safe and effective boat control council presents and recieves awards
Transcription
safe and effective boat control council presents and recieves awards
USPS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL NSBC Board Meeting - Newport Beach, CA Deadline to postmark RBS grant application MARCH 13-16 9th Annual Summit, Newport Beach, CA APRIL / MAY 30 - 5/4 17 21 - 27 22 - 25 SSBLAA, Little Rock, AR Congressional Reception, Washington DC National Safe Boating Week WSBAA, Helena, MT JUNE 1-5 12 - 15 USPS Spring Governing Board, Charlotte, NC NABA, Wichita, KS NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL TBA A t the September 2004 National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Annual Conference held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, several awards were presented to or by members of the National Safe Boating Council. Please join us in congratulating these individuals for their outstanding service. William Griswold, Past Chair of the National Safe Boating Council, made the presentation to Richard Snyder as one of the 2004 recipients of the NSBC Boating Safety Hall of Fame for his exemplary leadership and outstanding service on behalf of boating safety. NSBC Board Meeting, TBA AUGUST TBA USCG Auxiliary National Conference, Orlando, FL SEPTEMBER 6-11 18-21 2004 VOLUME 5 Issue 3 COUNCIL PRESENTS AND RECIEVES AWARDS JULY USPS Fall Governing Board, Portland, OR NASBLA, Portland, OR Please email your boating safety dates to office@safeboatingcouncil.org Legal Counsel JOAN BONDAREFF American Canoe Association MONITA FONTAINE, AT-LARGE PAM DILLON U.S. Power Squadrons JOYCE SHAW, AT-LARGE National Water Safety Congress BOBBY PHARR Lower Colorado River Authority National Association of State Boating Law Administrators Brunswick Foundation JIM RICHARDSON, SECRETARY RANDY EDWARDS VERONICA FLOYD, TREASURER Canadian Safe Boating Council U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Fred Messmann, outgoing president of NASBLA, received the 1851 Navy Colt for leadership from the National Safe Boating Council. The NSBC recognizes the outgoing president of NASBLA for his service and leadership. WILLIAM GRISWOLD, PAST CHAIR BARBARA BYERS National Transportation Safety Board Boat U.S. Foundation BILL GOSSARD RUTH WOOD, VICE CHAIR USCG, Office of Boating Safety Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ED CARTER, CHAIR T JOHN MALATAK EX-OFFICIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS P.O. Box 509 Bristow, VA 20136 Phone (703) 361-4294 Fax (703) 361-5294 Email: NSBCdirect@safeboatingcouncil.org Website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL First Class U.S. Postage PAID Columbus, OH Permit #7605 he U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to work with the “You’re In Command” initiative to encourage all recreational boaters to take responsibility for their actions on the water. This initiative puts YOU in command and reminds boat owners and operators to always be in command of their vessel and be responsible for their safety as well as the safety of their passengers. The “You’re In Command” program is continuing to evolve and has just announced their new, updated logo. This logo has been revised to include the helms of a number of different vessels and now features a new slogan reminding boaters to “Be Responsible. Boat Safely!” The U.S. Coast Guard also continues to remind boaters to get a vessel safety check, take a safe boating course, always wear your life jacket and never boat under the influence. For more information on “You’re In Command” please visit the U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety website at www.uscgboating.org or you may go to the NSBC website at www.safeboatingcouncil.org and click on the “You’re In Command” logo. 5-9 21-22 25 National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. NEW REVISED LOGO! T JANUARY VIRGIL CHAMBERS 5 Rebecca filmed her public service announcements on the Potomac River just days before winning her sixth Whitewater Slalom National Championship in Dickerson, Maryland. The ACA has agreed to help distribute the Rebecca Giddens “You’re in Command” public service announcements and related materials to member liveries, retail stores, and community-based paddling clubs. The participation of respected celebrities like Justin, Bobby, and Terry Labonte, Bill Dance and Rebecca Giddens is sure to attract the attention of the recreational boating public — and especially high-risk groups like hunters, anglers, and paddlers — to the personal responsibility message implicit in “You’re in Command.” The Coast Guard thanks these and other celebrities who have donated their time to the cause of saving lives and preventing accidents on the water. Keep a lookout for our new public service announcements. Please feel free to provide us with your comments and suggestions on how we can better our outreach efforts and grow our “You’re In Command” initiative. Remember, “You’re in Command. Be responsible. Boat Safely!” The Labonte, Dance and Giddens public service announcements will soon be posted at www.uscgboating.org/incommand. he Ninth Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit will be hosted in beautiful Newport Beach, California at the Hyatt Newport Regency Hotel on March 13 – 16, 2005. The Summit is the premier boating and water safety event of the year. The event is organized into general sessions and specialized sessions so that attendees can maximize the information available. General session topics will include: a presentation from National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman, Mark Rosenker, highlighting the PFD Forum; Strategies on Carbon Monoxide Education and Increasing PFD Wear; and Developing an Effective PSA. The specialized sessions will include: Creative Partnering Draws Boating Safety Awareness, Dam Emergency Action Plans, Innovative Tools to Teach Water Safety, Investigating the Water-Related Death, Life Jackets ARE for Everyone, Making Waves with the Media, A Backup Dam to Withstand Earthquakes, Boating Under the Influence Training Program, Successful Aquatic Programming: How to Start Small and Grow With Cost Saving Ideas and Community Networking, The Perception of Risk and the Influence Upon Safety Behavior and PWC for Law Enforcement. Two afternoons of on-the-water activities will provide attendees with high level of participation at the Summit. In addition to the Summit’s fantastic program, the location and the hotel are perfect. Newport Beach is centrally located for a quick trip to Disneyland or Sea World at San Diego. Please go to our web site: www.safeboatingcouncil.org/summit for more information concerning the Summit. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 9th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit! MIKE WILSON, AT-LARGE C all it human nature. Few people respond when they are asked to change their behavior — even when they know that doing so could possibly save their own lives. However, many people will change their behavior if it will make them to be more like their heroes! This is especially true in sports, where enthusiasts hang on every word of their favorite experts and champions. That’s why the U.S. Coast Guard has reached out to nationally known celebrities to help promote its nationwide recreational boating safety initiative — “You’re in Command.” The past few months have seen dramatic success, particularly in the recruiting of celebrities with particular appeal to the groups most at risk for recreational boating accidents and fatalities: hunters, anglers, and paddlers. First up: NASCAR’s Labonte family. Bobby Labonte, his brother Terry Labonte, and Bobby’s son Justin Labonte are all NASCAR champions — and avid anglers and hunters. When not on the racetrack, they can often be found hunting or fishing from their boats. This past spring all three Labontes teamed up to create television, radio and print public service announcements for our “You’re in Command” initiative. The Labontes feel strongly about boating safety. Justin has stated several times that, “We go fishing all the time when we’re not working on our cars and we’d never go out without life jackets.” He has also stated that all of his family hopes that their messages will encourage other people to stay safe. The Labonte’s public service announcements make a clear connection between the safety gear they habitually wear while racing and the life jackets they habitually wear while boating. The television spot was premiered during the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona on July 2nd, and then sent out to hundreds of media outlets. Since July the television public service announcement has been seen by as many as 70 million viewers. Next, at the request of the Sportsman’s Forum, bass fishing legend and television personality Bill Dance (a fellow Tennessee VOL, I might add) volunteered to lend his name to “You’re in Command.” Bill is a member of the International Fishing Hall of Fame and a three-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, with 23 national bass titles to his credit. His unique style comes to anglers everywhere through his well-known television series Bill Dance Outdoors. Bill commented, “I’ve been fishing on TV for quite a while now and if my advice can help save someone’s life then I think it’s my duty to do that.” Like the Labontes, Bill contributed his time to make television, radio, and print public service announcements, all of which will soon be placed nationally. There’s no question that Bill Dance’s modeling of safe boating behaviors will save lives. Then, through our partnership with the American Canoe Association, whitewater kayaking champion Rebecca Giddens lent her support to “You’re in Command” and boating safety. Only a few weeks after winning a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Rebecca taped television and radio public service announcements and lent her image for print advertisements as well. Rebecca’s interest in boating safety is personal. She commented to us that, “When I was twelve I was in a canoe that capsized on my local river. I can clearly remember thinking I was going to drown. If I hadn’t been wearing my life jacket I truly believe I wouldn’t be alive today.” 