como rich thomas -...

NORTHWIND - OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF D11N Volume 21, Issue 2

NORTHWIND Official Newsletter of

District 11 Northern

APRIL 2015 Volume 21, Issue 2

IN THIS ISSUE

National Safe Boating Week (Prevention) May 16th through the 22nd will be National Safe Boating Week (NSBW). This is a time that traditionally all District 11 North units go into a week of great opportunity to reach out to the general public to make them aware of boating safety. Unlike the many other tasks we do as Auxiliarists, whereby we can measure the results, prevention is something that we cannot take absolute numbers and turn them into usable data. For example, when we are on patrols we can report how many tows we completed or how much property value were saved, or how many lives might have been saved. With prevention we simply are getting the message out as how to be safe on the water and we will never know how many or who's life we might have saved simply by the fact that general boaters learned something from us about their boats condition (VE inspections) or rules of the water (PE Classes) or picked up some general literature (PV's) and learned something that they didn't know.

Since this is an important kick off to the summer season I had some thoughts that I think are important for our District. Not only is this a time for us to roll up our sleeves and get productive for our volunteer missions, but it is also an opportunity to excel in connecting a few additional benefits with National Safe Boating Week. Ironically I recently reviewed a survey completed for the recent D Train. We had an astounding number of responses compared to past surveys. What is more

(Continued on page 2)

DISTRICT COMMODORE

DCOS Page 2

CDR SUMROK – AP STATUS Page 3

DCAPT - PREVENTION Page 5

CWO2 JAMES - THE BOATSWAIN’S LOCKER Page 6

FLOTILLA MEMBER FOR A DAY Page 8

VETERAN’S CENTER CELEBRATION Page 9

DOCKWALKERS PROGRAM Page 10

CALIFORNIA VESSEL OPERATOR CARD Page 11

CALENDAR OF EVENTS Page 12

D11N NORTHWIND NEWSLETTER TEAM

Cecil Claspell DSO-PB

Curtis Han ADSO-PB (Deputy)

Roger Bazeley ADSO-PB

Victor Beelik ADSO-PB

COMO RICH THOMAS District Commodore, D11N

NORTHWIND OFFICIAL NEWSLETTER OF DISTRICT 11 NORTHERN Volume 21, Issue 2

2

(COMO Thomas – Continued from page 1)

impressive is that 2/3rds

of the over 300 responses came from those that did not attend D Train. It was clear by a large number of responses that we have many members that are not active for one reason or another. I urge each flotilla to make contact with members that are not active and solicit their participation in NSBW. Outside of illness there are a number of reasons that some members are not participating and it is a good practice for the flotilla to make contact with our missing members and find out why they aren't involved and see what can be done to get them back to being dedicated Auxiliary volunteers. Additionally, this is an EXCELLENT time to keep in mind that there is a huge opportunity to seek new members. It would be a positive direction that all activities during the week include a special attention to "blitzing" for new members. All Division Commanders were given a box of business cards with "Prospective New Member" log in site on one side and the other side a message regarding Water Way Watch. Please get a hand full of these cards and pass them out. If everyone makes sure all these cards are passed out in different areas, certainly we can attract some attendees. For more information about Coast Guard Auxiliary Prevention-see the following link: http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=p-dept Rich Thomas, DCO

District Web Site – REDUX 2015

Used to be … not too long ago … that our D11N web site was routinely considered to be one of the best on the web nationally! Unfortunately, as a result of some lack of attention to the details of

the ever-evolving cyber world, our web site (simply put) did not keep up!

Please cruise / browse the D11N web site and note the great strides made towards improvements. First take a look at the District Event Calendar! It is regularly maintained by Joyce Bell and she is doing a terrific job of keeping it current! Events of District-wide interest are listed and dates are added within a few days of a request for listing (note: please send requests for calendar postings to the District Chief of Staff at [email protected]). Many events are color-coded for ease of locating:

Pink – Major Events i.e. D-TRAIN, PCA, NACON. If a flyer is available for the event, a link will be posted on the Calendar

Yellow – District Board & Staff and EXCOM meetings

Blue – Tuesday Night Live and New Member Orientation webinars that includes a link to the Tuesday Night Live page

Green Font – Deadlines for various Award Submissions, Dues, etc

Black Font / White Background – Important events including OPTREXs, NSBW, Changes of Watch, Fleet Week, etc.

Stay up to date with events in the District by checking the District Event Calendar often. Before scheduling an event, check the calendar to be sure there are no conflicts with the date. Also, please note

that additional calendars are accessible from the same page including a link to Past Calendars, the Webinar Calendar, the COASTIE calendar (coming soon), and the Boating Courses Calendar.

The District web site, in a little over three months, has become a ‘living’, useful tool again! DSO-CS Irene Wetzel has dedicated countless hours in bringing it back to the contender ranks of “Best of the Web” in the Nation! As Irene points out “Auxiliary members may consider CS stands for many different concepts. Communication Services (CS) is responsible for the unit Internet web site and deploying emerging technologies to better communicate and manage Auxiliary needs”.

