t opside V olume 114 , I s s u e 3
Division 16
P a ge 11
Division 16 is situated in the most northeastern section of our 5 th Northern District . We cover an area in New Jersey that it is spread across multiple counties , from Toms River to the south and Eatontown to the north . It is a somewhat diverse area in that the most eastern portion of the AOR is filled with very active Boating Communities where there is access to the Atlantic Ocean , Barnegat Bay , several Rivers as well as lakes as you head west . It is a varied community with individual boating needs . We are called “ Jersey Shore North ” as we cover approximately many miles on the Atlantic Ocean and the corresponding beaches .
Our Division is comprised of 178 members forming 6 Flotilla ’ s . Our members provide direct support for the Coast Guard in the following areas : 5 members – Helo Ops ; 3 members – Atlantic Strike Team ; 4 – AUXFS , 217 hours ; 5 – Watchstanders providing over 1500 hours ; 1 – Ombudsman , 137 hours and 1 member Boat Crew / General maintenance with 517 hours .
Our Division is very active in operations as we have 19 Operational Facilities helmed by 26 Coxswains and manned by 31 Boat Crew members . We also have 3 Qualification Examiners . We support Station Manasquan and Station Small Shark River performing MOM Patrols promoting boating safety and respond to situations as directed by Station Manasquan . We provide security zones for Firework Displays at Windward Beach and the Offshore Powerboat races . We assist Station Manasquan with two boat OPs Training weekly .
About 30 % of our members are certified Vessel Examiners and even if that is their only certification they act as ambassadors for the Auxiliary and carry the Recreational Boating Safety message to the Public . They treat the examination of a vessel not only to assure that the boater has the correct safety equipment in place but as an opportunity to speak with them and their family about all aspects of boating safety and what the Auxiliary has to offer . The Vessel Examiner understands that the most important part of the Vessel Exam whether Boat , Paddle Craft , wave runner etc . is the dialogue you establish with that person . They , the boaters , are often only concerned about the decal but we are concerned about their Safety . That is why often the most important part of the form may be “ Other Recommendations ”. These items are not required to receive a decal but could make a big difference when they are on the water and these are things that need to be stressed . Each Vessel Examiner brings their own knowledge and skill set so they will go into different levels of discussion but explaining how the Distress Button works on their brand new VHF radio or in some case will not work because it is not linked to their GPS or explaining the importance of a Float Plan even if it is only a note left on the dashboard of their car . Again , small details but they could be critical in an emergency . Some boaters are more sophisticated and pay attention to tools like NOAA , Local Notice to Mariners but most , especially many within the “ High Focus ” target group are not . The Vessel Examiner can establish this during the dialogue , share tools , events and issues specific to our Boating area . The Flotillas in the Division have established partnerships with marinas that they visit each year where they have scheduled VE / PA events and try to establish more partners each year . For the most part the flotillas work independently of each other but there are Division wide events and they will solicit assistance from each other during their busy events . There are over fifteen Marinas that we will visit this year with formal VE / PA days along with individual inspections that are completed through dock walking , individual relationships and our participation in the “ I Want A Vessel Safety Check ” online program . Another are we are active in is CFVE ’ s . A recent survey has shown we have at least 73 commercial fishing vessels in our AOR consisting of the Shark River ( Belmar & Neptune ) and Manasquan ( Pt . Pleasant , Brielle & Manasquan ) Inlets . Uniform safety standards and equipment requirements have been established for all commercial fishing vessels operating beyond 3 nautical miles of the coastline . Effective October 15 , 2015 all commercial F / V ’ s in our District are required to complete a mandatory dockside safety exam at least once every 2 years . Our Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiners ( CFVE ) conduct these safety exams year round , with a minimum of 2 examiners at each exam . They also assist with exams in other major fishing ports such as Barnegat Light and Cape May . There is an extensive hands-on qualification process to become a CFVE . It includes attendance at exams , a 2 day F / V Drill Instructor ’ s Course and culminates in a Quals Board held at District / Phila .
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