• Web 2.0 Tactics • Workshop Wrap-up • Tactical Operators Course
May-June 2010 | Vol. 25 No. 3 National Association of State Boating Law Administrators departments 2 From the HELM 4 NASBLA News 21 BOATING BRIEFS The official publication of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators 24 GOVernment affairs President Terry West 26 COAST guard comments Vice President James Graybeal 28 PARTNER PERSPECTIVES Treasurer Toby Velasquez features Past President Richard Moore Members At Large Herb Angell 6 Spring BLA Workshop goes to D.C. Kevin Bergersen The nation’s boating authorities meet for two-day conference Mike Fields
8 States get social online Executive Editor John Johnson State agencies tap into social media to reach citizens Managing EditorS Tom Hayward 12 California boaters being digitized Ron Sarver California agency promotes boating safety through social marketing Editor Kimberly Jenkins
14 social Media: Art Director “The times, they are a-changing” Amy McLean, Trapp Communications Alabama agency finds social media simple to use Circulation Director Sam Lynch 16 Tactical Operators Course takes off NASBLA’s latest training offering Editorial Offices 1500 Leestown Road, Suite 330 Lexington, KY 40511 18 NASBLA treasures its member states Phone: 859.225.9487 Part 5 in a series commemorating NASBLA’s members Fax: 859.231.6403 E-mail: [email protected]
©Small Craft Advisory (ISSM: 1066-2382) Published bimonthly by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators, 1500 Leestown Road, Suite 330, Lexington, KY 40511 ON THE COVER: Social media has been growing by leaps and bounds the last few years. (six issues). Subscription is $12 annually. Contact Boating authorities at local, state and federal levels have begun using these high-tech, yet simple NASBLA for permission to reprint articles at tools to enhance their services and improve communication with citizens across the country. 859.225.9487 and [email protected].
Send change of address to: Small Craft Advisory 1500 Leestown Road, Suite 330 Lexington, KY 40511 Magazine made with recycled content
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010
from the HELM
Social Media Facilitates Communication Social Media: What does it mean? What does it do? Essential? Frivolous? Perhaps both?
Social media sites have made headlines on its Flickr photo stream, and shares pre- around the world. News of the unrest fol- sentations from conferences on SlideShare. lowing last year’s elections in Iran was most The National Safe Boating Council and the readily available on Twitter. Facebook has Recreational Boating and Fishing Founda- Terry West NASBLA President changed the American vocabulary, turning tion have made great use of social media “friend” into a verb and making a new dic- outlets to spread the “Wear It!” and “Take Me tionary entry out of “unfriend.” The dawn of Fishing” messages. There is now a marine the Internet made the world a smaller place, navigation application for the iPhone. and social media makes it smaller still. It is State boating programs have also made use now far easier to share information about of social media sites. Arizona, Nevada, Califor- our personal and professional lives than it nia, Idaho and Ohio are just a few examples. was even a year ago. But how do we reach a broader audience Whatever your personal thoughts on social and engage boaters in this social media media websites, they are most of all a tool conversation? The California Department of which reaches a vast audience. Facebook has Boating and Waterways recently saw their so- over 400 million active users, each with an cial media message soar, increasing traffic to average of 130 friends. These users create 25 their boating safety website by over 170,000 John Johnson NASBLA Executive Director billion pieces of content that is shared each unique visits. (See article on pp. 12-13.) month. Twitter has over 75 million users and NASBLA’s Marketing & Outreach Subcom- is adding more than 6 million each month. mittee is developing a “start to finish” model With daunting numbers like this, how for state programs to set up successful pages does NASBLA’s message of boating safety on Facebook and Twitter. The Alabama Ma- and security get heard? The key is recogniz- rine Police served as the test case and their ing that social media sites are not a broad- newly created Facebook page now has more cast medium, but a conversational medium. than 300 fans. State agencies and private Users engage in conversations and causes companies are increasingly adopting social that interest them and are able to filter mes- media policies which vary greatly, and the sages with which they do not agree or in Alabama Social Media Policy will be included which they have no interest. Social media in the final committee project as an example. sites focus on relationships created because NASBLA continues to meet member needs of technology, not because of the technol- by helping to reach new audiences as new ogy itself. Users choose who to follow on tools become available. This summer, NAS- Twitter, who to “friend” or “like” on Face- BLA