2005 - CALENDAR FOR BOATING SAFETY Executive Director by John Malatak Chief, Program Operations Division, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety CELEBRITIES TO BOATERS: “YOU’RE IN COMMAND! BOAT RESPONSIBLY. BOAT SAFE” COMING SOON: INTERNATIONAL BOATING & WATER SAFETY SUMMIT Arkansas Game & Fish Commission UNITED STATES COAST GUARD UPDATE T Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, presented William Griswold, the outgoing chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, with a bronze eagle for his tireless efforts on behalf of the NSBC and boating safety. NSBC Vice Chair, Ruth Wood, looks on. The President’s Special Awards: NASBLA President Fred Messmann was very pleased to recognize two National Safe Boating Council members for their contributions to boating safety and NASBLA. Virgil Chambers, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council, is shown at left receiving his award. The other individual was Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council and BLA for Tennessee. SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BOAT CONTROL ight-quarters boat handling is an important skill a boater acquires through practice and understanding of the boat’s operation. Bringing a boat into the dock without banging the pier, wharf or another boat is not hard if you do it with understanding of what each action you take does to the craft. First, approach with caution, SLOWLY. Remember that the slower you are moving, the slower you make mistakes. You know that boats do not have brakes. A change in the forward motion of the craft is accomplished by reversing the throttle. Approaching the dock slowly makes sense, not only because of the need to suddenly reverse the engine to stop, but also because a fast approach will create a wake that you will be responsible for. A wake will result in your boat bouncing around as well as the other boats at the dock bouncing. There is a balance between too much throttle and not enough to have control of your craft. As you become experienced with your boat, you will find that point of minimum throttle and good maneuverability. This message is brought to you by Ability One, Inc. ABILITY ONE / ROLYAN BUOYS IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE “ANCHORLINE” Rolyan® Buoys AND NOW . . . . COMMENTS FROM NEWLY ELECTED NSBC CHAIR ED CARTER L et me begin by saying “thanks for your confidence and support” in allowing me to serve as Chair of a most remarkable organization. Those who have previously served as Chair have set a standard of growth and service which I shall strive to continue. I also want to put our “retiring Chair”, Bill Grizwold, on notice that, even though well deserved, there will be no resting on laurels. Bill was an outstanding leader and I plan to continue to utilize his skills and guidance as the Council continues to excel. Planning for the 2005 Safe Boating Campaign is well underway and we are doing more than the usual “tweaking”. We take your evaluations and suggestions seriously and alter our course accordingly. This year you will notice some changes in the support materials which should make the campaign more cost efficient as well as effective. The Campaign is the most visible program the Council is involved with and the staff and Board of the Council are quite serious about maintaining a synergistic effort from all our partners toward our common goal of safer boating. Another hallmark program, The International Boating and Water Safety Summit, is also just around the corner. The venue is spectacular and combined with an aggressive and focused agenda, it promises to be the best ever. Rest assured that a smiggon (that’s a technical word meaning yee-haw) of fun will also be available for your learning pleasure. Thanks to the leadership of Jim Richardson, our “Small Grants Program” has become a resounding success. Just as we are in the process of making the final decisions for this year, we are looking at a whole new and complimentary grant program that will undoubtedly up the ante and competition for grassroots programs that offer imaginative ways to preach the gospel of responsible boating. Stand by for more on this continuing initiative. The National Safe Boating Council through many years of effort, pride and accomplishments has made remarkable strides and has evolved into an internationally respected organization. With a dedicated and professional staff, a Board that will settle for nothing less than excellence, and a growing and enthusiastic membership, I don’t see any way that hallmark will change. As they used to say on the old radio programs, “Keep them cards and letters coming folks,” we need your guidance and support. Thanks again for the honor of being your Chair. Best wishes for safe and happy holidays, Ed Carter THE STAFF AT THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL WISHES ALL OF YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 2 Legal Eagle by Joan M. Bondareff, Esq PREMIUM MEMBERS PATRON MEMBERS A AbilityOne, Inc. Boat Ed Boat US Brunswick Corporation Coors Brewing Company MetLife Auto & Home National Marine Manufacturers Association Orion Safety Products Sentinel Press Wal-Mart Stores Watermark Paddlesports, Inc. West Marine Products, Inc. Within Reach Yamaha Motor Corporation Zurich Marine Specialty GOAL SETTING FOR THE COAST GUARD: HOW MANY LIVES CAN WE SAVE? SUSTAINING MEMBERS t the last meeting of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC), in Crystal City, Virginia, I was initially surprised by the Coast Guard’s request to NBSAC for input into their goals for Recreational Boating Safety. I assumed that the Coast Guard had already set goals for RBS. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is an important exercise in which all supporters of safe boating should participate and take seriously. According to the Coast Guard’s own statistics, for the last two years, the number of boating fatalities has remained constant at about 700. And, most of these boaters were either not wearing a PFD or had not taken a boating education course. Of course, this is all the more reason to work harder at our campaigns for increasing PFD wear and encouraging all boaters to take an education course. But, the question of the day is how many fatalities are acceptable? How many accidents? What should our goals be? Zero fatalities? And, if so, how do we achieve this goal? What resources are needed? Do our common efforts need to be redirected in any manner? I looked at other safety organizations to see if they had set similar goals for eliminating fatalities on the roads and in the air. I checked out the Department of Transportation’s Strategic Plan for 2003-2008, and saw that, yes indeed, Secretary Mineta and DOT have set specific goals for each mode of transportation to achieve by 2008: ACR Electronics American Poker Runs Association Brunswick Boat Group Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A. Lower Colorado River Authority Mercury Marine Paddlesport Publishing, Inc./Paddler Magazine Personal Watercraft Industry Polaris Industries Ranger Boats Stearns, Inc. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Walsh Marine Products Zodiac of North America, Inc. For highway safety: reduce highway fatalities to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; and reduce large truck fatalities to 1.65 per 100 million truck miles traveled. For aviation safety: reduce commercial aviation fatal accidents to 0.01 per 100,000 departures; and reduce general aviation fatal accidents to 325. For rail safety: reduce train accidents and incidents to 16.14 per million train miles. For transit safety: reduce fatalities to 0.488 per 100 million passenger miles. For pipeline safety: reduce total incidents for gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to 307. For hazardous materials safety: reduce the number of serious incidents to 488. SHOULD YOUR NAME BE HERE ? Are these the types of goals and numbers we want the Coast Guard to set, or can we do better? I understand that we could be mixing apples and oranges, or boaters and passengers, but still I like the idea of specific goals that we and everyone else can measure. Let me and other members of the NSBC and NBSAC have your thoughts about this exercise so we can provide input to the Coast Guard and then all get on the same page to reducing (or eliminating) boating fatalities and accidents. PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW NSBC MEMBERS Organizations B-About Sail Ministry Northwestern Boating Council Individuals Douglas Reedy Lee Taylor 3 CHECK OUT THE NEW PADDLE SMART PROGRAM ON THE SIDEKICKS WEB PAGE: WWW.BOATINGSIDEKICKS.COM. START AT THE SIDEKICKS WEB SITE, AND THEN CLICK ON “SMART START FOR PADDLERS.” SUPPORTING BOATING SAFETY THROUGH YOUR NSBC MEMBERSHIP $ $’S FOR YOUR PROGRAMS I t is that time of year again! The Local Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program is now accepting grant applications through January 25, 2005. The purpose of the Grant Program is to further the North American Safe Boating Campaign efforts, so projects that expand on the national