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The newest edition of For Safety's Sake, Volume II - 2008 has been released. This new issue was released on June 21st and is available for downloading from the V Departments Newsletter page at http://safetyseal.net/Newsletters/. In this issue is: 2007 Results, Communications, Educational Thrusts, Training, The Bell Revisited, The Wear It Campaign, 2007 Be A Survivor Essay Winners, Reality Strikes Home, Inflatable Life Jackets and more! Download your copy and pass it on to your associates after you've read it. Source: [Pete Urgola, DC-V] EPA Public Meetings/Hearing -- [Posted: 6/19/2008] The United States Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) will be hosting public meetings/hearing in Washington D.C.; Portland, OR; and Chicago, IL over the next two months on additional information for the discharge permit for vessels. Members wishing to attend should refer to the web link listed below. http://cfpub.epa.gov/npdes/home.cfm?program_id=350 As a reminder, members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary can not testify or give input in uniform/use of auxiliary titles (assigned to duty) unless they receive permission and vetted testimony approved from their District Commodore, Director of Auxiliary, and District Commander. Members are encouraged to attend as private citizens in order to make their views and concerns as recreational boaters known to EPA. This is important as the EPA is conducting these hearings in order to gain public input. Source: [Pete Urgola, DC-V] Coast Guard to Emphasize Life Jacket Wear -- [Posted: 2/27/2008] A key outcome of the Coast Guard's Recreational Boating Safety program is to reduce loss of life on the water. A major component of that program is to convince boaters to wear their life jackets while on the water. Various media campaigns have been utilized in the past without a major shift in the desired outcome. A Vessel Safety Check (VSC) provides the vessel examiner an opportunity to educate the boater on the value and importance of life jacket wear. During the VSC, the criteria for selecting, sizing, and inspection of life jackets is reviewed and demonstrated to the boater. Public education courses are another venue to demonstrate the variety of life jackets available. Of paramount interest is the inflatable life jacket which offers the boater a comfortable and reliable life saving option. Public affairs activities, such as safety exhibits at boat shows, provide another venue to illustrate to the public the variety of life jackets available in the market place. The Coast Guard’s Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety firmly believes that our vessel examiners, public educators and public affairs representatives should be role models for life jacket wear and are encouraging them to wear their life jackets during vessel safety checks, public education classes, and public affair events. As an incentive for demonstrating the "right behavior" on and around the water, inflatable life jackets branded with the "Wear It" logo will be made available (on a loner basis) to each Flotilla and Squadron. Inflatable life jackets will be distributed to local units which will be responsible for the custody, maintenance, and utilization of this equipment and annual reporting of the local inventory through respective chain of command to the Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety, Program Operations Branch (CG-54222). The expectation is that they will be leveraged to provide the maximum possible exposure to support the wearing of life jackets. Peter Urgola, USCG Auxiliary Chief, Vessel Examination Dept. Ron LaPlante Chairman, VSC Committee US Power Squadrons Source: [Pete Urgola, DC-V] West Marine Offers Safety Equipment Discount -- [Posted: 1/19/2008] West Marine will again offer a 10% discount on safety equipment to boaters who receive a Vessel Safety Check. The discount coupons are available for downloading on the V-Department web site at http://safetyseal.net/downloads/West-Marine-Coupon08.pdf. West Marine has long been an active supporter of the VSC program and the educational value it brings to the recreational boating community. Source: [Pete Urgola, DC-V] 2008 VSC Decals Released -- [Posted: 12/1/2007] December 2007 To: DSO-VEs, SO-VEs, FSO-VEs Fr.: Peter Urgola, DC-V Subj: Instructions for ordering Vessel Safety Check Decals; year 2008 The Auxiliary National Supply Center (ANSC) has received an initial supply of decals. The overall supply should be more than adequate to meet our demands and the demands of our partners. This year's USCG Auxiliary distribution plan will duplicate the one used in prior years. The quantity of decals received at each unit level will be a function of the past year's performance. ANSC has already been given the quantities and will deliver that number of decals and VSC Examination Record forms, ANSC 7012, upon receiving your initial order request. Either the unit's elected officer or the materials office must place the order. USPS members should obtain ordering information from their squadron commanders. The order form to use is the Vessel Safety Check and Maritime Domain Awareness Materials Order form (attached). This form contains a number of key materials that vessel examiners will find useful in executing their job. Additional decals can be ordered after the initial allocation by resubmitting the order form and by checking the "backup allocation" box. These orders will be honored after the initial allocations are completed to all units. As before, new vessel examiners will be eligible for a 20-decal allocation by simply noting "new examiner" on the ANSC order form. In summary, units at each level are encouraged to order their allotment of decals as soon as possible. There is no need to list the quantity; ANSC has the predetermined amounts for each unit: Flotilla, Division and District. Order your supplemental VE materials to assist in spreading the RBS message throughout the boating community. Download the order form from http://safetyseal.net/pdf_files/vscdecalfm08.pdf Send decal orders to: Auxiliary National Supply Center 1301 First Street Suite E River's Edge Granite City, IL 62040-1803 Or Fax to 618-452-4249 Source: [Pete Urgola, DC-V] Next Page
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