will launch its own online community book, making the use of these sites a unique which will make it easier to share informa- conversational world that fits their personal tion, success stories and best practices. or professional needs. This new tool will engage and broaden the The boating safety community has made boating safety and security audience by use of this means to reach its current audi- creating a new conversational medium that ence and to expand that audience. Coast can be individualized according to interest Guard Commandant Thad Allen has a Face- and expertise. Look for news about out new book page, and many of the Coast Guard online community in Currents, the monthly Districts use Twitter to send updates on NASBLA newsletter, and on our website, their rescue and recovery efforts. NASBLA http://www.nasbla.org. Climb on board and has a fan page and is listed as a cause on Fa- join the conversation! cebook, maintains a Twitter page, shares vid- eos though its YouTube page, posts photos
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 2
nasbla NEWS
Gearing up for Operation Dry Water working relationship on numerous fronts. Fetterman’s new During the weekend of June 25-27, 2010, NASBLA will be position with NASBLA will be an opportunity to continue a coordinating the second Operation Dry Water, a national strong partnership on safety and security issues. Boating Under the Influence law enforcement event. Fetterman has long been a strong advocate for mandatory “This year we’re aiming for life jacket wear policies for marine participation by agencies and or- law enforcement agencies. As a ges- ganizations in every U.S. state and ture of his commitment, he wore his territory. With this kind of involve- new NASBLA belt pack inflatable to ment, Operation Dry Water can lunch, to the delight of his hosts. have a major impact, especially if everyone sends the same messag- Update on Sport Fish es,” said NASBLA Deputy Director Restoration & Boating Ron Sarver, who coordinates the annual campaign. Visit http://www.operationdrywater.org for a variety of Trust Fund Reauthorization tools that’ll help you conduct a successful campaign. In April 2010, the Obama Administration officially re- leased its legislative change proposal for reauthorization of the Sport Fish Restoration and Boating Trust Fund. NASBLA welcomes new treasurer The proposal reflects the administration’s views on NASBLA has a new treasurer to finish out this fiscal year. reauthorization and was forwarded to Congress for their Toby Velasquez, boating law administrator (BLA) for New consideration. Mexico has been selected to fill the unexpired term of trea- The proposal would make several changes to current surer through the annual conference. The NASBLA officer law, including a change in how USCG funds are treated and and executive board position was recently vacated upon an increase in administrative monies for the U.S. Fish & the resignation of Raynor Tsuneyoshi as California BLA. Wildlife Service (USFWS). “While we are sorry to say farewell to our good friend and NASBLA, along with its partner organizations in the An- colleague Ray after more than nine years of service to the gling and Boating Alliance, will continue to work with its boaters of California and several years of commitment to the federal partners as well as partner associations in order to NASBLA board, we are very fortunate to have someone of advocate for quick passage of reauthorization. Toby’s caliber step forward to fill this critical role in our as- sociation’s leadership,” said NASBLA President Terry West. Toby will serve as treasurer until the membership con- NASBLA attends National Boating siders a new slate of board members and officers at the Safety Advisory Council meeting annual NASBLA conference in September. The 85th meeting of the National Boating Safety Advi- sory Council was held April 15-17, 2010, in Washington, NASBLA LE director D.C. NASBLA reported on current activities and work related to the National RBS Strategic Plan. Other topics dines with Coast Guard covered during the meet- On April 12, 2010, Vice ing included: Coast Guard Admiral (select) Sally regulations, mandatory Brice-O’Hara hosted a life jacket wear, propeller luncheon in the Com- strike injury avoidance, mandant’s Flag Mess at hull identification num- Coast Guard Headquar- bering, life jacket stan- ters in Washington, D.C., dards and testing laborato- for NASBLA’s new direc- ries, Performance Report tor of Law Enforcement Part II, and updating the – John Fetterman. Admiral National RBS Strategic Brice-O’Hara scheduled Plan. If you have questions the luncheon to recog- about NBSAC or any of nize Fetterman’s 32-year the topics covered please career with the Maine contact NASBLA Deputy Marine Patrol and his Director Ron Sarver at commitment to enhanc- Pictured from left to right: RADM Kevin Cook, VADM (sel.) Sally Brice-O’Hara, [email protected]. ing the NASBLA–USCG John Fetterman and RADM Brian Salerno.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 4 Look. Listen. Learn. Play. Students Love Our Online Education Courses!