campaign are given preference. However, local projects of national significance are also considered for funding. Projects may include such things as sponsorship of a hands-on boating program for a youth group, raising safe boating awareness, or sponsoring training for instructors in adaptive boating. The Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000 for each project. The grant amount awarded must represent at least 50% of the project budget but the recipient is not required to match grant funds. The Grant Committee has discretion to award an amount less than that which was requested. No project may exceed one year in length. Grant funds cannot be used for salaries, transportation, meals or lodging or the purchase of items such as laptop computers, projectors and other non-expendable equipment. Grant applications are accepted no sooner than October 25 and must be postmarked no later than January 25. Grants are awarded by March 15 to enable projects to be underway in time for National Safe Boating Week (May 21 - 27, 2005). Each project has its own success story. One of the current successful projects was conducted by SAFEKIDS in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Proud to be a 2004 grant recipient, SAFEKIDS used their grant to support Kids in Boats water safety classes for 322 children and 73 adults. The program consisted of several sessions and included information about hypothermia, rescue techniques, the effects of alcohol, life jackets and safe boating practices. M embership in the National Safe Boating Council is open to all non-profit and commercial organizations. It is also open to state and local marine enforcement and boating safety agencies. Just as important, individuals that express an interest in recreational boating safety can be members. The more active, dues-paying members we have, the stronger our organization becomes. A strong NSBC will result in fewer boating deaths and a safer marine environment. Members support the NSBC by participating in one of the following levels of membership: 1. Non-Profit (501 (c) 3) membership is comprised of organizations on a national, regional, state or local level involved in the recreational boating field. 2. Government membership is available to federal, state and local agencies involved in recreational boating and education activities. 3. Commercial and Trade membership is open to international, national, regional and local “for profit” organizations interested in recreational boating safety and education. 4. Individual membership is open to all with an interest in boating safety. (Individuals cannot be associated with an organization.) A significant source of our support is through membership dues. Dues are based upon the level of membership and are collected on an annual basis. Membership is for a calendar year. Invoicing for 2005 will begin in January. Membership Classes and Annual Fees Non Profit or Government Local $50 State/Regional $150 National $200 Commercial/Trade $300 Premium Levels Sustaining $500 Patron $1000 There is also an invidual membership available at a rate of $35. Please check out our web site at www.safeboatingcouncil.org for more information on NSBC membership. DO NOT DELAY JOIN NOW! GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE 2005 CAMPAIGN PLANS T he National Safe Boating Council has been preparing for the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This year the campaign has undergone some changes as a result of the constructive feedback we received from our members and campaign participants. We have tried to incorporate many of the ideas to create a more productive and successful 2005 campaign. The Campaign Kits will now feature single sheets of information including the 2003 US Coast Guard statistics, a new resource guide and the 2005 Campaign Order Form. These sheets have been produced to make it easier to copy and distribute the relative information to your boating communities. In addition, we are changing the manner in which we distribute the kits in an effort to be more cost effective. The campaign site, www.safeboatingcampaign.com, will now feature a new “user friendly” layout for all to use. The new layout will allow for easier browing for the average person or boater. Members will still have access to features on our site such as the media guide, event posting, press releases, articles and campaign logos as well as all the information that is present in the campaign kits. You will also be able to order your safety materials online. We encourage you to promote this site to your boating communities as a valuable point of reference to learn more about important boating safety tips, events and activities. We hope that with these improvements the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign will be able to reach out to a larger number of boaters and continue to spread our message of boating safety. We thank you for your continued support and assistance in helping us to achieve our campaign goals. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the National Safe Boating Council at (703) 361-4294 or via email at campaign@safeboatingcouncil.org. With your participation, the 2005 Safe Boating Awareness Campaign “Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It!” is sure to be a success! AND . . . WE HAVE A WINNER! T he National Safe Boating Council would like to congratulate our winners of the 2004 National Safe Boating Campaign evaluation contest! The following individuals were chosen at random as winners for completing and returning their campaign evaluation forms prior to the August 1 deadline. 4 Find out more about past grant recipients, get complete program guidelines and obtain application forms at our website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org. Click on the link to the Local RBS Grant Program on the home page. Submit an idea of your own or encourage a local organization that could use some funding assistance to apply for a grant this year. Remember, the applications must be completed and postmarked no later than January 25. William B Greene of US Power Squadron of Sebastian, FL - A Watermark Sospenders Inflatable PFD Jane Ellis of US Power Squadron of Harrison Twp., MI - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Diane Revak of US Power Squadron of Phoenix, MD - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Rachel Pate of McLeod Health - Orion First Aid Kit Mary Jane Schnoor of US Power Squadron, Cocoa Beach, FL - Orion First Aid Kit Congratulations to the winners! We would like to thank Watermark Sports, Stearns and Orion for donating the drawing prizes as well as everyone who participated in the 2004 campaign. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! AND NOW . . . . COMMENTS FROM NEWLY ELECTED NSBC CHAIR ED CARTER L et me begin by saying “thanks for your confidence and support” in allowing me to serve as Chair of a most remarkable organization. Those who have previously served as Chair have set a standard of growth and service which I shall strive to continue. I also want to put our “retiring Chair”, Bill Grizwold, on notice that, even though well deserved, there will be no resting on laurels. Bill was an outstanding leader and I plan to continue to utilize his skills and guidance as the Council continues to excel. Planning for the 2005 Safe Boating Campaign is well underway and we are doing more than the usual “tweaking”. We take your evaluations and suggestions seriously and alter our course accordingly. This year you will notice some changes in the support materials which should make the campaign more cost efficient as well as effective. The Campaign is the most visible program the Council is involved with and the staff and Board of the Council are quite serious about maintaining a synergistic effort from all our partners toward our common goal of safer boating. Another hallmark program, The International Boating and Water Safety Summit, is also just around the corner. The venue is spectacular and combined with an aggressive and focused agenda, it promises to be the best ever. Rest assured that a smiggon (that’s a technical word meaning yee-haw) of fun will also be available for your learning pleasure. Thanks to the leadership of Jim Richardson, our “Small Grants Program” has become a resounding success. Just as we are in the process of making the final decisions for this year, we are looking at a whole new and complimentary grant program that will undoubtedly up the ante and competition for grassroots programs that offer imaginative ways to preach the gospel of responsible boating. Stand by for more on this continuing initiative. The National Safe Boating Council through many years of effort, pride and accomplishments has made remarkable strides and has evolved into an internationally respected organization. With a dedicated and professional staff, a Board that will settle for nothing less than excellence, and a growing and enthusiastic membership, I don’t see any way that hallmark will change. As they used to say on the old radio programs, “Keep them cards and letters coming folks,” we need your guidance and support. Thanks again for the honor of being your Chair. Best wishes for safe and happy holidays, Ed Carter THE STAFF AT THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL WISHES ALL OF YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 2 Legal Eagle by Joan M. Bondareff, Esq PREMIUM MEMBERS PATRON MEMBERS A AbilityOne, Inc. Boat Ed Boat US Brunswick Corporation Coors Brewing Company MetLife Auto & Home National Marine Manufacturers Association Orion Safety Products Sentinel Press Wal-Mart Stores Watermark Paddlesports, Inc. West Marine Products, Inc. Within Reach Yamaha Motor Corporation Zurich Marine Specialty GOAL SETTING FOR THE COAST GUARD: HOW MANY LIVES CAN WE SAVE? SUSTAINING MEMBERS t the last meeting of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC), in Crystal City, Virginia, I was initially surprised by the Coast Guard’s request to NBSAC for input into their goals for Recreational Boating Safety. I assumed that the Coast Guard had already set goals for RBS. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is an important exercise in which all supporters of safe boating should participate and take seriously. According to the Coast Guard’s own statistics, for the last two years, the number of boating fatalities has remained constant at about 700. And, most of these boaters were either not wearing a PFD or had not taken a boating education course. Of course, this is all the more reason to work harder at our campaigns for increasing PFD wear and encouraging all boaters to take an education course. But, the question of the day is how many fatalities are acceptable? How many accidents? What should our goals be? Zero fatalities? And, if so, how do we achieve this goal? What resources are needed? Do our common efforts need to be redirected in any manner? I looked at other safety organizations to see if they had set similar goals for eliminating fatalities on the roads and in the air. I checked out the Department of Transportation’s Strategic Plan for 2003-2008, and saw that, yes indeed, Secretary Mineta and DOT have set specific goals for each mode of transportation to achieve by 2008: ACR Electronics American Poker Runs Association Brunswick Boat Group Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A. Lower Colorado River Authority Mercury Marine Paddlesport Publishing, Inc./Paddler Magazine Personal Watercraft Industry Polaris Industries Ranger Boats Stearns, Inc. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Walsh Marine Products Zodiac of North America, Inc. For highway safety: reduce highway fatalities to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; and reduce large truck fatalities to 1.65 per 100 million truck miles traveled. For aviation safety: reduce commercial aviation fatal accidents to 0.01 per 100,000 departures; and reduce general aviation fatal accidents to 325. For rail safety: reduce train accidents and incidents to 16.14 per million train miles. For transit safety: reduce fatalities to 0.488 per 100 million passenger miles. For pipeline safety: reduce total incidents for gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to 307. For hazardous materials safety: reduce the number of serious incidents to 488. SHOULD YOUR NAME BE HERE ? Are these the types of goals and numbers we want the Coast Guard to set, or can we do better? I understand that we could be mixing apples and oranges, or boaters and passengers, but still I like the idea of specific goals that we and everyone else can measure. Let me and other members of the NSBC and NBSAC have your thoughts about this exercise so we can provide input to the Coast Guard and then all get on the same page to reducing (or eliminating) boating fatalities and accidents. PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW NSBC MEMBERS Organizations B-About Sail Ministry Northwestern Boating Council Individuals Douglas Reedy Lee Taylor 3 CHECK OUT THE NEW PADDLE SMART PROGRAM ON THE SIDEKICKS WEB PAGE: WWW.BOATINGSIDEKICKS.COM. START AT THE SIDEKICKS WEB SITE, AND THEN CLICK ON “SMART START FOR PADDLERS.” SUPPORTING BOATING SAFETY THROUGH YOUR NSBC MEMBERSHIP $ $’S FOR YOUR PROGRAMS I t is that time of year again! The Local Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program is now accepting grant applications through January 25, 2005. The purpose of the Grant Program is to further the North American Safe Boating Campaign efforts, so projects that expand on the national campaign are given preference. However, local projects of national significance are also considered for funding. Projects may include such things as sponsorship of a hands-on boating program for a youth group, raising safe boating awareness, or sponsoring training for instructors in adaptive boating. The Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000 for each project. The grant amount awarded must represent at least 50% of the project budget but the recipient is not required to match grant funds. The Grant Committee has discretion to award an amount less than that which was requested. No project may exceed one year in length. Grant funds cannot be used for salaries, transportation, meals or lodging or the purchase of items such as laptop computers, projectors and other non-expendable equipment. Grant applications are accepted no sooner than October 25 and must be postmarked no later than January 25. Grants are awarded by March 15 to enable projects to be underway in time for National Safe Boating Week (May 21 - 27, 2005). Each project has its own success story. One of the current successful projects was conducted by SAFEKIDS in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Proud to be a 2004 grant recipient, SAFEKIDS used their grant to support Kids in Boats water safety classes for 322 children and 73 adults. The program consisted of several sessions and included information about hypothermia, rescue techniques, the effects of alcohol, life jackets and safe boating practices. M embership in the National Safe Boating Council is open to all non-profit and commercial organizations. It is also open to state and local marine enforcement and boating safety agencies. Just as important, individuals that express an interest in recreational boating safety can be members. The more active, dues-paying members we have, the stronger our organization becomes. A strong NSBC will result in fewer boating deaths and a safer marine environment. Members support the NSBC by participating in one of the following levels of membership: 1. Non-Profit (501 (c) 3) membership is comprised of organizations on a national, regional, state or local level involved in the recreational boating field. 2. Government membership is available to federal, state and local agencies involved in recreational boating and education activities. 3. Commercial and Trade membership is open to international, national, regional and local “for profit” organizations interested in recreational boating safety and education. 4. Individual membership is open to all with an interest in boating safety. (Individuals cannot be associated with an organization.) A significant source of our support is through membership dues. Dues are based upon the level of membership and are collected on an annual basis. Membership is for a calendar year. Invoicing for 2005 will begin in January. Membership Classes and Annual Fees Non Profit or Government Local $50 State/Regional $150 National $200 Commercial/Trade $300 Premium Levels Sustaining $500 Patron $1000 There is also an invidual membership available at a rate of $35. Please check out our web site at www.safeboatingcouncil.org for more information on NSBC membership. DO NOT DELAY JOIN NOW! GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE 2005 CAMPAIGN PLANS T he National Safe Boating Council has been preparing for the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This year the campaign has undergone some changes as a result of the constructive feedback we received from our members and campaign participants. We have tried to incorporate many of the ideas to create a more productive and successful 2005 campaign. The Campaign Kits will now feature single sheets of information including the 2003 US Coast Guard statistics, a new resource guide and the 2005 Campaign Order Form. These sheets have been produced to make it easier to copy and distribute the relative information to your boating communities. In addition, we are changing the manner in which we distribute the kits in an effort to be more cost effective. The campaign site, www.safeboatingcampaign.com, will now feature a new “user friendly” layout for all to use. The new layout will allow for easier browing for the average person or boater. Members will still have access to features on our site such as the media guide, event posting, press releases, articles and campaign logos as well as all the information that is present in the campaign kits. You will also be able to order your safety materials online. We encourage you to promote this site to your boating communities as a valuable point of reference to learn more about important boating safety tips, events and activities. We hope that with these improvements the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign will be able to reach out to a larger number of boaters and continue to spread our message of boating safety. We thank you for your continued support and assistance in helping us to achieve our campaign goals. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the National Safe Boating Council at (703) 361-4294 or via email at campaign@safeboatingcouncil.org. With your participation, the 2005 Safe Boating Awareness Campaign “Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It!” is sure to be a success! AND . . . WE HAVE A WINNER! T he National Safe Boating Council would like to congratulate our winners of the 2004 National Safe Boating Campaign evaluation contest! The following individuals were chosen at random as winners for completing and returning their campaign evaluation forms prior to the August 1 deadline. 