America's Volunteer
Lifesavers

            

Flotilla 86 Venice, FL             www.cgauxvenice.org           7th District

Judi Bidwick, Commander            Juan Hernandez PhD, Vice-Commander

Flotilla Commander's Message

From the Commander

All of our officers attended and benefited from the Division meeting in January.  Division Officers shared pertinent information with flotilla staff officers at that time. 

Eight of our flotilla members received the USCG Medal of Operational Merit for their part as first responders to the helicopter crash in the Gulf of Mexico from Donald Frasch, Vice Commodore, District 7 at the Division Meeting.

 Serendipity is the effect by which one accidentally discovers something fortunate, especially while experiencing something else entirely.  This describes a flotilla event that took place recently.  Our chief vessel examiner was giving boat safety checks and mentoring potential VEs at our local boat ramp on a typical Saturday morning. The trainees were sharing information on Waterway Watch with a small group of boaters when a local photographer and his daughter listened with interest to what they were saying. This turned out to be a serendipitous event for all of those at hand.  Little did they know that this photographer was the webmaster of the local Venice, Florida website and he inquired as to whether our flotilla might want to be featured on this site. By that evening Joe Myers had our Public Education Schedule posted along with “A Message From Venice’s Volunteer Lifesavers,” and a “Thank You” from the photographer and his daughter.  http://www.venicefla.us/ This was, indeed, an unexpected event that was very beneficial to our flotilla. 

The District 7 Training Conference each year in Orlando is a wonderful experience for all who participate.  Although I had attended the Flotilla Commander Training session previously, I found it helpful to be made aware of changes that had taken place in policy since my last class.  In addition, I decided to take the 12 hour Counter Terrorism Course.  It was an enlightening experience with excellent presenters and good materials that can be shared with our flotilla members.

 Four of our flotilla members visited Station Cortez recently to share our facility tracking system with Chief Bennett and several of his staff.  It was a pleasant day made even better when we were invited to eat lunch that Auxiliarist Paulette Parent has prepared for the station!

 Judi Bidwick

 

Judi Bidwick, FC

Information

 

Important Notice No Notices Flotilla Staff Officers  AN - Ed Stebner  AV - Al Bidwick  CM - Garlan Russ  CS - Henry Reynolds  FN - Janet Heijens  IS -   Harry Bruno  MA - Ruthanne Bruno  MS - Henry Reynolds  MT - John Harrison  OP - Jim Sleichert  PA - Al Bidwick  PB - Monique Ring  PE - Ruthanne Bruno  PS - Paul Corcoran  PV - John Kandes  SR - Ruthanne Bruno  VE - Denis Keyes General Meeting: First Tuesday - 1930 Training Center On The Water Training Every Tuesday - 0830 Moorings

Vice Commander
Juan Hernandez Ph D

 

 Fellow members, 

We have embarked a journey to achieve significant goals for this year, such as qualifying crews for the Operational Excellence Program; deploying the Digital Selective Calling Tracking System (DSC-TS) in our Flotilla and Division; and, re-qualifying at least 10 members from the 20 members that are due for re-qualification next year.

To achieve these goals will require full support from the staff and the membership.  For instance, we recently made a presentation about the DSC-TS to the Division Staff and Chief Bennett and received approval to proceed with the deployment of this system in our Division.  Consequently, we now need to test DSC-TS monitoring and reporting capabilities during several safety patrols locally and at Station Cortez.  To do this, a DSC-TS course needs to be developed and the Flotilla and Station Cortez radio operators need to be trained to run the system. Subsequently, we will also need feedback from all radio operators about the system features and capabilities.

Similarly, Member Training faces significant challenges to simultaneously support the Operational Excellence Program, re-qualification of members and regular training activities.  This work effort will require an integrated plan and the support of instructors, coxswains and crews.

In this dynamic environment, every staff officer has to lend support for these endeavors while also developing projects for their own functions.  Every function should offer activities to attract members who want to find a niche and contribute to the growth of the Flotilla. I plan to individually contact every officer and offer whatever assistance might be required to develop engaging programs for their functions and to communicate these activities to the membership. 