Only Boaterexam.com offers students a fully narrated online learning experience. Sit back while our professional narrator takes you through the boating safety study guide. Even students with learning disabilities (reading/comprehension issues and Listen: dyslexia) have embraced our teaching methods. Our goal is to get more boaters out on the water having fun. Securely and safely!
• Fully Narrated & Animated Course • Illustrated Study Guides • USCG Recognized • NASBLA Approved • Flexible • Intuitive • For more info visit: www.BoaterExam.com today.
Strategic BoaterExam Patron Associate Students Love Our Online Partner is recognized Member Member 2007-2011 by the USCG Education Courses!
page 2.indd 1 26/04/10 3:49 PM workshop WRAP-UP Spring BLA Workshop goes to D.C.
On April 13-14, 2010, boating authorities from around the country converged on the nation’s Capitol for the annual Boating Law Administrators Workshop. Organized by the National Association of State Boating Law Admin- istrators (NASBLA), this yearly two-day meeting provides boating authorities an opportunity to meet with their peers in an open exchange on current and emerging is- sues affecting boating program management. This year’s meeting kicked off with an engaging discussion about taming e-mail. NASBLA brought in Tim Burress, co-author of The Hamster Revolution, giving North Carolina BLA Chris Huebner chats with U.S. Congressman members concrete examples and best practices for Walter B. Jones (NC-3). getting control of e-mail. Burress explained that while the invention of e-mail has made communication much easier, e-mail can – and often does – get out of hand. Burress provided practical tips for eliminating needless e-mails, writing more productive messages and filing information productively. Next, Vann Burgess provided an update from the U.S. Coast Guard on the recreational boating safety state grant program. During lunch, Kerry Moher and Brent McNamee with BoaterExam.com discussed the latest news from the on- line course provider. They also discussed the importance of partnerships in improving online education. The afternoon kicked off with a discussion led by ad- mirals Kevin Cook and James Watson from the USCG. The NASBLA Executive Director John Johnson and Vice Admiral David Pekoske admirals discussed the fact that the number of boating spend a few moments at the reception discussing the partnership between deaths has leveled off and boating authorities need to do NASBLA and the U.S. Coast Guard. more to stimulate the continued decrease in the recre- ational boating fatality rate. Other topics included the Vessel Identification System, Operation PaddleSmart and operators of passenger vessels. The afternoon ended with a roundtable discussion of state program issues. Topics covered a wide range, including life jacket wear among children, sea planes, mandatory life jacket wear, getting paddlers to pay their way, regulating vessel speeds, and managing commercial activity on state waters. The second day of the workshop began with an update on the Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) pro- gram. Since Jan. 1, 2010, NASBLA has provided assistance NASBLA President Terry West (at right) talks with House Majority Leader to 73 local, county, state and federal agencies in 31 states Steny Hoyer (MD).
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 6 Spring BLA Workshop goes to D.C.