4 Find out more about past grant recipients, get complete program guidelines and obtain application forms at our website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org. Click on the link to the Local RBS Grant Program on the home page. Submit an idea of your own or encourage a local organization that could use some funding assistance to apply for a grant this year. Remember, the applications must be completed and postmarked no later than January 25. William B Greene of US Power Squadron of Sebastian, FL - A Watermark Sospenders Inflatable PFD Jane Ellis of US Power Squadron of Harrison Twp., MI - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Diane Revak of US Power Squadron of Phoenix, MD - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Rachel Pate of McLeod Health - Orion First Aid Kit Mary Jane Schnoor of US Power Squadron, Cocoa Beach, FL - Orion First Aid Kit Congratulations to the winners! We would like to thank Watermark Sports, Stearns and Orion for donating the drawing prizes as well as everyone who participated in the 2004 campaign. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! AND NOW . . . . COMMENTS FROM NEWLY ELECTED NSBC CHAIR ED CARTER L et me begin by saying “thanks for your confidence and support” in allowing me to serve as Chair of a most remarkable organization. Those who have previously served as Chair have set a standard of growth and service which I shall strive to continue. I also want to put our “retiring Chair”, Bill Grizwold, on notice that, even though well deserved, there will be no resting on laurels. Bill was an outstanding leader and I plan to continue to utilize his skills and guidance as the Council continues to excel. Planning for the 2005 Safe Boating Campaign is well underway and we are doing more than the usual “tweaking”. We take your evaluations and suggestions seriously and alter our course accordingly. This year you will notice some changes in the support materials which should make the campaign more cost efficient as well as effective. The Campaign is the most visible program the Council is involved with and the staff and Board of the Council are quite serious about maintaining a synergistic effort from all our partners toward our common goal of safer boating. Another hallmark program, The International Boating and Water Safety Summit, is also just around the corner. The venue is spectacular and combined with an aggressive and focused agenda, it promises to be the best ever. Rest assured that a smiggon (that’s a technical word meaning yee-haw) of fun will also be available for your learning pleasure. Thanks to the leadership of Jim Richardson, our “Small Grants Program” has become a resounding success. Just as we are in the process of making the final decisions for this year, we are looking at a whole new and complimentary grant program that will undoubtedly up the ante and competition for grassroots programs that offer imaginative ways to preach the gospel of responsible boating. Stand by for more on this continuing initiative. The National Safe Boating Council through many years of effort, pride and accomplishments has made remarkable strides and has evolved into an internationally respected organization. With a dedicated and professional staff, a Board that will settle for nothing less than excellence, and a growing and enthusiastic membership, I don’t see any way that hallmark will change. As they used to say on the old radio programs, “Keep them cards and letters coming folks,” we need your guidance and support. Thanks again for the honor of being your Chair. Best wishes for safe and happy holidays, Ed Carter THE STAFF AT THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL WISHES ALL OF YOU HAPPY HOLIDAYS! 2 Legal Eagle by Joan M. Bondareff, Esq PREMIUM MEMBERS PATRON MEMBERS A AbilityOne, Inc. Boat Ed Boat US Brunswick Corporation Coors Brewing Company MetLife Auto & Home National Marine Manufacturers Association Orion Safety Products Sentinel Press Wal-Mart Stores Watermark Paddlesports, Inc. West Marine Products, Inc. Within Reach Yamaha Motor Corporation Zurich Marine Specialty GOAL SETTING FOR THE COAST GUARD: HOW MANY LIVES CAN WE SAVE? SUSTAINING MEMBERS t the last meeting of the National Boating Safety Advisory Council (NBSAC), in Crystal City, Virginia, I was initially surprised by the Coast Guard’s request to NBSAC for input into their goals for Recreational Boating Safety. I assumed that the Coast Guard had already set goals for RBS. But, the more I thought about it, the more I realized this is an important exercise in which all supporters of safe boating should participate and take seriously. According to the Coast Guard’s own statistics, for the last two years, the number of boating fatalities has remained constant at about 700. And, most of these boaters were either not wearing a PFD or had not taken a boating education course. Of course, this is all the more reason to work harder at our campaigns for increasing PFD wear and encouraging all boaters to take an education course. But, the question of the day is how many fatalities are acceptable? How many accidents? What should our goals be? Zero fatalities? And, if so, how do we achieve this goal? What resources are needed? Do our common efforts need to be redirected in any manner? I looked at other safety organizations to see if they had set similar goals for eliminating fatalities on the roads and in the air. I checked out the Department of Transportation’s Strategic Plan for 2003-2008, and saw that, yes indeed, Secretary Mineta and DOT have set specific goals for each mode of transportation to achieve by 2008: ACR Electronics American Poker Runs Association Brunswick Boat Group Kawasaki Motors Corporation, U.S.A. Lower Colorado River Authority Mercury Marine Paddlesport Publishing, Inc./Paddler Magazine Personal Watercraft Industry Polaris Industries Ranger Boats Stearns, Inc. Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency Walsh Marine Products Zodiac of North America, Inc. For highway safety: reduce highway fatalities to 1.0 per 100 million vehicle miles traveled; and reduce large truck fatalities to 1.65 per 100 million truck miles traveled. For aviation safety: reduce commercial aviation fatal accidents to 0.01 per 100,000 departures; and reduce general aviation fatal accidents to 325. For rail safety: reduce train accidents and incidents to 16.14 per million train miles. For transit safety: reduce fatalities to 0.488 per 100 million passenger miles. For pipeline safety: reduce total incidents for gas and hazardous liquid pipelines to 307. For hazardous materials safety: reduce the number of serious incidents to 488. SHOULD YOUR NAME BE HERE ? Are these the types of goals and numbers we want the Coast Guard to set, or can we do better? I understand that we could be mixing apples and oranges, or boaters and passengers, but still I like the idea of specific goals that we and everyone else can measure. Let me and other members of the NSBC and NBSAC have your thoughts about this exercise so we can provide input to the Coast Guard and then all get on the same page to reducing (or eliminating) boating fatalities and accidents. PLEASE WELCOME OUR NEW NSBC MEMBERS Organizations B-About Sail Ministry Northwestern Boating Council Individuals Douglas Reedy Lee Taylor 3 CHECK OUT THE NEW PADDLE SMART PROGRAM ON THE SIDEKICKS WEB PAGE: WWW.BOATINGSIDEKICKS.COM. START AT THE SIDEKICKS WEB SITE, AND THEN CLICK ON “SMART START FOR PADDLERS.” SUPPORTING BOATING SAFETY THROUGH YOUR NSBC MEMBERSHIP $ $’S FOR YOUR PROGRAMS I t is that time of year again! The Local Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) Program is now accepting grant applications through January 25, 2005. The purpose of the Grant Program is to further the North American Safe Boating Campaign efforts, so projects that expand on the national campaign are given preference. However, local projects of national significance are also considered for funding. Projects may include such things as sponsorship of a hands-on boating program for a youth group, raising safe boating awareness, or sponsoring training for instructors in adaptive boating. The Grant Program offers grants up to $1,000 for each project. The grant amount awarded must represent at least 50% of the project budget but the recipient is not required to match grant funds. The Grant Committee has discretion to award an amount less than that which was requested. No project may exceed one year in length. Grant funds cannot be used for salaries, transportation, meals or lodging or the purchase of items such as laptop computers, projectors and other non-expendable equipment. Grant applications are accepted no sooner than October 25 and must be postmarked no later than January 25. Grants are awarded by March 15 to enable projects to be underway in time for National Safe Boating Week (May 21 - 27, 2005). Each project has its own success story. One of the current successful projects was conducted by SAFEKIDS in Grand Forks, North Dakota. Proud to be a 2004 grant recipient, SAFEKIDS used their grant to support Kids in Boats water safety classes for 322 children and 73 adults. The program consisted of several sessions and included information about hypothermia, rescue techniques, the effects of alcohol, life jackets and safe boating practices. M embership in the National Safe Boating Council is open to all non-profit and commercial organizations. It is also open to state and local marine enforcement and boating safety agencies. Just as important, individuals that express an interest in recreational boating safety can be members. The more active, dues-paying members we have, the stronger our organization becomes. A strong NSBC will result in fewer boating deaths and a safer marine environment. Members support the NSBC by participating in one of the following levels of membership: 1. Non-Profit (501 (c) 3) membership is comprised of organizations on a national, regional, state or local level involved in the recreational boating field. 