With over 150 pages, it would be very difficult in this brief article to list ALL of the features, benefits, and improvements so here is a sampling:

The Top Tool Bar has, in addition to the D11N Home, ‘categories’ that include:

Missions Members Units DIRAUX National Chief Director Coast Guard If clicked on, each of these ‘locations’ reveals a “drop down” list as follows:

Missions

o Boating Safety o Operations o Member Services o Fellowship

Members

o Organization o District Services o Resources o Member Deck o Calendar o Forms o What’s New o Help Wanted


WALLY SMITH District Chief of Staff

http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=p-dept

http://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=p-dept

mailto:[email protected]


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(Smith– Continued from page 2)

Units – another drop down list appears with each Division listed. Click on a Division to go to that Division’s web page. From there, each Flotilla’s web page in that Division can be accessed.

DIRAUX

o From the Director o OTO Bulletins o Procedures Manual o Staff & Hours o Forms

And that’s just the top tool bar!!!!

The left menu has the following links that, when clicked, reveal another block of drop down choices:

Public Information

o Public Boating Courses o Marine Safety o Vessel Safety Checks o Safety Program Visitors o Links for Boaters o Public Affairs o Training Opportunities o Auxiliary In A Glance

Leadership & Organization

o Commodore o Bridge (EXCOM) o Divisions & Flotillas o Programs & Staff o Minutes Archive o Calendars

Boating Safety – Prevention

o Marine Safety & Environmental Protection

o Navigation Systems o Public Affairs o Public Education o Visitation Program o Vessel Examinations

Operations – Response

o Air / Aviation o Communications o Surface Operations

o Incident Management

Member Services – Support

o Communication Services o Diversity o Information Systems o Materials o Member Training o Human Resources o Publications o District Services

Awards Committee

Civil Rights Coordinator

Finance

Legal

Secretary of Records

Resources

o AUXINFO Reports o Forms & Downloads o Membership Process o Outside Links o Uniforms

Member Deck

o In Memoriam o Involvement o New Member Deck o NORTHWIND o Photo Gallery o What’s New

Every one of the above listings has one or more pages accessible with a simple click! Every unit has a web site, every District Staff Officer has a web site, every mission group has a web site, and so on! Spend some time and dig down … the amount of information available is phenomenal!


The Truth About “APPLICANT

PENDING (AP)” Status

First of all, let me start by saying how honored I am to be the Director of this Auxiliary region. I am truly inspired by so many of our members that epitomize our core values while contributing countless hours promoting recreational boating safety and assisting the Coast Guard in day-to-day operations and support. In 2003, the Commandant mandated that all Auxiliarists undergo a Personnel Security Investigation (PSI) as criteria for enrollment in the Auxiliary. The reasons for this mandate centered on:

1. The Coast Guard’s new and sensitive post-9/11 missions.

2. The Coast Guard’s higher focus on security of all of its workforce elements.

3. Increased Auxiliary augmentation of Coast Guard units and billets.

4. Increased Auxiliary visibility to the public, the Coast Guard, and other DHS agencies.

5. Increased reliance on Auxiliarists to act as trusted agents of the Federal government.

The Auxiliary PSI program was established as a requirement to assess the suitability of individuals for membership in the Auxiliary. This program is managed by the Coast Guard Security Center (SECCEN). Over the years, the SECCEN has faced


CDR Curtis Sumrok Director of Auxiliary District 11 Northern Region


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(Smith– Continued from page 3)

Leaders at all levels, please take a look at ‘your’ web site … DSOs look at your web page(s), DCDRs & FCs look at your unit’s web page(s), and so on. Please review for content that is current and for links that may be broken or outdated. Please report any issues to the DSO-CS through your appointed officer chain of leadership because some of the issues encountered may be resolved at the “lowest possible level”.

From our DSO-CS Irene Wetzel, “Always a member priority is verifying information has been entered in AUXDATA. AUXDATA feeds the data into AUXINFO which is somewhat easier to access. Bookmarks can be created in AUXINFO and placed into a unit’s website. That way members can find their unit information immediately. The district website has district links which still need to be drilled down to the division and flotilla levels: http://members.d11nuscgaux.info/auxdata/reports.html. Members are often challenged finding the correct form for reporting information. There are national forms, district forms, and DIRAUX forms. National forms have both online eforms and PDF forms which may be completed online and emailed to the IS officer. The district forms are specific to D11NR. Links to all forms are available from the district forms webpage: http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/info/downloads.html. For prospective members, all the paperwork and process required is available on the district website”

With Irene and Joyce’s seemingly tireless work on the District web site and District Calendar, we have tools to be proud of! With a little more work by all of us, we may again be in contention for “Best of the Web” in the Nation! Visit often, explore, and build a broader understanding and usage of the District web site and CS services.

Remember these watch words from Admiral Castillo a few years ago … “Be Safe, Have Fun, Get the Job Done”. In

this case, keeping ‘your’ web site up to date is part of getting the job done!