Over 200 people attend the Congressional Reception hosted by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the National Safe Boating Council. and territories through the BOAT program. The rest of the morning was devoted to a presentation by advocacy guru Stephanie Vance on making effective visits to Capitol Hill. This presentation kicked off a new program being offered by NASBLA – the Local Advocacy Network, which entails grassroots member involvement. Vance began by saying that government is effective only when citizens are active. During her presentation, Vance, who used to be a Congressional staffer, discussed what to do (and not do) during meetings with Congressmen. Following lunch, members boarded a bus for Capitol Hill and put their new knowledge to use during visits with their congressional representatives. NASBLA mem- bers conducted over 100 visits that afternoon, discussing Austin Callwood, Virgin Islands’ BLA, chats with Rear Admiral Sally Brice-O-Hara. matters such as the Sport Fish Restoration & Boating Trust Fund, mandatory boating education, the importance of life jackets, water access, waterways management and other topics related to recreational boating safety. The day ended with a Congressional reception in the Rayburn House Office Building in honor of NASBLA’s 50th Anniversary. Hosted by NASBLA and the National Safe Boating Council, the event drew more than 200 at- tendees. Vice Admiral David Pekoske, vice commandant of the United States Coast Guard, served as the evening’s keynote speaker. He discussed recreational boating safety and the important role partnerships play in reducing boating-related accidents and deaths. ADM Pekoske also presented NASBLA with the Distinguished Public Service Award in recognition of the nonprofit organization’s “ex- On NASBLA’s behalf, NASBLA President Terry West receives the Distin- traordinary coordination, cooperation and direct contri- guished Public Service Award from Admiral Pekoske. The award recognizes butions to the Coast Guard for the past 50 years.” the nonprofit organization’s contributions to recreational boating safety over the last 50 years. www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 7 social MEDIA States get social online By Kimberly Jenkins
Thanks to technology, state, local and federal agencies are utilizing social media tools to better reach the citizens they serve. Various forms of social media – from blogging and podcasts to social networking and video and photo shar- ing – provide a low-cost yet highly efficient way to reach people. In addition to improving com- munication, social media technologies work to enhance services and facilitate transparency and openness in government. Podcast host Steve Carroll (right) interviews local fishing guru Terry Tuma (left) and Minnesota makes a social splash Tim Smalley, boating safety specialist with the Minnesota Department of Natural Take for example the online efforts of the Minnesota Resources, for an online radio show focusing on ice fishing and safety. Department of Natural Resources. A pioneer among state Minnesota Department of Natural Resources photo agencies when it comes to social media, this agency’s for the fall waterfowl season with information about life boating safety program was the first government agency jackets for duck hunters and cold water shock,” he added. unit in the U.S. to start creating podcasts back in 2005. Smalley said they have a couple of 30-second breaks during The Minnesota department’s first program, the 30-minute each podcast where they insert a boating safety radio public “Fishing Tips” show featuring Terry Tuma, a Minnesota- service announcement (PSA). This helps emphasize the radio based professional angler, is popular and new episodes are program feel of the show and gets the message out there, too. added on a regular basis. The host, Steve Carroll, was a TV “We have a large number of downloads for each new sports reporter for years and effectively keeps the inter- show (2,500- 3,000), and get a lot of positive feedback views on track. Tim Smalley, boating safety specialist with from the general public,” said Smalley. “That may not be a the Minnesota Department of Natural Resources, is also on huge number as compared to broadcast media ratings, but the show and chimes in with boating safety information. just think how thrilled you’d be if you got 3,000 people “My feeling has always been that if we made the show to read each new brochure within a week of when you strictly about boating safety, nobody would listen. By hav- produced it – and at almost zero cost!” ing great tips on how to catch more fish, that gets anglers – In addition to podcasts, the Minnesota agency also has its own one of the largest segments of the Minnesota boating scene YouTube channel where they post boating safety TV public ser- – to listen to the podcasts,” said Smalley. “Then I inject boat vice announcements, alongside other agency-related videos. and water safety information between ‘what kind of reel’ to The Minnesota DNR posts “tweets” on Twitter.com for news use and ‘where the walleyes can be found during the mid- feeds to alert reporters and the general public that there is summer doldrums.’ We also did one show on duck hunting a new press release on a given topic for download from the tips with a champion caller, and hope to do more in time agency’s website. It works by funneling the RSS (Really Simple Syndication) feeds from their press releases through the Twit- Minnesota agency makes ter interface. Additionally, “Share on Facebook” buttons have most of social media been added to the agency’s Boating Safety web pages. This Check out the Minnesota Dept. of Natural Resources online: makes it easy for visitors to help present boating safety mes- sages for the department on their facebook pages. podcasts – http://bit.ly/MNpodcasts The agency’s Cybernews service was developed by its IT videos – http://bit.ly/MNDNRvideos group years before the invention of Twitter. Reporters (and tweets – http://twitter.com/mndnr the general public) can visit the agency’s website and sign news feed – http://bit.ly/MNDNRcybernews up to be automatically notified of new press releases on their own customized topics of interest by simply clicking
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 8 check boxes. The advantage is that the user doesn’t need a “smartphone” or have to check a website to get the releases. The releases are automatically sent to States get social online their e-mail account. Texas talks technology The Texas Parks & Wildlife Department (TPWD) has also embraced social media technologies to enhance communication, collaboration and informa- tion exchange in support of the agency’s mission. TPWD currently has a main agency page on Face- book with over 26,000 fans, along with more than 35 niche sites (for state parks, hatcheries, hunter education, etc.) The department also has nearly 1200 followers on Twitter and 601 subscribers to its YouTube channel. In addition, TPWD maintains a Oregon goes online Flickr account and posts a blog on passport. Another state agency making good use of social media Whitney Bishop, with TPWD Media Productions, says the tools is the Oregon State Marine Board. The agency has agency’s Facebook fans are “fairly active.” She’s found that been using Twitter (http://twitter.com/marineboard) for the best ways to encourage interaction is to ask questions, nearly two years (and has about 400 followers) and recently post eye-catching photos and encourage fans to post their started a blog using WordPress. own photos. She also monitors the page throughout the day and responds to posts.
“So far our tweets are resonating with the Agencies are using Web 2.0 tools such as social younger boating demo- networking, blogging and micro-blogging, video graphic, but since most and photo sharing to promote boating safety of our boaters are aging, traditional e-mail methods and website updates work Bishop has found that social media enables TPWD to best to reach them,” said Ashley Massey, public information brand the agency and build a community of fans. “We can officer with the Oregon State Marine Board. “The feedback disseminate information on a just-in-time basis. We can post I’ve received is positive...they like the occasional tweets content frequently without spamming people via e-mail. It with important links and don’t like the play-by-play. I’m helps ‘humanize’ the agency to have daily interaction with learning that boaters either love it or hate it.” our fans,” she explained. “Social media does need to be man- The Oregon state agency also posts its public service an- aged. We have a policy in place and a process for creating nouncements on YouTube and use PodBean for podcasts. new Facebook pages, Twitter accounts, etc.” “We are still working through some internal technology hur-
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 9 social MEDIA cont. dles and haven’t done as many podcasts as we’d like to,” added formal policy, employees could not continue using social Massey. “Hopefully this will be changing before the summer.” media outlets. A temporary policy was enacted and the Massey says the biggest challenge is the increased work- agency was planning to provide training. However, it was load that comes with posting, monitoring, validating and later determined that the terms and conditions of joining the like with social media in addition to traditional media Facebook violates Colorado’s constitution. Agency officials of print, TV and radio. are looking into the matter. In the meantime, social media “I’ve found you really need to pay close attention to has been deemed off-limits for employees to use in reach- opinion articles and blogs to squash any misinformation, ing their constituents. which can be a very tricky balance beam to keep credibil- With the usefulness of social media becoming more ity and public trust at a high level,” added Massey. apparent, hopefully such across-the-board restrictions are The Marine Board is still relatively new at using social the exception. It’s obvious that social media is becoming a media and is working through the ethical/policy and legal core channel for disseminating information. While Internet- aspects of using it. Massey says she’d like to do a quantita- based social media tools including blogs, podcasts, online tive assessment on social media’s usefulness compared to video and social networks are giving voice to the opinions traditional media. of millions of consumers, these same tools also provide a Other state agencies are dipping their toes in the prover- new, easy-to-use, generally cost-free way for state agencies bial social media pool. to reach