2. Government membership is available to federal, state and local agencies involved in recreational boating and education activities. 3. Commercial and Trade membership is open to international, national, regional and local “for profit” organizations interested in recreational boating safety and education. 4. Individual membership is open to all with an interest in boating safety. (Individuals cannot be associated with an organization.) A significant source of our support is through membership dues. Dues are based upon the level of membership and are collected on an annual basis. Membership is for a calendar year. Invoicing for 2005 will begin in January. Membership Classes and Annual Fees Non Profit or Government Local $50 State/Regional $150 National $200 Commercial/Trade $300 Premium Levels Sustaining $500 Patron $1000 There is also an invidual membership available at a rate of $35. Please check out our web site at www.safeboatingcouncil.org for more information on NSBC membership. DO NOT DELAY JOIN NOW! GRANT PROGRAM UPDATE 2005 CAMPAIGN PLANS T he National Safe Boating Council has been preparing for the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign. This year the campaign has undergone some changes as a result of the constructive feedback we received from our members and campaign participants. We have tried to incorporate many of the ideas to create a more productive and successful 2005 campaign. The Campaign Kits will now feature single sheets of information including the 2003 US Coast Guard statistics, a new resource guide and the 2005 Campaign Order Form. These sheets have been produced to make it easier to copy and distribute the relative information to your boating communities. In addition, we are changing the manner in which we distribute the kits in an effort to be more cost effective. The campaign site, www.safeboatingcampaign.com, will now feature a new “user friendly” layout for all to use. The new layout will allow for easier browing for the average person or boater. Members will still have access to features on our site such as the media guide, event posting, press releases, articles and campaign logos as well as all the information that is present in the campaign kits. You will also be able to order your safety materials online. We encourage you to promote this site to your boating communities as a valuable point of reference to learn more about important boating safety tips, events and activities. We hope that with these improvements the 2005 North American Safe Boating Campaign will be able to reach out to a larger number of boaters and continue to spread our message of boating safety. We thank you for your continued support and assistance in helping us to achieve our campaign goals. If you have any additional questions or concerns, please feel free to contact the National Safe Boating Council at (703) 361-4294 or via email at campaign@safeboatingcouncil.org. With your participation, the 2005 Safe Boating Awareness Campaign “Boat Smart. Boat Safe. Wear It!” is sure to be a success! AND . . . WE HAVE A WINNER! T he National Safe Boating Council would like to congratulate our winners of the 2004 National Safe Boating Campaign evaluation contest! The following individuals were chosen at random as winners for completing and returning their campaign evaluation forms prior to the August 1 deadline. 4 Find out more about past grant recipients, get complete program guidelines and obtain application forms at our website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org. Click on the link to the Local RBS Grant Program on the home page. Submit an idea of your own or encourage a local organization that could use some funding assistance to apply for a grant this year. Remember, the applications must be completed and postmarked no later than January 25. William B Greene of US Power Squadron of Sebastian, FL - A Watermark Sospenders Inflatable PFD Jane Ellis of US Power Squadron of Harrison Twp., MI - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Diane Revak of US Power Squadron of Phoenix, MD - Stearns Inflata-Belt Lite Rachel Pate of McLeod Health - Orion First Aid Kit Mary Jane Schnoor of US Power Squadron, Cocoa Beach, FL - Orion First Aid Kit Congratulations to the winners! We would like to thank Watermark Sports, Stearns and Orion for donating the drawing prizes as well as everyone who participated in the 2004 campaign. THANKS FOR YOUR SUPPORT! USPS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL NSBC Board Meeting - Newport Beach, CA Deadline to postmark RBS grant application MARCH 13-16 9th Annual Summit, Newport Beach, CA APRIL / MAY 30 - 5/4 17 21 - 27 22 - 25 SSBLAA, Little Rock, AR Congressional Reception, Washington DC National Safe Boating Week WSBAA, Helena, MT JUNE 1-5 12 - 15 USPS Spring Governing Board, Charlotte, NC NABA, Wichita, KS NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL TBA A t the September 2004 National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Annual Conference held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, several awards were presented to or by members of the National Safe Boating Council. Please join us in congratulating these individuals for their outstanding service. William Griswold, Past Chair of the National Safe Boating Council, made the presentation to Richard Snyder as one of the 2004 recipients of the NSBC Boating Safety Hall of Fame for his exemplary leadership and outstanding service on behalf of boating safety. NSBC Board Meeting, TBA AUGUST TBA USCG Auxiliary National Conference, Orlando, FL SEPTEMBER 6-11 18-21 2004 VOLUME 5 Issue 3 COUNCIL PRESENTS AND RECIEVES AWARDS JULY USPS Fall Governing Board, Portland, OR NASBLA, Portland, OR Please email your boating safety dates to office@safeboatingcouncil.org Legal Counsel JOAN BONDAREFF American Canoe Association MONITA FONTAINE, AT-LARGE PAM DILLON U.S. Power Squadrons JOYCE SHAW, AT-LARGE National Water Safety Congress BOBBY PHARR Lower Colorado River Authority National Association of State Boating Law Administrators Brunswick Foundation JIM RICHARDSON, SECRETARY RANDY EDWARDS VERONICA FLOYD, TREASURER Canadian Safe Boating Council U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Fred Messmann, outgoing president of NASBLA, received the 1851 Navy Colt for leadership from the National Safe Boating Council. The NSBC recognizes the outgoing president of NASBLA for his service and leadership. WILLIAM GRISWOLD, PAST CHAIR BARBARA BYERS National Transportation Safety Board Boat U.S. Foundation BILL GOSSARD RUTH WOOD, VICE CHAIR USCG, Office of Boating Safety Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ED CARTER, CHAIR T JOHN MALATAK EX-OFFICIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS P.O. Box 509 Bristow, VA 20136 Phone (703) 361-4294 Fax (703) 361-5294 Email: NSBCdirect@safeboatingcouncil.org Website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL First Class U.S. Postage PAID Columbus, OH Permit #7605 he U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to work with the “You’re In Command” initiative to encourage all recreational boaters to take responsibility for their actions on the water. This initiative puts YOU in command and reminds boat owners and operators to always be in command of their vessel and be responsible for their safety as well as the safety of their passengers. The “You’re In Command” program is continuing to evolve and has just announced their new, updated logo. This logo has been revised to include the helms of a number of different vessels and now features a new slogan reminding boaters to “Be Responsible. Boat Safely!” The U.S. Coast Guard also continues to remind boaters to get a vessel safety check, take a safe boating course, always wear your life jacket and never boat under the influence. For more information on “You’re In Command” please visit the U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety website at www.uscgboating.org or you may go to the NSBC website at www.safeboatingcouncil.org and click on the “You’re In Command” logo. 5-9 21-22 25 National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. NEW REVISED LOGO! T JANUARY VIRGIL CHAMBERS 5 Rebecca filmed her public service announcements on the Potomac River just days before winning her sixth Whitewater Slalom National Championship in Dickerson, Maryland. The ACA has agreed to help distribute the Rebecca Giddens “You’re in Command” public service announcements and related materials to member liveries, retail stores, and community-based paddling clubs. The participation of respected celebrities like Justin, Bobby, and Terry Labonte, Bill Dance and Rebecca Giddens is sure to attract the attention of the recreational boating public — and especially high-risk groups like hunters, anglers, and paddlers — to the personal responsibility message implicit in “You’re in Command.” The Coast Guard thanks these and other celebrities who have donated their time to the cause of saving lives and preventing accidents on the water. Keep a lookout for our new public service announcements. Please feel free to provide us with your comments and suggestions on how we can better our outreach efforts and grow our “You’re In Command” initiative. Remember, “You’re in Command. Be responsible. Boat Safely!” The Labonte, Dance and Giddens public service announcements will soon be posted at www.uscgboating.org/incommand. he Ninth Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit will be hosted in beautiful Newport Beach, California at the Hyatt Newport Regency Hotel on March 13 – 16, 2005. The Summit is the premier boating and water safety event of the year. The event is organized into general sessions and specialized sessions so that attendees can maximize the information available. General session topics will include: a presentation from National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman, Mark Rosenker, highlighting the PFD Forum; Strategies on Carbon Monoxide Education and Increasing PFD Wear; and Developing an Effective PSA. The specialized sessions will include: Creative Partnering Draws Boating Safety Awareness, Dam Emergency Action Plans, Innovative Tools to Teach Water Safety, Investigating the Water-Related Death, Life Jackets ARE for Everyone, Making Waves with the Media, A Backup Dam to Withstand Earthquakes, Boating Under the Influence Training Program, Successful Aquatic Programming: How to Start Small and Grow With Cost Saving Ideas and Community Networking, The Perception of Risk and the Influence Upon Safety Behavior and PWC for Law Enforcement. Two afternoons of on-the-water activities will provide attendees with high level of participation at the Summit. In addition to the Summit’s fantastic program, the location and the hotel are perfect. Newport Beach is centrally located for a quick trip to Disneyland or Sea World at San Diego. Please go to our web site: www.safeboatingcouncil.org/summit for more information concerning the Summit. