ( Southern Region) administer the Coast Guard Auxiliary Oath of Office. The new members and their families packed the conference room of the Yorba Linda Community Center, where the oath of office took place.

 

(pictured above: new members taking oath, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary photo by Kirk Scarborough, USCGAUX)

Commander Symons gave a brief presentation about the history of the U.S. Coast Guard and the formation of its Auxiliary. Commander Symons also talked about the specific missions performed by the Auxiliary over the past year. Nationally in 2007, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteered over 250,000 man-hours of service to the Coast Guard and our nation.

After being sworn in these twenty-two new members will become full fledge members of what is regarded as the “premiere” all-volunteer force in the Department of Homeland Security and the nation.

Some of these members will teach boating safety classes, conduct vessel safety checks. Some will become Maritime Domain Awareness Inspectors. While others will become “Boat Crew” qualified for search and rescue missions or for those who are bi-lingual they may become interpreters. The Coast Guard Auxiliary has something to interest most everyone.

National Safe Boating Week Children's Lifejacket Trade-in

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach

Press Release

Date: May 13, 2008 Contact: CAL BOATING Phaedra Bota 916-263-8188 Public Info: Gloria Sandoval 916-263-0788 U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs Andrew Munoz (310) 521-3610 U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs Anthony Turner (310) 908-6950

LOS ANGELES - The California Department of Boating and Waterways (Cal Boating) in partnership with the Sacramento Safe Kids Coalition will be holding a children's lifejacket trade-in at Sam's Clubs in Long Beach, Irvine, and Riverside, Calif. on Friday, May 23, 2008 from 2 p.m. until 4 p.m. The public is invited to bring in lifejackets for inspection. Boating safety experts from the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, and Cal Boating will be on hand to inspect lifejackets and answer questions. Children's lifejackets that are found to be in disrepair will be exchanged for a new one (while supplies last, one new children's lifejacket per family). California law requires children under 12 who are riding in a boat 26-feet or less to wear a Coast Guard-approved lifejacket. Trade-ins will be accepted at the following Sam's Clubs: 7480 Carson St, Long Beach 6363 Valley Springs Pkwy, Riverside 16555 Von Karman Ave, Irvine Community Partners - Cal Boating, Radio Disney, CBS Radio, Sacramento Safe Kids Coalition, Drowning Accident Rescue Team (DART), Sam's Club, U.S. Coast Guard, and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary - come together to bring you a water safety event for National Safe Boating Week (May 17-24, 2008). The focus is on preventing water-related accidents involving children. Boating Safety Resources: Wear It California Lifejacket Campaign - http://www.wearitcalifornia.com/ California Department of Boating and Waterways - http://www.boatsmarter.com/ U.S. Coast Guard Boating Safety - http://www.uscgboating.org/

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Get your free boat safety checks before hitting the water!

DATE: May 12, 2008 09:22:13 PST

U.S. Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach

Press Release

Date: May 12, 2008 Contact: Lt. j.g. Andrew Munoz U.S. Coast Guard Public Affairs (310) 521-3610 Anthony Turner U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Public Affairs (310) 908-6950

LOS ANGELES - In conjunction with National Safe Boating Week, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will be providing free boat safety checks at five southern California locations on Saturday, May 24, 2008 beginning at 8 a.m. "Memorial weekend traditionally kicks off the boating season. So before hitting the water, the Coast Guard urges boaters to make sure their safety equipment is in order," said Lt. j.g. Andrew Muñoz spokesman for the Coast Guard in Los Angeles. Volunteer vessel examiners inspect boats to ensure that required safety equipment is present and in functional condition. The examiners also check for any basic mechanical problems, make sure registration and documentation are current, and offer information on a variety boating safety issues. Examinations can be conducted on any type of watercraft from boats, jet-ski's, to kayaks. Lifejackets, fire extinguishers, and distress signals are just some of the items that are required by federal regulations. The Coast Guard also suggests boaters equip themselves with a marine VHF radio, GPS device, and 406 MHz EPIRB (Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon). "We want boaters to be safe, responsible and enjoy their time on the water. It's our goal to have more boaters take advantage of these free boat safety checks. That's why we're working with the Coast Guard Auxiliary to have vessel examiners out at popular boating areas," said Muñoz. Aside from being prepared for an emergency, one advantage of getting the free safety check from the Coast Guard Auxiliary is that there aren't any penalties associated with not passing. Those who do pass will be able to display this year's vessel exam decal on their boat. According to Muñoz, the U.S. Coast Guard and local law enforcement will be on patrol conducting their own inspections. Unlike the inspections offered by the Coast Guard Auxiliary, if you fail to pass one conducted on the water by law enforcement you could face fines and be ordered back to the dock. National Safe Boating Week is May 17-24, 2008. U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary vessel examiners will be at the following locations on Saturday, May 24, 2008 beginning at 8 a.m. Davies Launch Ramp, Long Beach, Calif. Cabrillo Launch Ramp, San Pedro, Calif. Newport Dunes Launch Ramp, Newport Harbor, Calif. Pyramid Lake Castaic Lake Boaters can find more information about boating safety at the U.S. Coast Guard's boating safety web site at: http://www.uscgboating.org.