Wally Smith, District Chief of Staff

(Sumrok– Continued from page 3)

several challenges that have caused average processing times to vary from 3 months to well over a year. The bad news is that we really have no control over this. The good news is that, in reality, the length of time in AP status really doesn’t matter too much in terms of member participation and opportunities. When the Coast Guard Auxiliary Manual, COMDTINST 16790.1G, was last updated in August 2011, there were many changes to policy regarding those in AP status. Generally speaking, Auxiliary members in AP status have nearly all the privileges and training opportunities afforded to Initially Qualified (IQ) and Basically Qualified (BQ) members (those that have received a favorable determination from SECCEN). The key exceptions are:

1. Not authorized for an Auxiliary identification card or Auxiliary Logical Access Card (ALAC)

2. May not hold an elected or appointed office (unless issued a waiver by DIRAUX)

3. May train, but not qualify, as Coxswain and Personal Watercraft Operator (PWO) in the boat crew program, as any of the aviation program competencies (i.e., Aircraft Commander, First Pilot, Co-Pilot, Air Crewman, Air Observer) and as a Fingerprint Technician.

More details can be found in the Auxiliary Manual, Chapter 3, Section D. In D11 Northern Region, we also require an “AP Status Waiver” to be approved in order for AP members to acquire or wear an Auxiliary uniform, offer any facility for use, and participate in the surface operations program. Waivers can be sent

through the chain of leadership 90 days after enrollment. All elected leaders should have a copy of this policy on file or it can be obtained by sending a request to the DIRAUX office email: [email protected] While this may seem like a lot to digest, the bottom line is that Auxiliarists in AP status are part of team Coast Guard from day one. There is not a tangible benefit of having an Auxiliary identification card, time in service is generally needed before assuming leadership roles in any organization, and training and qualification for the vast majority of Auxiliary programs is immediately available. There is a lot to learn, a plethora of ways to participate, and boundless fellowship to be enjoyed along the way. The truth is that AP status is simply not a roadblock to full membership. It should really be considered a mild probationary period while the Coast Guard assesses suitability for serving our nation and the responsibility that goes with it. I strongly encourage everyone to learn the truth about AP status and make sure others have accurate information. Of course, your elected leadership and the DIRAUX office can certainly answer questions and clarify as needed. Thank you for your service. CDR Curtis Sumrok Director of Auxiliary District 11 Northern Region

http://members.d11nuscgaux.info/auxdata/reports.html

http://members.d11nuscgaux.info/auxdata/reports.html

http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/info/downloads.html

http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/info/downloads.html


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It’s hard to believe that one quarter of the year has already passed. During that time we have had a very successful Past Commanders Fair and District Training event, and now we are about to enter the busy boating season. Our members are preparing to qualify or re-qualify for crew and coxswain, and facility owners are readying their vessels for the season. But we have one more very important event to kick off the boating season.

This is our premier event of the year to promote boating safety as an organized, nationwide effort. From May 16

th to 22

nd,

Auxiliarists from all over the nation are preparing for National Safe Boating Week (NSBW). NSBW is an annual event that falls the week before Memorial Day weekend. Annual data for 2013 shows that the Coast Guard counted 4,062 accidents involving 560 deaths, 2620 injuries and approximately $39 million dollars of damage to property as a result of recreational boating accidents. I think we all can agree that these numbers are way too high for a sport that is supposed to be fun.

A look back in history reveals the original idea for National Safe Boating Week actually came from a Coast Guard Auxiliarist by the name of Steve

Sadpowski back in 1949. Our modern day National Safe Boating Week became law under the Federal Safe Boating Act of 1958.

As of this writing, District 11N leadership at the division and flotilla level are working hard to plan for this year’s activities. In addition to promoting boating safety we are adding auxiliary recruitment to the list. Every member has a responsibility under the U.S Coast Guard Auxiliary Policy Statement signed by Admiral Zukunft “To promote and improve Recreational Boating Safety”. If you haven’t been approached by your leadership to help in some way then it is your responsibility to ask them what you can do to help.

There is something for every Auxiliarist to do. Here are some examples.

Public Affairs

Media Exposure - Promoting NSBW thru the local newspaper and with television and radio appearances are very effective ways to promote NSBW activities. Hand carrying press releases to a newspaper will increase the odds that it will be printed. Posters and fliers are also useful. These activities need some lead time because they need to be pre-approved prior to submission.

Public Affairs Booths - Booths at boat stores, marinas, launch ramps, at special events and even big box stores are great opportunities to meet with the public.

Proclamation / Resolution - A proclamation or resolution from all levels of government give the Coast Guard Auxiliary and National Safe Boating Week visibility. These can come from City Councils, County Board of Commissioners, Board of Supervisors and State Governors. Proclamations or resolutions are usually read and presented during government meetings and often have media coverage.

Public Speaking - Service organizations such as the Elk’s Club, Shriners or other service and business groups often like to

have guest speakers come in and talk during their luncheons. This is also a great recruiting tool.

