Bobber and Baseball: A Home Run for Water Safety

Park Ranger Emily Coffin, Saylorville Lake, helps a young Cubs fan try on a life jacket and adjust the straps for proper fit.
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by Marty Robey)

That do you get when you mix Bobber the Water Safety Dog and baseball? A home run at the Fifth Annual Water Safety Night at the Iowa Cubs game in Des Moines, Iowa.

This Annual Water Safety Night at the Iowa Cubs game was a joint event with the Corps of Engineers and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Park Ranger Emily Coffin and Elyse Logan along with Coast Guard Auxilarists Doug Jansen and Marty Robey promoted water safety to kids and adults prior to and during the game.

Bobber threw out the first pitch for the packed game between the Iowa Cubs and the Memphis Redbirds. After throwing out the first pitch Bobber roamed the stands and met kids of all ages.


"Bobber helped us make some great interactions," said Park Ranger Emily Coffin. "He helped us to drive home some important water safety messages, including to always wear your life jacket."

Hundreds of baseball fans stopped by the water safety display at the park to learn about life jackets, boating safety and to meet Bobber. Bobber helped to inform young children about water safety to help them make the right choices when they are around water. Life jackets were available for children to try on to get sized for a proper fit. Parents were given slips to indicate the correct size so that they can purchase properly fitted life jackets for their children. There was also a water safety activity where kids were asked water safety trivia questions to earn prizes.

"Our partnership with the Corps of Engineers for this event helps us both to get out the message about water safety," said Auxilarist Doug Jansen.

Later that night, Auxilarist Jansen spent some time in the broadcast booth with Deene Ehlis and Randy Wehofer, Iowa Cubs broadcasters, to talk about water safety with the listeners. The conversation emphasized the importance of wearing life jackets and safe boating practices.

The water safety night was a success, as hundreds of children and their families were exposed to water safety education as they geared up for the busy 4th of July weekend.

Bobber the Water Safety Dog poses for a photo at the Water Safety Night at the Iowa Cubs Game.
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by Marty Robey)

Patterson and Butters are Flotilla's Newest Boat Crew Members

Auxilarists Phil Patterson and Brandon Butters completed their training and have become qualified Coast Guard Auxiliary Boat Crew Members. Their training consisted of seamanship skills; knot tying, basic boating skills, first aid, etc. They also had hours of hands on training of how to rescue people from the water and to tow disabled vessels to safe harbor. To become qualified they were tested by a Qualification Examiner and had to demonstrate mastery of skills such as dealing with a Person in the Water, setting up a tow for a disabled vessel and also an cumulative exam.

Congratulations to Brandon and Phil!

WHO TV 13 Features Coast Guard Auxiliary Patrol

Travis Daniels talking to WHO TV 13 Reporter, Emily Carlson, during a safety patrol on Saylorville Lake. For the whole report go to: http://www.tinyurl.com/flotilla4whotv

On the 4th of July, Flotilla 4’s boat crew was able to take out a news crew from WHO TV 13 in Des Moines. Reporter Emily Carlson interviewed the boat crew and was able to learn a little bit more about the Coast Guard Auxiliary in Iowa.

Like many others we encounter, she was surprised that there was a Coast Guard presence in Central Iowa. We were able to take and give her a little insight into our missions so that the public may better understand what we do.

First, the Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed volunteer 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 law enforcement actions. The Coast Guard Auxiliary has existed in Central Iowa for many years. Recently our ranks have grown, thus enabling us to help go out into the public more to advocate for safe boating.

We conduct safety patrols on local lakes and waterways, assist the Coast Guard with homeland security duties, teach boating safety classes, conduct free vessel safety checks for the public, as well as many other activities (including augmenting them during emergencies like the flooding up on the Red River).

Many Auxilarists choose to receive training from the Coast Guard and other agencies to be qualified to respond to an emergency similar to your local fire department. Our mission is different, but our volunteer lifesavers go through hours of classroom training and field experience before they are able to go out and help during an emergency. These professional volunteers have skills and capabilities from as simple as staffing a radio watch to operating on a patrol boat on a lake to help boaters in distress.

