WHO: Coast Guard, Coast Guard Auxiliary and local first responder emergency crews and vehicles
WHAT: Are scheduled to host a safe boating open house
WHEN: Saturday from 10 a.m. to 3 p.m.
WHERE: Coast Station Annapolis at 3425 Thomas Point Rd., Annapolis, Maryland, 21403
ANNAPOLIS, Md. — The Coast Guard is scheduled to hold an open house focused on safe boating Saturday in Annapolis.
The event will be open to the public and will feature Coast Guard members from Station Annapolis, members of the Coast Guard Auxiliary and local first responder emergency crews and vehicles.
The Coast Guard will provide information and lessons on boating safety to include the following:• Life jackets - which are approved and how to properly select and wear them • VHF-FM radios - built-in and hand held, and how they are more reliable than cell phones• Emergency Position Indicating Radio Beacons - with discussion on their accuracy and reliability• Float plans - how letting family or friends know a mariner's position and expected return time can help rescuers narrow a search in the event of an emergency • Vessel Identification Stickers for personal watercraft - how they help property lost during storms be returned to its owner and how it helps the Coast Guard know who might be missing• Coast Guard Mobile App
Agencies scheduled to be present:• Coast Guard Air Station Atlantic City• Coast Guard Recruiting• Maryland Natural Resources Police• Maryland State Police• Anne Arundel County Fire Department• Anne Arundel Medical Center Mobile Blood Unit• Annapolis City Fire Department
There will also be displays on the following:• The Coast Guard unit’s history • A comparison of Coast Guard boat crew personal protective equipment from the 1950s and today • A uniform display showing the evolution of Coast Guard uniforms from the 1950s to today
May 16 to May 22 is recognized as National Safe Boating Week, and Coast Guard crews throughout the area will be on patrol paying particular attention to recreational boating safety. The Coast Guard urges all mariners to examine their safety gear, ensure they have required safety equipment and ensure their gear is working properly.
Below are tips to help boaters prepare for a summer on the water:• Wear a life jacket. In an emergency, there might not be enough time to put one on, so wearing one at all times may save a life. Accidents on the water happen quickly, and not wearing a life jacket is like trying to put on a seat belt during a car accident.• Check local weather before departing the dock. Weather can change rapidly, and being aware of forecasted conditions prepares boaters for the unexpected.• Have nautical charts of the area and a reliable means of communication, such as a VHF-FM marine radio. Cell phones are a good backup but can be unreliable due to gaps in coverage and dead batteries.• The Coast Guard urges boaters to obtain a free, no-fault vessel safety check, which can be conducted by the Coast Guard Auxiliary before heading out on the water. The safety checks are courtesy examinations of your vessel, verifying the presence and condition of certain safety equipment required by state and federal regulations.Click here for the open house flier and brochure.
Media planning to attend the open house are asked to contact Coast Guard Public Affairs Detachment Baltimore at 757-202-3429 to RSVP. Members of the media will have opportunities to film all aspects of the open house and may interview personnel demonstrating and discussing safety gear and procedures boaters should be aware of before getting underway.