School Visitations - School visitations can range from talks about wearing life jackets to the little ones to presenting the “Cold water boot camp” video to High School Students. The auxiliary has long list of resources appropriate for school visits. Check with you materials officer for details.

Vessel Safety Checks - These can be held at launch ramps, marinas, at any advertised location or even by appointment. Vessel safety checks should be much more than an equipment check. This personal contact with boaters offers a great opportunity to not only discuss boating safety but also time to discuss auxiliary membership. The time you spend on a vessel safety check just may save a life. Let us not forget the ever higher numbers of stand-up paddle boards and kayaks on our lakes that offer even more opportunity to discuss safety issues.

Boating safety classes - Classes should be offered throughout the year but, NSBW falling just before Memorial Day, the unofficial start of boating season, is the perfect time to hold boating safety classes. With the new California requirements for “Vessel Operator Cards” the auxiliary is the logical source to meet this requirement. Some flotillas are already seeing an increased interest in boating classes.

Distribute boating safety materials - NSBW is another great time for our dealer visitor’s to check current display racks and to seek out new opportunities to place racks. In addition to boating safety materials the auxiliary has a great recruitment brochure ANSC #3023 that should be in every display. All materials placed in display racks should include contact information.

If you have an idea to promote boating safety or the recruit new members please share it with your leadership.

BILL STOLZ DCAPT - Prevention


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I want to wish the members of District 11N a very successful National Safe Boating Week and a fun and safe boating season.

Bill Stolz DCAPT- Prevention

The Boatswain’s Locker…

CWO2 Matthew J. James

Operations Training Officer

Personal Locator

Beacons…what’s the deal?

There has been a lot of discussion regarding Personal Locator Beacons over the past few months and I have fielded numerous questions from operators throughout the region. I thought I would take this opportunity to cover the basics of Personal Locator Beacons, some policies and procedures we need to follow, and an overview of how D11N plans to get the beacons out into the field.

The Basics

Personal Locator Beacons, or “PLB’s”, are electronic beacons manufactured to provide emergency distress position information to Rescue Coordination Centers via a 406 MHZ radio signal. The

406 MHZ signal transmitted by the beacon is received by a constellation of COSPAS-SARSAT satellites in earth orbit. Depending on the type of satellite that detects the signal, your distress position in calculated and relayed to the closest Local User Terminal. There, the position information is indexed against the registration information and relayed to the nearest Rescue Coordination Center (RCC). The RCC will notify the nearest Search and Rescue Mission Coordinator SMC, which will be Sector San Francisco or Sector Humboldt Bay. Utah operators will likely be covered by an Air Force RCC, as they hold the responsibility for inland SAR.

Depending on the type of PLB you are issued, the signal may or may not contain GPS information. The McMurdo FastFind PLB is not GPS-enabled, which was one factor in the decision to transition to the ACR ResQ Link Plus PLB as the standard USCG issue. Fear not, the McMurdo is still very rugged and reliable, and will continue to be serviceable until your battery expiration date approaches. I’ll discuss more specifics on the issuance plan later.

Properly registering the PLB is a critical step in the process. Upon notification, the SMC will often first attempt to contact the beacon owner to determine whether or not the beacon was accidentally activated. If evidence points to a probable distress situation, the SMC will direct the launch of SAR resources. Up until recently, the responsibility of registering the beacon and maintaining the biannual updates rested with you, the operator. As we have collected nearly one hundred unserviceable or turned in PLB’s in recent

months, we discovered that there was very little standardization in how operators registered the beacons with NOAA. In many cases, beacon operators registered them as personal beacons with no indication they were government

property. So, when they were turned in, NOAA would not permit me to cancel the registration or reissue the beacon. These poor practices will cost DIRAUX nearly $9k this fiscal year. Starting this year, DIRAUX will manage the registration of all beacons issued within D11 North. We have the capability of maintaining “Block Accounts” of up to two hundred beacons for each Sector AOR. This means we can issue and reissue beacons as needed and update the entire block with the click of a mouse. The beacons are registered with your phone number (usually your cell number from AUXDATA) but with the [email protected] email address and DIRAUX mailing address. This way, we can maintain copies of all registrations, reduce errors in the registration process and take the burden of handling the biannual updates off your shoulders.

PLB Policies

PLB were only required to be issued to Coxswains, PWC Operators, and Pilots prior to the 2014 update to the Rescue and Survival Systems Manual. Now, all scheduled mission personnel onboard an Auxiliary Surface Facility must carry a PLB. The existing guidance for Aircrew remains the same for the time being, but expect that to change soon as well. The costs and logistics associated with the 2014 RSSM update are known to the Office of Boat Forces (CG-731) and they have permitted a grace period for the rest of this calendar year to procure and issue the needed beacons. For our region, this means I will be buying nearly three hundred of the ACR ResQ Link Plus beacons for a grand total of over forty thousand dollars. More on issuance later.