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 9th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit! MIKE WILSON, AT-LARGE C all it human nature. Few people respond when they are asked to change their behavior — even when they know that doing so could possibly save their own lives. However, many people will change their behavior if it will make them to be more like their heroes! This is especially true in sports, where enthusiasts hang on every word of their favorite experts and champions. That’s why the U.S. Coast Guard has reached out to nationally known celebrities to help promote its nationwide recreational boating safety initiative — “You’re in Command.” The past few months have seen dramatic success, particularly in the recruiting of celebrities with particular appeal to the groups most at risk for recreational boating accidents and fatalities: hunters, anglers, and paddlers. First up: NASCAR’s Labonte family. Bobby Labonte, his brother Terry Labonte, and Bobby’s son Justin Labonte are all NASCAR champions — and avid anglers and hunters. When not on the racetrack, they can often be found hunting or fishing from their boats. This past spring all three Labontes teamed up to create television, radio and print public service announcements for our “You’re in Command” initiative. The Labontes feel strongly about boating safety. Justin has stated several times that, “We go fishing all the time when we’re not working on our cars and we’d never go out without life jackets.” He has also stated that all of his family hopes that their messages will encourage other people to stay safe. The Labonte’s public service announcements make a clear connection between the safety gear they habitually wear while racing and the life jackets they habitually wear while boating. The television spot was premiered during the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona on July 2nd, and then sent out to hundreds of media outlets. Since July the television public service announcement has been seen by as many as 70 million viewers. Next, at the request of the Sportsman’s Forum, bass fishing legend and television personality Bill Dance (a fellow Tennessee VOL, I might add) volunteered to lend his name to “You’re in Command.” Bill is a member of the International Fishing Hall of Fame and a three-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, with 23 national bass titles to his credit. His unique style comes to anglers everywhere through his well-known television series Bill Dance Outdoors. Bill commented, “I’ve been fishing on TV for quite a while now and if my advice can help save someone’s life then I think it’s my duty to do that.” Like the Labontes, Bill contributed his time to make television, radio, and print public service announcements, all of which will soon be placed nationally. There’s no question that Bill Dance’s modeling of safe boating behaviors will save lives. Then, through our partnership with the American Canoe Association, whitewater kayaking champion Rebecca Giddens lent her support to “You’re in Command” and boating safety. Only a few weeks after winning a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Rebecca taped television and radio public service announcements and lent her image for print advertisements as well. Rebecca’s interest in boating safety is personal. She commented to us that, “When I was twelve I was in a canoe that capsized on my local river. I can clearly remember thinking I was going to drown. If I hadn’t been wearing my life jacket I truly believe I wouldn’t be alive today.” 2005 - CALENDAR FOR BOATING SAFETY Executive Director by John Malatak Chief, Program Operations Division, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety CELEBRITIES TO BOATERS: “YOU’RE IN COMMAND! BOAT RESPONSIBLY. BOAT SAFE” COMING SOON: INTERNATIONAL BOATING & WATER SAFETY SUMMIT Arkansas Game & Fish Commission UNITED STATES COAST GUARD UPDATE T Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, presented William Griswold, the outgoing chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, with a bronze eagle for his tireless efforts on behalf of the NSBC and boating safety. NSBC Vice Chair, Ruth Wood looks on. The President’s Special Awards: NASBLA President Fred Messmann was very pleased to recognize two National Safe Boating Council members for their contributions to boating safety and NASBLA. Virgil Chambers, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council is shown at left receiving his award. The other individual was Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council and BLA for Tennessee. SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BOAT CONTROL ight-quarters boat handling is an important skill a boater acquires through practice and understanding of the boat’s operation. Bringing a boat into the dock without banging the pier, wharf or another boat is not hard if you do it with understanding of what each action you take does to the craft. First, approach with caution, SLOWLY. Remember that the slower you are moving, the slower you make mistakes. You know that boats do not have brakes. A change in the forward motion of the craft is accomplished by reversing the throttle. Approaching the dock slowly makes sense, not only because of the need to suddenly reverse the engine to stop, but also because a fast approach will create a wake that you will be responsible for. A wake will result in your boat bouncing around as well as the other boats at the dock bouncing. There is a balance between too much throttle and not enough to have control of your craft. As you become experienced with your boat, you will find that point of minimum throttle and good maneuverability. This message is brought to you by Ability One, Inc. ABILITY ONE / ROLYAN BUOYS IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE “ANCHORLINE” Rolyan® Buoys 5-9 21-22 25 USPS Annual Meeting, Orlando, FL NSBC Board Meeting - Newport Beach, CA Deadline to postmark RBS grant application MARCH 13-16 9th Annual Summit, Newport Beach, CA APRIL / MAY 30 - 5/4 17 21 - 27 22 - 25 SSBLAA, Little Rock, AR Congressional Reception, Washington DC National Safe Boating Week WSBAA, Helena, MT JUNE 1-5 12 - 15 USPS Spring Governing Board, Charlotte, NC NABA, Wichita, KS NEWSLETTER OF THE NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL TBA A t the September 2004 National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) Annual Conference held in Chattanooga, Tennessee, several awards were presented to or by members of the National Safe Boating Council. Please join us in congratulating these individuals for their outstanding service. William Griswold, Past Chair of the National Safe Boating Council, made the presentation to Richard Snyder as one of the 2004 recipients of the NSBC Boating Safety Hall of Fame for his exemplary leadership and outstanding service on behalf of boating safety. NSBC Board Meeting, TBA AUGUST TBA USCG Auxiliary National Conference, Orlando, FL SEPTEMBER 6-11 18-21 2004 VOLUME 5 Issue 3 COUNCIL PRESENTS AND RECIEVES AWARDS JULY USPS Fall Governing Board, Portland, OR NASBLA, Portland, OR Please email your boating safety dates to office@safeboatingcouncil.org Legal Counsel JOAN BONDAREFF American Canoe Association MONITA FONTAINE, AT-LARGE PAM DILLON U.S. Power Squadrons JOYCE SHAW, AT-LARGE National Water Safety Congress BOBBY PHARR Lower Colorado River Authority National Association of State Boating Law Administrators Brunswick Foundation JIM RICHARDSON, SECRETARY RANDY EDWARDS VERONICA FLOYD, TREASURER Canadian Safe Boating Council U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Fred Messmann, outgoing president of NASBLA, received the 1851 Navy Colt for leadership from the National Safe Boating Council. The NSBC recognizes the outgoing president of NASBLA for his service and leadership. WILLIAM GRISWOLD, PAST CHAIR BARBARA BYERS National Transportation Safety Board Boat U.S. Foundation BILL GOSSARD RUTH WOOD, VICE CHAIR USCG, Office of Boating Safety Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency ED CARTER, CHAIR T JOHN MALATAK EX-OFFICIO BOARD OF DIRECTORS P.O. Box 509 Bristow, VA 20136 Phone (703) 361-4294 Fax (703) 361-5294 Email: NSBCdirect@safeboatingcouncil.org Website: www.safeboatingcouncil.org NATIONAL SAFE BOATING COUNCIL First Class U.S. Postage PAID Columbus, OH Permit #7605 he U.S. Coast Guard is continuing to work with the “You’re In Command” initiative to encourage all recreational boaters to ake responsibility for their actions on the water. This initiative puts YOU in command and reminds boat owners and operators to always be in command of their vessel and be responsible for their safety as well as the safety of their passengers. The “You’re In Command” program is continuing to evolve and has just announced their new, updated logo. This logo has been revised to include the helms of a number of different vessels and now features a new slogan reminding boaters to “Be Responsible. Boat Safely!” The U.S. Coast Guard also continues to remind boaters to get a vessel safety check, take a safe boating course, always wear your life jacket and never boat under the influence. For more information on “You’re In Command” please visit the U.S. Coast Guard, Office of Boating Safety website at www.uscgboating.org or you may go to the NSBC website at www.safeboatingcouncil.org and click on the “You’re In Command” logo. JANUARY National Marine Manufacturers Assoc. 