I am also asking all members to help us reach these goals by sharing ideas and helping us organize activities for every function. As always, please feel free to contact us any time you feel you have something to offer; your contributions make our Flotilla work.

 Sincerely,

Juan C. Hernandez
Vice Flotilla Commander

  

Communications
Garland Russ, FSO-CM

 
As A USCG Auxiliary Watchstander

Whenever you key the microphone, you represent the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. As a communications watchstander you are an integral part of a network that provides distress radio coverage over our coastal waters. In addition, you serve as a link for our own flotillas while performing safety patrols and training.

Always remember that, as a watchstander, your credibility provides confidence that can be most effective when dealing with the public. As a watchstander, you should never feel intimidated or insecure. It is absolutely essential that you maintain the utmost integrity and professionalism when conversing on the radio.

Two of the key factors that most help the watchstander are experience and knowledge. Experience will come in time with practice; knowledge can be attained with diligent effort. With that knowledge and experience you will be able to handle any situation that may come over the airways in a highly professional manner.

Flotilla 86 is the very best there is. You can always be proud to be a member of the very best.

Garland Russ
FSO-CM

  

Communications Services
Henry Reynolds, FSO-CS

 

Email Etiquette

I’d like to once again plead with everyone to stop forwarding jokes, photos, funny stories, attack warnings, chain letters, and such. The bad guys are creating attacks that look like valid forwarded messages from friends even down to your name in the message and a nice little note. In some cases opening the message while not even touching an attachment can lead to your computer becoming infected with a virus, worm or trojan. In many cases these attacks are evolving far faster than we, as individuals, can hope to keep up. We all have a role to play in keeping the Internet safe, fun and an effective way to communicate.

• If it is a really good joke, a touching story, or a great poem make a phone call to tell it – It’s nice   to hear a friend’s voice.

• If it is a photo you’ve just got to see either print it and mail the photo or send a URL from a legitimate source to the image.

• Don’t forward friends names to dozens of others to serve as spam bait. Recognize that the common e-mail chain petition is not recognized as legitimate by most legislators and regulatory bodies.

• Please don’t send chain letters.

• If you receive a message about some new computer vulnerability. Write an email and tell where and how to find the solution but check the veracity of the threat first and don’t just forward a potentially bogus or uninformed warning.

• Take extreme caution when opening messages sent and keep anti-virus software up to date so that the spammers cannot exploit your machine to send spam or harvest your address book to get contact information.

• Never forward any message without a personalized note as to why it is important and what action to take.

• Avoid forwarding attachments whenever possible and don’t forward frivolous attachments. If you do send an attachment it will have passed an anti-virus screening and will be accompanied by an explanatory note.

• Take the Boulder Pledge (http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Boulder_Pledge) and don’t buy from spammers, ever! I ask that you consider adopting these guidelines when communicating with your business contacts, Coast Guard/Auxiliary friends and family. While these steps will not ensure we will not fall victim to Internet crime I hope that they will reduce our exposure.

 Submitted by Darren Lewis – DVC-IP

 Reprint From February 07 BITS & BYTES Issue 2007-02

 

Status

1. Processed six Information Notices this Month

2. Continued Wedsite maintenance

 

Henry S Reynolds
FSO-CM

  

Information Services
 Harry Bruno, FSO-IS

 

The 7030 form has been updated three times since January 1, 2008.  Be sure you have the most recent edition.  Check the 3rd page for all the corrected codes.  If you have any questions please let me know.  In reference to qualifications, if you are in the "red" in auxdata for a particular certification and no longer wish to maintain that certification, please send a note to our FC indicating this.  The certification then can be removed from your record.

Harry Bruno
FSO-IS

Materials
Ruth Bruno, FSO-MA

 

 

I have ordered additional ribbon holders.  If you need one that holds a specific amount of ribbons let me know and I will hold it for you.  Remember you place your ribbons on only one holder.  You do not combine holders to make the number of ribbons you have.  If you need assistance in setting your ribbons in place refer to the "ribbon checker" on our website

Ruth Bruno
FSO-PE

Marine Safety
Henry S Reynolds, FSO-MS

 

 Two years ago the American Waterway Watch (AWW) program was assigned to The Vessel Examiner (VE) Staff in our Flotilla. This was a logical place for the activity since the VEs have the most contact with the individuals that use our waterways. The VE AWW program was moderately successful in our Flotilla. One of the problems that plagued the program activity from the start was were should the member record the time devoted to this mission. Some people wanted to log the time to the ANSC-7029 and others to the ANCS-7046. Strictly speaking neither one of these was accurate. The AWW mission is part of the Marine Safety and Marine Environmental Protection (“M”) Directorate. AWW hours should be allocated to a Marine Safety (MS) activity. Unfortunately there wasn’t a way to accomplish this at that time.