Each beacon operator will be required to complete a short Personal Qualification Standard (PQS) for the beacon they are carrying. The PQS is one-time for each model used. Copies of the completed PQS will be maintained in the Flotilla PPE binder.

Public domain photo courtesy of Wikipedia.



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NANTUCKET ISLAND, Mass. - Heavy weather training off Nantucket Island, April 2012. The kind of day you want your PPE to be functioning in.

Beacons are required to be tested monthly. The procedures for conducting the monthly battery test are available in jobs aids on the OTO Page of the D11N web site. I usually also email a copy of the job aid to beacon operators. CG-731 should be releasing guidance soon that will permit users to test beacons prior to getting underway vice monthly if that interval is more reasonable. I caution you not to wait until the morning of your patrol to test your beacon; you may be sorely disappointed if the beacon test fails and you cannot get underway. Plan ahead. If you forget to test your beacon at the required intervals, it will be considered “out of service” and must be logged as such. You will then need to redo the build-up inspection to place the beacon “back in service”. It’s way easier to stay on top of the inspection cycle than it is to repeatedly complete the build-up inspection and log entries. Your FSO-OP should be helping you stay on top this process.

The maintenance procedure card for the PLB states that the battery should be replaced within six months of the posted battery expiration date. That means if you have a beacon with an April 2015 expiration date, you are past due for a replacement. We will be replacing all McMurdo PLB’s with the ACR PLB on an attrition basis. You should not be changing batteries on your own. The maintenance procedure card for the beacons require the battery securing screws be tightened to a specific torque setting. Which means a torque limiting screwdriver is required. Please get in touch with me if your beacon requires a new battery.

The Issuance Plan for D11N

We’ve been debating the best way forward for issuing nearly three hundred PLB’s for several months now. At first, the plan was to simply issue one beacon for each allowable crewmember on a facility to a facility owner. So, for example, of the maximum number of crew you could carry (based on OIA) policy was six, DIRAUX would issue six

beacons to the facility owner. There were a few drawbacks to this plan: first, that plan would add yet another administrative burden to the facility owner that is already balancing AOMS, OFU’s, maintenance, and other tasks. Second, we have many facilities that don’t get underway that often. So it wouldn’t be fiscally prudent to issue $800 of equipment to a facility that may sit unused. Lastly, those underutilized beacons would fall out of service and require frequent build-up inspections.

The second plan for issuing PLB’s was to issue them directly to each crewmember and trainee with their normal PPE. The weakness in this system is we have many trainees that have the equipment issued to them that don’t stay active in the boat crew program. While not ideal, the impact of a PFD and the other basic equipment sitting in a closest is pretty low. But, add a beacon to the mix and there’s a recipe for issues. My biggest concern is a bacon registered to the Coast Guard being taken on a mountain hike or ski trip that is accidentally activated triggering a SAR response. Ultimately, we determined that the turnover in boat crew and trainees especially was such that we wanted better control of the beacons.

The solution is a blend of the two plans. I’ll be looking at historical hours for crewmembers and issuing PLB’s individually to those members that have demonstrated a consistent effort during their Auxiliary careers to maintaining currency and participating in operations. I will then issue one or two extra beacons to each facility owner of those facilities that historically have carried the majority of trainees. At the request of flotilla commanders, I will also issue a pelican case of three or four PLB’s for the flotilla to temporarily provide to trainees or facilities that may only get underway once or twice a year, like for Fleet Week

or July 4th

. This solution should be the best balance of meeting the requirements of the new policy while minimizing the administrative and maintenance burden on the field.

In Conclusion

Your Personal Locator Beacon is a key piece of safety gear in your kit. It can alert your controlling station to a distress situation quickly and accurately, even in situation where a distress call may not have been possible. The newer beacons will also broadcast a signal that will allow SAR units to home in on your location. By the end of 2015, nearly all of you participating in the surface operations will be carrying a beacon in your gear while underway. The beacons are Coast Guard property and must be maintained and safeguarded as directed. As always, we are here to answer any questions you may have about this or any other piece of the Operations Program. Don’t hesitate to contact me or COMO Ramsey via the [email protected] email address. Thanks and have a great spring, I’ll see you on the water.

CWO Matt James serves as the Operations Training Officer for D11 Auxiliary North. He can be reach via the [email protected] address.




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ENCINAL, Calif. - Ron Walker, Duane Blackwell, Nancy Schimmelman and Rob Firehock of Flotilla 12-1

I recently had the opportunity to help out with an About Boating Safely class I participated in on Saturday, 28 February sponsored by Flotilla 12-1 at the Encinal Yacht Club in Alameda, California. I am the newly minted DSO-PE for District 11NR and Rob Firehock, FSO-MT and Duane Blackwell, FSO-VE wanted me to see their team in action and how they execute a safe boating course. I was invited to join the 12-1 team and teach one of the course chapters.

Duane asked me to teach Chapter 7: Enjoying Water Sports With Your Boat and I did so with great pride and enthusiasm. For those of you familiar with the About Boating Safely course, Chapter 7 is all about having safe boating fun. It is also great fun to teach.