5 NEW REVISED LOGO! T he Ninth Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit will be hosted in beautiful Newport Beach, California at the Hyatt Newport Regency Hotel on March 13 – 16, 2005. The Summit is the premier boating and water safety event of the year. The event is organized into general sessions and specialized sessions so that attendees can maximize the information available. General session topics will include: a presentation from National Transportation Safety Board Vice Chairman, Mark Rosenker, highlighting the PFD Forum; Strategies on Carbon Monoxide Education and Increasing PFD Wear; and Developing an Effective PSA. The specialized sessions will include: Creative Partnering Draws Boating Safety Awareness, Dam Emergency Action Plans, Innovative Tools to Teach Water Safety, Investigating the Water-Related Death, Life Jackets ARE for Everyone, Making Waves with the Media, A Backup Dam to Withstand Earthquakes, Boating Under the Influence Training Program, Successful Aquatic Programming: How to Start Small and Grow With Cost Saving Ideas and Community Networking, The Perception of Risk and the Influence Upon Safety Behavior and PWC for Law Enforcement. Two afternoons of on-the-water activities will provide attendees with high level of participation at the Summit. In addition to the Summit’s fantastic program, the location and the hotel are perfect. Newport Beach is centrally located for a quick trip to Disneyland or Sea World at San Diego. Please go to our web site: www.safeboatingcouncil.org/summit for more information concerning the Summit. Mark your calendar and plan to attend the 9th Annual International Boating and Water Safety Summit! VIRGIL CHAMBERS C all it human nature. Few people respond when they are asked to change their behavior — even when they know that doing so could possibly save their own lives. However, many people will change their behavior if it will make them to be more like their heroes! This is especially true in sports, where enthusiasts hang on every word of their favorite experts and champions. That’s why the U.S. Coast Guard has reached out to nationally known celebrities to help promote its nationwide recreational boating safety initiative — “You’re in Command.” The past few months have seen dramatic success, particularly in the recruiting of celebrities with particular appeal to the groups most at risk for recreational boating accidents and fatalities: hunters, anglers, and paddlers. First up: NASCAR’s Labonte family. Bobby Labonte, his brother Terry Labonte, and Bobby’s son Justin Labonte are all NASCAR champions — and avid anglers and hunters. When not on the racetrack, they can often be found hunting or fishing from their boats. This past spring all three Labontes teamed up to create television, radio and print public service announcements for our “You’re in Command” initiative. The Labontes feel strongly about boating safety. Justin has stated several times that, “We go fishing all the time when we’re not working on our cars and we’d never go out without life jackets.” He has also stated that all of his family hopes that their messages will encourage other people to stay safe. The Labonte’s public service announcements make a clear connection between the safety gear they habitually wear while racing and the life jackets they habitually wear while boating. The television spot was premiered during the Busch Series Winn-Dixie 250 at Daytona on July 2nd, and then sent out to hundreds of media outlets. Since July the television public service announcement has been seen by as many as 70 million viewers. Next, at the request of the Sportsman’s Forum, bass fishing legend and television personality Bill Dance (a fellow Tennessee VOL, I might add) volunteered to lend his name to “You’re in Command.” Bill is a member of the International Fishing Hall of Fame and a three-time B.A.S.S. Angler of the Year, with 23 national bass titles to his credit. His unique style comes to anglers everywhere through his well-known television series Bill Dance Outdoors. Bill commented, “I’ve been fishing on TV for quite a while now and if my advice can help save someone’s life then I think it’s my duty to do that.” Like the Labontes, Bill contributed his time to make television, radio, and print public service announcements, all of which will soon be placed nationally. There’s no question that Bill Dance’s modeling of safe boating behaviors will save lives. Then, through our partnership with the American Canoe Association, whitewater kayaking champion Rebecca Giddens lent her support to “You’re in Command” and boating safety. Only a few weeks after winning a Silver Medal at the 2004 Olympic Games in Athens, Rebecca taped television and radio public service announcements and lent her image for print advertisements as well. Rebecca’s interest in boating safety is personal. She commented to us that, “When I was twelve I was in a canoe that capsized on my local river. I can clearly remember thinking I was going to drown. If I hadn’t been wearing my life jacket I truly believe I wouldn’t be alive today.” Rebecca filmed her public service announcements on the Potomac River just days before winning her sixth Whitewater Slalom National Championship in Dickerson, Maryland. The ACA has agreed to help distribute the Rebecca Giddens “You’re in Command” public service announcements and related materials to member liveries, retail stores, and community-based paddling clubs. The participation of respected celebrities like Justin, Bobby, and Terry Labonte, Bill Dance and Rebecca Giddens is sure to attract the attention of the recreational boating public — and especially high-risk groups like hunters, anglers, and paddlers — to the personal responsibility message implicit in “You’re in Command.” The Coast Guard thanks these and other celebrities who have donated their time to the cause of saving lives and preventing accidents on the water. Keep a lookout for our new public service announcements. Please feel free to provide us with your comments and suggestions on how we can better our outreach efforts and grow our “You’re In Command” initiative. Remember, “You’re in Command. Be responsible. Boat Safely!” The Labonte, Dance and Giddens public service announcements will soon be posted at www.uscgboating.org/incommand. MIKE WILSON, AT-LARGE CELEBRITIES TO BOATERS: “YOU’RE IN COMMAND! BOAT RESPONSIBLY. BOAT SAFE” 2005 - CALENDAR FOR BOATING SAFETY Executive Director by John Malatak Chief, Program Operations Division, U.S. Coast Guard Office of Boating Safety COMING SOON: INTERNATIONAL BOATING & WATER SAFETY SUMMIT Arkansas Game & Fish Commission UNITED STATES COAST GUARD UPDATE T Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, presented William Griswold, the outgoing chairman of the National Safe Boating Council, with a bronze eagle for his tireless efforts on behalf of the NSBC and boating safety. NSBC Vice Chair, Ruth Wood looks on. The President’s Special Awards: NASBLA President Fred Messmann was very pleased to recognize two National Safe Boating Council members for their contributions to boating safety and NASBLA. Virgil Chambers, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council is shown at left receiving his award. The other individual was Ed Carter, Chairman of the National Safe Boating Council and BLA for Tennessee. SAFE AND EFFECTIVE BOAT CONTROL ight-quarters boat handling is an important skill a boater acquires through practice and understanding of the boat’s operation. Bringing a boat into the dock without banging the pier, wharf or another boat is not hard if you do it with understanding of what each action you take does to the craft. First, approach with caution, SLOWLY. Remember that the slower you are moving, the slower you make mistakes. You know that boats do not have brakes. A change in the forward motion of the craft is accomplished by reversing the throttle. Approaching the dock slowly makes sense, not only because of the need to suddenly reverse the engine to stop, but also because a fast approach will create a wake that you will be responsible for. A wake will result in your boat bouncing around as well as the other boats at the dock bouncing. There is a balance between too much throttle and not enough to have control of your craft. As you become experienced with your boat, you will find that point of minimum throttle and good maneuverability. This message is brought to you by Ability One, Inc. ABILITY ONE / ROLYAN BUOYS IS A PROUD SPONSOR OF THE “ANCHORLINE” Rolyan® Buoys