NSBC “Wear It!” and “Ready, Set, Inflate”:

Changing the Future of Safer Boating

CSBC Symposium

Montreal, Quebec

Friday, September 24, 2010

National Safe Boating CouncilThe NSBC’s mission is to be the foremost coalition to

advance and promote a safer recreational boating experience through education, outreach and training.

The NSBC provides safe boating materials, resources, tools, creative messages, training of instructors, education, and leads the annual safe boating awareness campaign (“Wear It!”).

NSBC Training CoursesInstructor Training Course

Designed to prepare instructor candidates to teach effective NASBLA-approved basic boating safety courses to recreational boaters nationwide

Close Quarters Boat Control Course (On the Water)Defensive boat handling instructor course which

focuses on maneuvers and techniquesDesigned for the professional occupational boat

operatorBy training instructors, these individuals will be able

to train others in the boating community

2009 USCG Statistics: Key Findings

Deaths: 736 vs. 709 (in 2008) = 3.81% increaseDrownings: 543 vs. 510 (in 2008) = 6.5% increaseAccidents: 4,730 vs. 4,789 (in 2008) = 1.23% decreaseInjuries: 3,358 vs. 3,331 (in 2008) = 0.81% increase

Almost three-fourths of all fatal boating accident victims drowned, and of those, eighty-four (84) percent were not reported as wearing a life jacket.

USCG Strategic PlanThe North American Safe Boating Campaign specifically supports the following objectives of the USCG’s Strategic Plan:Objective 2. Awareness of Safe Boating PracticesObjective 4. Life Jacket Wear

The Campaign also indirectly supports many other components of the USCG’s Strategic Plan

The North American Safe Boating Campaign (“Wear It!”)Efforts of the 2010 campaign include traditional and

“non-traditional” outreach methodsTraditional: Public Service Announcement

“Wear It!”Traditional Outreach Methods:

Press Releases Distributed six search engine optimized press releases

E-Newsletters Distributed five monthly electronic newsletters on behalf

of the National Safe Boating CouncilMedia Buy/Earned Media Coverage

Placed a total of 998 print, radio, television and online media hits

Reached a potential audience of more than 287 million

“Wear It!”“Non-Traditional” Outreach Methods:

The Life Jacket Safety Dance (via Facebook Connect)

“Be a Survivor: Wear It!”8/4/2010: Lake Mohave, NV 9/4/2010: Off the coast of LA

“Be a Survivor: Wear It!”

2010 National Tiger Team MeetingHeld in Arlington, VA on Monday, August 16, 201027 Individuals from USCG, State Agencies, Non-Profit

Groups, Industry, other Organizations in attendanceFocus of the Meeting:

Review of the 2010 Campaign – Looking Ahead to the 2011 Campaign

Life Jacket Trends and how they relate to the “Wear It!” Campaign

USCG Strategy 4.2 – “Establish Life Jacket Wear-Rate Tiger Team”

Inflatable Life Jacket World Record Day “Ready, Set, Inflate!” Inflatable Life Jacket World Record Day

Held on Thursday, May 20, 2010 at 11:00 EDT / 8:00 PDT Goal: Promote life jacket wear, specifically inflatable life jackets, and general

boating safety

www.ReadySetInflate.com User-friendly format for

Event Organizers/Media/

Educational Component: Join an Event/Organize an

Event Media Section Videos/Photo Galleries RESOURCES for Event

Organizers

“Ready, Set, Inflate!”• 1,154 participants; 3 dogs in inflatable life jackets

• 29 US States, 1 US Territory, and 2 Washington D.C. locations

• 13 Canadian locations totaling 203 participants

• USA Media Outreach Efforts:• Two Press Releases were published over 290 times garnering a total of

more than 15.1 million impressions• Media pick-up on television, print, radio on the day of the event

• Update: July 30, 2010 – 415 participants in Sydney, Australia

Why is “Ready, Set, Inflate” So Revolutionary?What did all of the videos

have in common?Introducing boaters to

life jacketsYearly maintenance check

We can always strive to beat the record next year (Saturday, May 21, 2011!)

- National Safe Boating Week 2011 (May 21 – 27)

Recognition for “Ready, Set, Inflate!” Media pick-up across the country

News/Print/etc.

Oregon State Marine Board

Recognition for “Ready, Set, Inflate!”Universal Record Data Base (URDB.org)

Inflatable Life Jacket Education KitKit is intended to educate about inflatable life jacketsKit Includes:

Flip Chart

1 Suspender inflatable life jacket and 1 belt-pack inflatable life jacket and extra cylinders for demo

Educational DVD/Sample PSAsAdditional supporting materials (posters, reading materials, etc.)

The Kit is available for purchase from the NSBC for $225 (including shipping and handling)

National Safe Boating Councilwww.SafeBoatingCouncil.org

(703) 361-4294