Even though the active duty Coast Guard facilities are located on the Mississippi River and Missouri River, we Auxilarists have a vital mission here in Central Iowa. We are here to help further the Coast Guard safety missions to promote safe boating. Whether it is teaching a class, doing a free vessel safety check for your boat, or patrolling the lakes and waterways to ensure your safety we are furthering this mission. By doing this it allows the active duty Coast Guard to focus their energies on missions elsewhere.

So yes, there is a Coast Guard presence in Central Iowa and we are Iowa’s Volunteer Lifesavers!

Coast Guard Auxiliary Brings Safety to Boaters on the Missouri River

The Coast Guard Auxiliary brought safety to the Missouri River Sunday towing a disabled boat to safety, and then helping a local boater learn about boating safety.

On a routine safety patrol on the Missouri River near downtown Omaha, a Coast Guard Auxiliary patrol boat discovered a boater and his family, drifting down river in a boat without power. The disabled boat would not start and was drifting towards a wing dike, positioned rocks in the river used to control the current of the river.

Coast Guard Auxiliary members Frank Reiss, Doug Jansen and Phil Patterson came to their rescue. The Coast Guard Auxiliary crew, in their authorized patrol boat, threw a line to the disabled boat and towed the stranded family's boat to safety.

"Had my crew not been there on patrol to help them," said Coast Guard Auxiliary volunteer Frank Reiss of Omaha, "The disabled boat could have run into the wing dike, further damaging the boat, and injuring the people on board."

The Coast Guard Auxiliary crew secured the disabled vessel at a local marina with the assistance of a local boater. The local boater expressed interest in a receiving a Vessel Safety Check on his boat, from the Coast Guard Auxilarists.

Vessel Safety Checks are conducted by qualified members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary. This is a way for boaters to have their boating equipment inspected, insuring compliance with Federal and State regulations. These examinations also provide learning about problems that might be in violation of the laws, and provide the boating public with additional safety tips that could possibly mitigate or eliminate preventable danger on the water.

Frank Reiss conducted a Vessel Safety Check for the local boater and was able to explain various safety features on his boat.

A Coast Guard Auxiliary rescue boat tows a boat that was in distress to a safe location on the Missouri River on June 21st.
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by Doug Jansen)

Coast Guard Auxilarist Frank Reiss conducts a Vessel Safety Check for a boat owner at the Sandpiper Marina in Omaha. The Coast Guard Auxiliary conducts these voluntary checks so that boaters know what safety equipment they need to go on the water safely.
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by Doug Jansen)

70TH Anniversary of the United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Admiral Thad Allen
Coast Guard Commandant
(U.S. Coast Guard Photo)

June 23, 2009, is a significant date for the Coast Guard as it will mark our Auxiliary’s 70th year of dedicated service to the nation. We take tremendous pride in calling these volunteer guardians our shipmates, knowing that their selfless devotion to duty and unwavering pride have given us invaluable support throughout our daily routines and greatest challenges.

For seven decades, Auxilarists have nobly offered their time, efforts and resources to support the Coast Guard. Specifically during the past ten years, a period of unprecedented challenge to our national safety, security and spirit, Auxiliary contributions have been staggering in their breadth and scope. These undaunted volunteers have performed over 1.2 million recreational and commercial fishing vessel safety checks, over 980 thousand hours of boating safety course instruction, and more than 7.7 million hours of operational support and patrol missions. The costs of such performance have also been overwhelmingly borne by Auxilarists as they have logged over 23.7 million hours of staff work, travel, preparation, training, and self-administration. This has all been unselfishly delivered as Auxilarists have stood side by side with their Coast Guard counterparts to confront and overcome a roll call of challenges: Y2K, 9/11, Hurricane Katrina, and many other natural and man-made disasters.