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SAFE BOATING CELEBRATION

For additional information: Dawna Taylor, Public Information Officer

Maricopa County Parks and

Recreation Department

Office: (602) 506-1114 – Cell: (602) 525-5733

Teresa Guillen, Public Information Officer

Arizona Game and Fish Department

Office: (623) 236-7377

Tom Nunes, Public Affairs Officer

U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary – Arizona

Office: (602) 617-1979

May 8, 2008

Is your boat ready for the water?

(Peoria) – Is your watercraft safe? If you hesitated while answering this question, then you won’t want to miss the 2008 Arizona Safe Boating Celebration at Lake Pleasant Regional Park on May 17 from 8 a.m. to 12 p.m. Free vessel safety checks will be offered by the U.S. Power Squadron and U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary at the ten and four-lane boat ramps.

The average check takes approximately 15-minutes and can be performed while you’re preparing to launch your boat. During the check, examiners will review federal and state boating laws and recommend equipment that will help to ensure that your boat is operating safely. Experts will also be on hand to provide information on how to select the right life-jacket, the effects of carbon monoxide poisoning, the consequences for operating a boat under the influence of alcohol and those pesky aquatic hitchhikers – Quagga mussels.

Don’t have a boat? No problem. Visit the vintage life-jacket display to see how life-jackets have evolved over the years or take a kayak out for a test drive at the ten-lane boat ramp. Guests will also be treated to a wakeboard demonstration and an H-60 Jayhawk helicopter swimmer rescue. Prizes will be raffled off throughout the morning. The first 200 vessel owners who receive a safety check will receive a discount coupon for future park entry. The event is included in the $5 per vehicle park entry fee (plus $2 per watercraft).

For more information on the event, visit www.azsafeboating.org. Lake Pleasant Regional Park is located at 41835 N. Castle Hot Springs Road in Morristown. From I-17, take SR-74 (Carefree Highway) west; turn right at Mile Post 19; three miles to the park entrance. For additional information on the park, visit www.maricopa.gov/parks/lake_pleasant.

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Dawna L. Taylor

Public Information Officer

Maricopa County Parks and Recreation Department

234 N. Central Avenue, Ste. 6400

Phoenix, Arizona 85004

(602) 506-1114(602) 506-4692 - fax(602) 525-5733 - cell

From hiking on a barrier-free trail, to horseback riding along a creek, Maricopa County Parks offer visitors the best of the Sonoran Desert. To learn more, visit the Parks Website at www.maricopa.gov/parks!

NOT ALL BOATNG ACCIDENTS HAPPEN ON THE WATER

PRESS RELEASE

May 5, 2008

For More Information Contact:
Anthony Turner, Chief
External Communications Division
National Department of Public Affairs
Email: anthony.turner@yahoo.com
(310) 908-6950

LOS ANGELES, Calif. Some boating accidents occur while transiting to and from the water and quite frequently on the launch ramp. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary says “a successful boating outing begins when you leave home and ends when you safely return home.” Since the majority of recreational boats in the United States are transported to and from the water it is important that boaters take as much care transporting their boat, whether it be a power boat, sailboat, paddle craft or personal water craft as they do operating their boat on the water.

When it comes to trailered boats nine out of ten trailering malfunctions and accidents can be directly traced back to a failure to dedicate some time to the most basic preventative maintenance. Wheel bearings, suspension parts, lights, and a host of other components reacquire constant attention, to help insure any trailering trip smooth and hassle free. Special attention to the tow vehicle’s hitch is a good idea, as that is the only link between the tow vehicle and trailer. Also consider the fact that one needs a special license and classification to drive things like motorcycles, school busses and vehicles with air brakes like semi-trailer trucks, gravel trucks, etc. But just about anyone can go out and buy a $30,000 boat and trailer, attach it to his/her car… and simply drive away. No special training is required beforehand and no special license classification is needed. Anyone who has ever hauled a boat around for a number of years knows that it may not be too difficult to drive in a straight line at low speeds. But when it comes to things like driving at highway speeds, passing other vehicles, high winds, backing up, etc… the task becomes much more difficult than one might think.

The U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety offers safety tips for trailering, pre-launching preparations, launching, retrieval and boat storing at
http://www.uscgboating.org/safety/metlife_archived_9-21-2007/boat_trailer.htm.

For more potentially life-saving information along with how to take a boating safety course or get a free vessel safety check from the Coast Guard Auxiliary visit http://www.uscgboating.org/. The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Created by an Act of Congress in 1939, the Auxiliary directly supports the Coast Guard in all missions, except military and direct law enforcement actions. The Coast Guard Auxiliary is an integral part of the United States Coast Guard. For more information visit http://www.cgaux.org/ if you are ready to join visit http://join.cgaux.org/ . (photo credit: U.S. Navy)

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