As I thought a little more about my Saturday, I thought I would share some of my observations and feelings regarding that experience.

While waiting my turn to teach, I had the opportunity to watch Nancy Schimmelman, Duane Blackwell and Rob Firehock teach their respective chapters. While they each have teaching styles unique to them and readily embraced by the 18 students in the class, they all had some very important characteristics in common.

First and foremost, they all had passion regarding the importance and seriousness of the Public Education mission. They were all animated and excited as they began their respective chapters.

Second, each instructor telegraphed to their students their approachability and professionalism all at the same time. Each of the instructors wore their

uniform, which can sometimes be intimidating to the public. In this instance, however, their style and personal manner made them seem very human and professional.

Third, like any well executed initiative, the genius is in the execution. Rob Firehock had every little detail of the day planned. He told everyone what he or she needed to know, which is different from telling him or her what to do.

Finally, Rob asked that the each member of the teaching staff speak to our hosts at the Encinal Yacht Club personally to thank them for their help. Rob also distributed pre-written thank-you letters to each member of the teaching staff to personalize and send to the Yacht Club

commodore.

Because each student had given up a Saturday away from other things to take this course, the instructors wanted to create value for the students. Flotilla 12-1 can be exceedingly proud because they more than delivered on Saturday!

On my drive home from the Encinal Yacht Club, reflecting on my experience with both the instructors of Flotilla 12-1 and the students, I was reminded why I continue to invest my time. I felt a sense

of pride and fulfillment because I participated in something that was important and that could potentially save lives. The feeling of being involved in something important was amplified by the sense of belonging to a team.

I am not in Flotilla than 12-1. However, that didn’t make a difference. For that time on Saturday, I was part of Flotilla 12-1. While I played a small role in the class, I was a part of the overall success of the day. That is one of the major reasons I thoroughly enjoy being a team member and being a member of the Auxiliary. Whether you have a small role or a big role, it doesn’t matter. I revel in the success of the team and that is what matters.

As I have gotten older, I have become more sentimental. I thought I would share with you what is important and what matters to me. Perhaps more importantly than what matters to me is what our customers thought and felt on Saturday.

Doug Beckstein was one of our cutomers on

Saturday who sat through the class.

Coincidentally, he is also a fellow Auxiliarist who is already an educator and finishing up his Coast Guard instructor course. He will become the FSO-PE when he qualifies.

The instructors were careful to solicit his observations in the debrief held after the class, and he had some good points to share with the team to improve the overall class.

In closing, eighteen California boaters engaged in a day-long course to learn

Proud To Be a Flotilla 12–1 Member, If Only For a Day… By Jim Losi, DSO-PE US Coast Guard Auxiliary


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Bob Golden, USCG Auxiliary Flotilla 1-2, offers a rose to US Air Force veteran Susan Chaffee in appreciation for her service.

about boating safety and how to enjoy boating in a safe manner. Based on their level of engagement as evidenced in the many class discussions, they found the course to be informative, interesting and enjoyable.

At the end of the day, eighteen California boaters gained their boating certificate as brought to them by a very dedicated and professional team from Flotilla 12-1.

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif.- San Francisco Veterans’ Community Living Center (CLC) Superintendent Elizabeth Sutherland thanked sixteen volunteers from the United States Coast Guard, Sector San Francisco, USCG Auxiliary and the Air Force for their efforts in serving dessert for a combined Armed Forces and Valentine’s Day luncheon on

Friday, February 13, 2015.

Each of the resident veterans received a homemade card from various children, and from USCG Auxiliarist Tommy Holzman, who produced cards with all of the volunteers’ signatures.

Roger Bazeley, USCG volunteer musician, played 40’s renditions on his flugelhorn in the lobby while the seven- member “Blue Yonder,” a folk-rock band of the “Air Force Band of the Golden West,” as part of its mission to provide entertainment and morale to the military and public, supplied lively instrumental and vocal entertainment.

The volunteers set up the lunchroom with tablecloths and decorations provided by the SF Veterans’ CLC staff, cut the specially decorated cake, and poured and served sparkling apple juice. Along with dessert, volunteers visited with S.F. Veterans’ CLC residents, listening to them share stories of their past service.

- Allan Ryeman, retired Army, told of how he planned to enlist on a Monday. But on a Saturday, all enlistment was stopped and it was only possible to be a draftee! He served with the Army in New Guinea in a Radar unit, a relatively new technology at the time.

- Hubert Ferreira, retired Army, deployed to Germany for his post WWII tour of duty, assisted the Army in G.I. court martialing.

- Elaine Black, retired Army and Air Force, served overseas in Germany and at Travis Air Force Base.

- Susan Chaffee, retired Air Force Medical Administrator, enjoyed traveling throughout her tour of duty to Germany, Korea, London and Northern California.

Combining the February holidays of Armed Forces with Valentine’s Day gives an opportunity to personally express gratitude to those who were tasked to serve our country. As one volunteer expressed, “I hope we can do this again next year – it’s been so special to take time to let our veterans know we appreciate their service.”