The Auxiliary continues to align itself with the Coast Guard, modernizing its organization across all Sectors, Districts, and Headquarters Directorates to shape optimal support of Coast Guard missions today and into the future. Moreover, the Auxiliary has gained even greater headway as it has progressively broadened its ability to comprehensively address more and more non-traditional mission areas such as interpreter, vessel documentation, legal, and health services support. I greatly admire the organizational courage and determination of all Auxilarists as we make our final approach on achieving a fully modernized and integrated Coast Guard.

Auxiliary performance has been nothing short of stellar, and its greatest impacts are readily reflected by Auxilarists spirit of patriotism and dedication to the Coast Guard men and women with whom they service. I therefore intend to duly recognize the Auxiliary with an award of the Coast Guard Unit Commendation as part of its 70th Anniversary Celebration at Coast Guard Headquarters on June 23. Please join me in setting aside time to recognize the exceptional honor, respect, and devotion to duty so consistently displayed by our Coast Guard Auxilarists, and thank them for their service.

Admiral Thad Allen
Commandant

ALCOAST

Auxiliary's 70th Anniversary

On June 23, 1939, Congress established the Coast Guard Reserve, a volunteer civilian organization, to promote boating safety and to facilitate Coast Guard operations. Initially, members conducted safety and security patrols and helped enforce the provisions of the 1940 Federal Boating and Espionage Acts. In February 1941, the Coast Guard military reserve was established and the volunteers renamed the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

As the U.S. entered World War II, recruits flooded Auxiliary flotillas in a burst of patriotic fever. In 1942, some 50,000 Auxiliarists became the core of the Temporary Reserve performing coastal defense and search and rescue duties, patrolling bridges, factories, docks, and beaches. They fought fires, made arrests, guided naval vessels, and conducted anti-submarine warfare. As their ranks grew, thousands of active duty Coast Guard personnel were freed for service overseas.

By 1950, the four Auxiliary cornerstone missions - public education, operations, vessel examination, and fellowship were established. In 1996, legislation expanded the Auxiliary’s scope to allow members to assist in any Coast Guard mission authorized by the Commandant. The U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary, the world’s largest volunteer marine safety organization, has kindled and interest in to create similar groups in other countries. Today, Auxiliarists can be found examining commercial fishing vessels; flying in C-130’s, working in Coast Guard offices, and crewing with regulars. Active Duty, Reservists, Civilian Employees, Retirees and Auxiliarists,–truly constitute TEAM COAST GUARD.

Auxiliarists have a great deal to be proud of. Over the past ten years, Auxiliary members have:

• Contributed 44,417,850 hours
  
• Taught 1,678,946 people with 980,000 hours of classroom work.
  
• Spent over 869,000 hours in community relations and media events
  
• Conducted 1,170,535 Vessel safety Checks (VSCs) over 579,000 hours, including more than 167,000 first time VSCs and over 158,000 high risk VSCs
  
• Made over 418,000 visits Recreational Boating Safety Program Visits spending more than 279,000 mission hours
  
• Served 4,297,312 hours underway on safety patrols
  
• Worked 56,188 hours on 25,377 missions, verifying 138,867 ATONs
  
• Spent over 19,475,000 hours on administrative tasks
  
• Examined over 10,223 Commercial Fishing Vessels
  
• Provided 1,587,646 hours of Coast Guard Operational Support on over 197,000 Support missions
  
• Supported the Coast Guard administratively with 770,554 hours & 115,292 missions
  
• Trained over 1,125,019 hours
  
• Performed Search and Rescue for over 723,000 hours, resulting in 5,083 lives saved, 141,980 persons assisted, & $1,460,055,940 in property saved.
  
• Recruited for The Coast Guard Academy, Active Duty & Reserve Officer and
• Enlisted programs for over 105,000 hours
  
• Spent more than 700,000 hours on Marine Safety and Environmental Protection Missions
  
• Contributed more than 22,000 hours in medical support to the Coast Guard
  
• Worked more than 39,000 hours in the International arena
  
• Consulted with state legislatures for over 5,483 hours
  
  
  

  Since 1999, the Coast Guard Auxiliary has participated in events, including but not limited to:
  
  

• OPSail 2000 & USCGC Eagle visits to U.S. ports
  
• 9/11 attacks response
  
• Hurricanes Charlie, Rita, Katrina, Ike
  
• The California Delta Whale Rescue
  
• Several oil spills in the gulf coast, Alaska and in California.
  