millions of people. Kansas Wildlife and Parks is using blogs, Facebook and YouTube and is looking into Twitter. “The positive side to [social media] is that it is fairly NASB______LA reaches out cheap once the basic equipment is acquired, plus you can reach many people. The downside is the time it takes from The National Association of State Boating Law employees to maintain and monitor the systems,” said Dan Administrators (NASBLA) continues to meet member Hesket, boating law administrator for Kansas. “[Kansas Wild- needs by helping to reach new audiences as new life and Parks] has utilized these formats for conducting sur- tools become available. veys, collecting complaints from the public, and answering general questions. Several boating groups have entered into In the realm of social media, NASBLA maintains: our blogs on discussions involving new legislation, officer n A group page on Facebook (http://bit.ly/NASBLAfb), issues, and education requirements. We are slowly looking at with more than 200 members expanding our capabilities for utilizing this type of media.” The Utah State Parks Boating Program posts a video n Twitter account (www.twitter.com/NASBLA), installment on their Facebook page every couple of weeks. with 385 followers “We generally focus on two points of boating safety and n YouTube account ask visitors a question. The first five to get the question (http://www.youtube.com/user/NASBLASafeBoating), right receive a prize,” said Chris Haller, assistant boating for video sharing program manager. He added that this is the agencies most visited Facebook installment site. n Flickr account (http://bit.ly/NASBLAflickr) Other state agencies with Facebook pages include for photo sharing the Kentucky Department of Fish & Wildlife Resources, n Slideshare account (http://www.slideshare.net/NASBLA) Nevada Department of Wildlife, Alaska Office of Boating for sharing presentations Safety, Georgia Department of Natural Resources, Louisi- ana Department of Wildlife & Fisheries, Tennessee Wildlife In addition, Resources Agency, Maine Department of Inland Fisheries & NASBLA has separate Facebook and Twitter accounts Wildlife, South Carolina Department of Natural Resources for its Operation Dry Water campaign and Indiana Department of Natural Resources. (http://bit.ly/DryWater; http://twitter.com/opdrywater) The New Jersey State Police has just started to dabble with YouTube by recently posting a cold-water advisory. and its BOAT program Other state agencies would like to tap into the connec- (http://bit.ly/NASBLA_BOAT; http://twitter.com/BOAT_Program). tivity offered by social media but are encountering ob- This summer, NASBLA will launch its own online community to stacles along the way. For example, Colorado State Parks set make it easier to share information, up Facebook and Twitter accounts last summer, and gained success stories and best practices. For more information, several fans and followers. Soon after, though, the agency’s see this issue’s “From the Helm” column (p. 2). IT people said that, due to security risks and the lack of a
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 10 Exclusive HIT™ Technology from Mustang • no more accidental inflation due to spray, rain or humidity • only Inflates in 4” or more of water Low Maintenance • maintenance free for 5 years (unless inflated) Maximum Comfort and Mobility • low profile, light-weight, designed for wear with PPE
Mustang Survival is a proud sponsor of the NASBLA BOAT program. For over 40 years, we have provided innovative flotation and hypothermia protection products to users working in some of life’s most demanding environments. Learn more about our products for professionals at mustangsurvival.com/professional. California boaters being
digitizedBy Gloria Sandoval, Public Information Officer, California Department of Boating and Waterways
The California De- small parts in the cam- partment of Boating paign. Radio, television, and Waterways (DBW) telephone, billboards significantly increased and experiential on-the- its use of social market- water events were the ing and the Internet primary focus of previ- with its 2009 Statewide ous efforts. In 2009, Boating Safety Media California dropped tele- Campaign in order to vision and telephone increase awareness of media in favor of new safe boating behavior and innovative digital and promote life jacket media tactics, such as usage among California online banner ele- boaters and anglers. ments, search media, a In just one year, the redesigned website and department’s online social media commu- and social media mes- nication. Critically, this sage soared from a few effort was not random, thousand impressions to but geo-targeted to- over 50 million views, ward the 10 California clicks and visits (see areas with the highest sidebar for numerical accident reports. breakdown). The most Online banners, amazing result was that search and social media traffic was driven to extended the reach of the redesigned boating the available media dol- safety website, increas- lars, engaged boaters ing unique visitors to in new and innovative 180,442 from only 6,000 ways, and extended the a year before. These voice of the campaign results were so impres- into the fast growing sive that California has realm of social net- adopted the program working (See sidebar for use in the tri-state for bullet list). partnership between Arizona, California and Nevada. The bottom dollar was that California spent $178,000 in “When we saw hundreds of thousands of percent growth the social media aspect of its safety media campaign and in visits to our website, I almost fell out of my chair,” said plans on including more of this type of media interaction, former DBW Director Raynor Tsuneyoshi. “These results as well as joining new social media outlets in 2010. demonstrate the reach of this kind of technology, and we’re Since 2004, Arizona, California and Nevada have col- going to make this a part of our daily business.” laborated in promoting boating safety and knowledgeable Prior to 2009, the Internet and social media played very recreational boating on the Colorado River through the