Team USCG volunteers were from both the United States Coast Guard Sector San Francisco and the USCG Auxiliary.

Team Coast Guard and Air Force Band at S.F. Veterans Community Living Center Gail Giacomini Deputy Public Affairs, Division 11NR USCG Auxiliary

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Auxiliarists Steve Bustin and Robert Aston cut and plate decorated cake.


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California Boating Program staff and Auxiliarist Holtzman engaging new boat owners at San Francisco show booth.

The “Dockwalkers” Program is the main education and outreach component of the Statewide Boating Clean and Green Program (BC&GP) led by the California State Parks Division of Boating & Waterways - California Coastal Commission. Since 2010, The USCG Auxiliary has been the main partner in the Dockwalker Program. This program’s goal is to conduct face-to-face boater education about safe and environmentally sound boating practices. The Dockwalker program complements the Auxiliary Vessel Examination and Marine Visitors programs, as well as Public Affairs/Public Education Events.

This year, BC&GP and the San Francisco Estuary (SFEP) staff invited USCG Auxiliary members to attend the 2015 San Francisco Boat Show located in McCovey Cove and pier 48. Auxiliarists work alongside partner agency personnel in educating boat owners and new boat owners about the potential sources of boat pollution and environmental

impacts, marine regulations, and clean boat practices that prevent pollution.

Boaters who visit the booth manned by Auxiliary Dockwalker Volunteers, BC&GP and SFEP staff engaged boaters via a brief knowledge survey of practices, regulations, and boating operational practices. The boating public is then provided with educational resources in a boater’s kit that includes information and items such as an oil ‘absorbent’ for minor bilge or on board spills/leakage clean-up.

Main Educational Messages We Shared with Boaters During the Boat Show Included:

1. Prevent oily discharges into the water. To prevent oily discharges, place an oil absorbent (such as the included pillow) in the bilge. Boaters can buy these absorbents at any marine supply store or some marinas offer them for free.

2. Recycle used oil and oil filters. Many people are not aware that used oil and oil filters should be recycled and should not be thrown in the trash. Used oil is a hazardous waste. Some marinas accept used oil and used oil filters. For proper disposal of used oil and oil filters, boaters can check both the San Francisco Clean Boating Map (produced by BC&GP) and the Delta Clean Boating Map, where marinas

offering this service are identified. Boaters may also bring the used oil and oil filters to a certified used oil and household hazardous waste collection centers, call (800) CLEANUP (253-2687) or visit www.earth911.org . These locations are also included in both maps.

3. Pump It Don’t Dump It. Use sewage pump-outs, dump stations, or mobile-pump-out services, whenever possible. For locations boaters can check both the San Francisco Bay Pump-out map produced by the San Francisco Estuary Partnership (DBW Clean Vessel Act Program).

Remember, it is illegal to discharge untreated sewage anywhere within the three-mile territorial limit including lakes, rivers, reservoirs or coastal waters. The fine is $2, 000 (information found in the brochure entitled “Environmental Boating Laws Every Recreational Boater Should Know”). Never discharge treated sewage (MSDs I and II) into marinas, swimming/wading areas, a sanctuary, poorly flushed areas, lakes, reservoirs, or freshwater impoundments and into a federal No Discharge Zones.

4. Wear your like jacket, Take a safety course and know the rules of the road. Check the ABCs of Boating Laws.

Participation in the Dockwalkers program is a part of the USCG marine pollution prevention that is supported by the mandate of the USCG Commandant in supporting maritime partners and agencies in educating the public. Participation in the program also counts towards the annual Marine Safety service requirement for the Trident program.

Supporting Boat Safety and Pollution Prevention through the “Dockwalkers” Program By Roger Bazeley, ADSOPB D-11N and Vivian Matuk, Coordinator BC&GP

SAN FRANCISCO, Calif. - Boat Show boats berthed at McCovey Cove.

http://www.earth911.org/


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Program Partner and Contact Information

Vivian Matuk Environmental Boating Program Coordinator California State Parks Division of Boating & Waterways California Coastal Commission (415) 904-6905 Fax: (415) 904-5216 45 Fremont Street, Suite 1900 San Francisco, CA 94105 www.BoatingCleanandGreen.com

Combining the “Dockwalkers” program with the activity of performing a vessel examination adds to the efficiency and educational impact of environmental pollution prevention education to owners of vessels requesting annual vessel examinations.

Photography: Roger Bazeley

*Reference Material and Main Educational Messages quoted and credits: California State Parks Division of Boating & Waterways and California Coastal Commission’s Boating Clean and Green Program

UPDATE: THE CALIFORNIA

VESSEL OPERATOR CARD

California Governor Jerry Brown signed

SB941, the new law that requires anyone

operating a boat to take a safety course

and pass a written test. The law will be

implemented over the next 10 years with

the phase-in based on the boater’s age:

A person age 20 or younger by

Jan. 1, 2018

Age 25 or younger, 2019

Age 35 years or younger, 2020




Age 60 years or younger, 2024

All persons, regardless of age,

2025

Exemptions

The following persons will not be

required to have a California Vessel

Operator Card (CVOC) to

operate a motorized vessel on

California waterways when the

requirements go into effect

beginning in January 2018:

Non-California

residents who are temporarily

operating a vessel in California

for less than 60 days, and meet

the boating requirements, if

any, of his/her state.