This January the accounting for the individual’s AWW hours was solved. The new ANSC-7030 form now has a category for AWW activities, category 70V. This will also have the added benefit of helping Trident candidates fulfill their required Marine Safety yearly hours. The candidates can now log AWW time directly to a MS function.

A word of caution. Remember you may not double allocate your time. Example: If you are a VE and you conduct VE examinations and also distribute AWW material to the boaters, you may only account for your time in one activity. You must report your time on either an ANSC-7038 or an ANSC-7030 (70V), but not on both. 

 Remember!

   

To Report Suspicious Activity: Call the National Response Center at 877-24WATCH If There Is Immediate Danger to Life or Property, Call 9-1-1 or Call the Coast Guard on Marine Channel 16

 

Henry S Reynolds
FSOMS-86

 

 

Member Training
John Harrison Jr, FSO-MT

To All Hands:

We are off to a good start with our spring training. We will continue
reviewing the Crew Seamanship Manual. We are planning to requalify several
members this year who are not due until next year. The reason for this is that
only one or two people are due in 2008 with a very large number due in 2009.

Only one person has shown interest in AUXOP classes. Please give some
thought to taking a class or two this year. Your requests and suggestions
are always welcome so that we can better serve you.

Flotilla 86 conducted its first training of the new year on Tuesday 8 January. 17 members and 1 prospective new member attended. Chapter 1 of the Boat Crew Seamanship Manual was also reviewed.

15 January 2008 was a classroom and on the water training. Radar was covered in the classroom followed by practical usage demonstration on the water.
Towing exercises through the Venice Jetties was also practiced.
Chapter 2of the Boat Crew Seamanship Manual was reviewed.

22 January and will be a combination of classroom and on the water
Training, continuing a review of the Boat Crew Manual, presentation and use of the electronic radio log, and installing a new battery and “checking your PEPIRB.”

29 January will be a combination of classroom and on the water training.

Remember: "KNOW IT BEFORE YOU GO, OR, YOU COULD GO BEFORE YOU KNOW IT"

Respectfully,
J.D. Harrison Jr. FSO-MT

 

Operations
Jim Sleichert, FSO-OP

Public Affairs
Al Bidwick, FSO-PA

 

Over the years, Judi and I have often spoken with school age children about boating safety and the importance of wearing a PFD.  Even nursery school children understand the danger water presents, but most have never heard of PFDs.  The children usually know about life jackets but have no idea they are also called PFDs.  Consequently, we end up spending valuable time teaching them that a life jacket is also called a PFD, when that knowledge is not going to make them any safer.

From now on, however, when we meet with children’s groups, we will no longer even mention the old acronym.  We’ll simply talk about life jackets.  You may have read the article in the latest release of Auxiliary News, but if you haven’t, you should be aware that the Office of Boating Safety has requested the all Auxiliarists use the term life jacket exclusively in the future.  This change is part of a national effort by the National Safe Boating Council with the full support of the Coast Guard, all state boating authorities, and affiliated organization to promote wearing life jackets. 

So fellow members, let’s follow suit. Break the PFD habit and start calling  them life jackets.

Al Bidwick
FSO-PA

Public Educationon
Ruth Bruno, FSO-PE

The Boating Skills and Seamanship course began on January 7 with 15 students. The class meets every Monday and Thursday from 6:30 to 9:00 p.m.

Our ACN course registered 2 public education students and 4 members.  The course began on Wednesday, January 9, 2008 and continues every Wednesday from 7 p.m. to 9 p.m.   We appreciate the assistance we are receiving from the many instructors and aides who attend these classes.

Ruth Bruno
FSO-PE