National Safe Boating Week Event

Post date: Feb 26, 2010 5:4:42 PM

Fellow Guardians:Chief Eaton, OIC of Station Portland, has asked for our help.

The command has been invited to participate in an event to kick off National Safe Boating Week. We're asked to provide assets on 22 May 2010 at the Maryhill State Park boat launch. Maryhill State Park is located on the Washington bank of the Columbia River in The Dalles Dam pool (Lake Cellilo) several miles below the John Day Dam and across the bridge from Biggs Junction on I-84. Walleye and bass fishermen as well as some PWC and water-ski type boaters can be expected depending on the weather.

This will be a multi-agency event intended to reach some of the Mid-Columbia boating public who do not see an RBS type presence in this area. County resources out here are thin and their activities tend to be reactionary as their marine deputies are really road deputies that try to find time for marine training and duty. Weather can be a big factor on boating turn-out at mid-Columbia locations since we don't have the big metro centers, so even if boating turn out isn't what we hope for, I believe it's a good opportunity for our agencies to meet and greet each other in a non-emergent environment and establish points of contact with each other in preparation for any future emergency response needs in the Bonneville, The Dalles, and John Day pools of the Columbia River. CRITFE, Army Corps, and Klickitat County operate within all of them. While they are outside of the Station's AOR, they are USCG jurisdictional waters and it might be nice for these other entities to meet some of the USCG folks that might come to assist them if circumstances warranted.

Some ideas for involvement:

· Conduct vessel safety checks at the ramp.

· A manned booth with boating safety and recruiting information.

· Opportunity for Communications Training (Comms trailer?)

· On the water patrol / AOR familiarization

There are just some of the ways we may be able to assist.

I've asked Tony Delucca, my acting Dalles Detachment Supervisor, to spearhead this event.

Tony will be responsible for overall planning and execution.

What I need from you:

Please consider if you can assist. Then send an email to Tony (tonydelucca@hughes.net ) listing your availability and the assistance you can provide.

Thank you for your time and consideration,

Brian Rollins

United States Coast Guard Auxiliary

Commander, FL-73