A person who is a resident of a

country other than the United

States who is temporarily

operating a vessel in California

for less than 90 days and meets

the boating requirements, if

any, of his/her country.

A person operating a vessel

while under the direct

supervision of a person 18 years

of age or older who is in

possession of a CVOC issued by

the Division of Boating &

Waterways.

A person operating a vessel in

an organized regatta or vessel

race, or water ski race.

A person operating a rental

vessel.

A person who is in possession of

a current commercial fishing

license.

A person who is in possession of

a valid marine operator license,

for the waters upon which the

licensee is operating, issued by

the United State Coast Guard,

or who is in possession of a valid

certificate issued pursuant to

the International Convention on

Standards of Training,

Certification and Watchkeeping

for Seafarers, 1978, as

amended.

A person who has successfully

completed a boating course

approved by the Commission on

Peace Officer Standards and

Training.

The CGAUX Boating Skills and

Seamanship & About Boating

Safely courses are approved by

the National Association of

State Boating Law

Administrators (NASBLA).

Successfully completing one of

these Auxiliary courses and

passing the written test meets

the CVOC requirement.

http://www.boatingcleanandgreen.com/


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Disclaimer: The NORTHWIND reserves the right to proof read and edit-copy all articles submitted. It takes no responsibility and accepts no liability for damages caused by errors left in the document. It cannot accept responsibility for the validity of web sites that link from this publication. It also cannot accept responsibility for any content submitted by any author. Articles published in the NORTHWIND must be consistent with the stated policies of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Telephone numbers and addresses of members are protected by the Privacy Act of 1974. As a matter of policy, rosters of names, addresses and telephone numbers shall not be made available to the general public or any outside organization. Privacy of all rosters shall be safeguarded and the page clearly labeled. The publication of these rosters addresses and telephone numbers on any computer on-line service including the internet is prohibited by the 1974 Privacy Act.

NORTHWIND is the official publication of the United Stated Coast Guard Auxiliary, District Eleven North. Article contributions by the following: Rich Thomas, District Commodore Wally Smith, DCOS Bill Stolz, DCAPT-Prevention CDR Curtis Sumrok, DIRAUX CWO2 Matt James, OTO Jim Losi, DSO-PE Gail Giacomini, ADSO-PA (Deputy) Roger Bazeley, ADSO-PB Vivian Matuk, BC&GP

Photograph contributions by: Roger Bazeley, ADSO-PB

Website: http://d11nuscgaux.info

NORTHWIND Publications Team: Cecil Claspell DSO-PB Curtis Han ADSO-PB (Deputy) Victor Beelik ADSO-PB Roger Bazeley ADSO-PB District 11 North Webmaster Irene Wetzel DSO-CS Design: Curtis Han Layout: Cecil Claspell [email protected]

Please refer to the online District 11N Calendar for recent updates and information:

APR 10 – 12 AUXLAMS Course - Part B Location: Salt Lake City, UT

APR 13 EXCOM Meeting 1900 Webinar

APR 14 Tuesday Night Live 1900 http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/public/meminfo.html

APR 15 District Board & Staff Mtg 1845 Webinar

1900 Meeting Begins

APR 17 – 19 AUXLAMS Course - Part B Location: CGI, Alameda, CA

APR 28 Tuesday Night Live 1900 http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/public/meminfo.html

APR 25 Division 5 OPEX - No QE's Location: CG Station Vallejo

APR 29 –

MAY 3

Flotilla 39 OPTREX Contact: Carl Pierce

MAY 1 Deadline for Boating Safety Award of Excellence

(Eagle Awards)

MAY 12 Tuesday Night Live 1900 http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/public/meminfo.html

MAY 12 Advanced New Member Orientation 1945 Hours

MAY 15 – 16 Flotilla 88 OPTREX Location: Clear Lake CA

MAY 16 – 22 National Safe Boating Week (NSBW)

MAY 18 EXCOM Meeting 1900 Webinar

MAY 20 District Board & Staff Mtg 1845 Webinar

1900 Meeting Begins

MAY 26 Tuesday Night Live 1900 http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/public/meminfo.html

District Calendar of Events http://ops.d11nuscgaux.info/calendar/district.html

APRIL – MAY, 2015

http://resource.d11nuscgaux.info/public/meminfo.html




13

NORTHWIND Official Newsletter of

District 11 Northern

Commander (dpa-n) Coast Guard Island, Building 50-2

Alameda, CA 94501-5100

[Addressee] [Street Address] [City, ST ZIP Code]

como rich thomas -...

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