• Annual support for AIM week(s) at the USCGA
  
• Annual support for the International Boating and Water Sports Symposia
  
• National Association of State Boating law Administrators events
  
• Boating Safety Advisory Council
  
• Training various waterborne police agencies
  
• Support the Coast Guard with Interpreters throughout the world
  
• Support as Chefs on CG vessels and stations.
  
• Augmenting by Auxiliary Health Professionals at Coast Guard clinics.
  

We provide the biggest bang for the buck for the American taxpayer. Each of us should take pride in knowing that we are special group, making a unique contribution to the Coast Guard and our Nation. Thank you for your service.

Happy Birthday and Semper Paratus.

COMO Nicholas Kerigan
National Commodore
United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

The Multi Mission

Auxilarist Frank Reiss conducts a Vessel Safety Check for a boater

(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by Doug Jansen)

Auxilarists Norma Newton (left) and Wendy Faganel (right)
conduct a stern tow during a patrol
(U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Photo by John Halbrook)

Flotilla 4 has a lot of members who are relatively new to the Auxiliary. They bring with them a variety of business, public safety and volunteer coordination back grounds. As many of us have learned about the Auxiliary, we have become very surprised at how such an organized and coordinated program had been so disconnected.

When many of us joined the flotilla, boating safety classes were considered separate from, and in no way related to vessel safety checks, which were not related to marine dealer visits or safety patrols. Reading the manual, and going through the training you would have thought that no one had ever pulled these unique programs together. Certainly other flotillas and divisions across the country have done similar, but since no one in our area had approached these programs as a coordinated effort we will pass along the concept of the “multi mission”.

Multi missions are a Flotilla 4 concept that has helped us to optimize our time, energy and experience to ensure that we are doing the most good for our boating safety community. This plan allows each discipline to feed the others.

Prior to the start of our operational day, our Program Visitors will visit marine dealers in the area to make sure that they have boating safety materials available for the weekend. We converse with our boating safety partners about upcoming classes and at what ramps we intend to do Vessel Safety Checks at that day. That way when customers come in, the boating partner can chat up our upcoming classes and safety checks.

The Vessel Examiner is in many cases the public’s first encounter with the Coast Guard Auxiliary. In our relatively land-locked area, most of our recreational boating takes place on federal reservoirs or inland rivers. These waterways have limited access points. During busy periods, specifically holidays and weekends, our Vessel Examiners set up displays and actively offer Vessel Safety Checks (VSCs) at ramps and marinas. While conducting VSCs a few things take place.

First, we record the boaters contact information. If interested, we put the boat owner on our e-mail list for notification of future VSCs and upcoming boating safety classes. This gives us a focused marketing avenue for boater safety and education programs. As an additional incentive we are able to offer those that register with us, in a drawing for an access pass to the federal reservoirs for the following year.

Second, if the boater does not have all of the equipment to pass the VSC, we offer them information on retailers who have agreed to give discounts to customers who show that they are purchasing equipment to make their vessel compliant. This encourages the boater to correct those deficiencies and be a safer vessel on the water.

With active VSC at the boat ramps our patrol presence on the water conducts a standard safety patrol. What’s nice about the integration between VE’s and boat crews is the chance for multiple Auxiliarists to spend time getting VSCs done and patrol hours under their belt. A well coordinated afternoon can help maximize efficiency.

Finally, we have communications. Setting up a temporary Auxiliary communications station allows all of these elements to work together. The Vessel Examiners can provide eyes on the water for the patrol, and the patrol can let the VE’s know which ramps are active.

When all three components work together, the general public hears us on the marine radio, they see us on the water, and they interact with us on the shore. If all three of these encounters are positive we can build an excellent program for the Auxiliary.