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 12 combined educational and enforcement resources through Ads will be placed on targeted quality websites during a campaign titled Tri-State Boating Safety Fair. Based on the the months of May through September. Online Web banners success of the statewide boating safety media campaign, will engage consumers and prompt them to click through DBW pushed the program for this regional effort. The much the newly redesigned BoatColoradoRiver.com website. smaller budget ($3,000) will be focused around the yearly Tri- The 233-mile long Colorado River is one of the most State Boating Safety Fair social media awareness campaign. popular recreational boating systems in the United States, The tri-state effort has been a great success for spreading bringing all the problems that are inevitable with those awareness among the Colorado River users, but there is an kinds of numbers. In 2009, 207 accidents, 137 injuries and audience for social media in this context. With about half of 11 fatalities occurred on the river in Arizona, California and the visitors to the Colorado River region coming from Cali- Nevada. This is more accidents than any single waterway fornia, 50 percent of the online awareness campaign will in the United States and more than the total accidents for be conducted in the Los Angeles market area for one to two most states. Through social media, hopefully the unique million impressions; the Phoenix, AZ and Las Vegas areas outreach efforts of the Tri-State Boating Safety Fair can find will be receiving about 500,000 impressions (each). an even longer reach. Data by the numbers... Program summary n Online Web banners, posted on weather-related sites among others, were developed with a promotional message that engaged consumers and prompted them to click through to the newly redesigned BoatResponsibly.com website. n Key search terms featured sweepstakes and Quagga Mussel phraseology that prompted online boaters to find out more by following links to relevant content. n By posting comments, links, articles and replies on local news websites, blogs and forums, DBW was able to interact with and provide insight to boating and water enthusiasts. Statistical results n Banners Ad Activity ran from mid-May through mid-September; Creative featured sweepstakes, enticing boaters and anglers to enter to win by taking a safety quiz: Impressions Delivered – 43,482,626. n Search Activity ran from mid-May through mid- September; Creative featured sweepstakes and Quagga Mussel: Total clicks – 10,619. n Social Media Posts on local news sites, blogs and forums with relevant and timely content: Total number of posts – 669; and Number of direct interactions: 2,769. n Boatresponsibly.com. Redesign of website: resulted in 180,442 unique visitors in 2009, up from 6,000 unique visitors in 2008.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 13 alabama sOCIAL MEDIA PILOT Social Media: “The times, they are a-changing” By Lt. Erica Shipman, Public Communications Officer, Alabama Marine Police
As a boating safety/education professional, I have attempt- • Social news sites such as Digg and Reddit where people ed to keep up with most of the newest trends, especially read, comment and vote on news articles; and those that are online. I know people on MySpace, I have • Wikis such as Wikipedia, Wikianswers and Wikia where been “friended” on Facebook, and I am even following some people submit research, answer questions, and edit content people on Twitter! Although I have a personal Facebook on existing entries. page, I must admit I didn’t visit or update it often; I just read other people’s postings. I guess you could say I was more of Boating professionals going online a Facebook “looky-loo” than a full-fledged participant. So…all that being said, why should we, as boating safety/ However, all that changed one day when I was asked by education professionals, participate in social media? members of the National Association of State Boating Law Shouldn’t our websites and traditional media Administrators’ Education Marketing and campaigns be enough to get our message out? Outreach Subcommittee to create a profes- While these traditional methods are still effec- sional Facebook page for my agency – the tive, in the immortal words of Bob Dylan…“the Alabama Marine Police – thereby throwing times, they are a-changing.” me straight into the heart of social media. The Nielsen Company recently issued a report showing that the average person spends Social media? a minimum of 68 hours (business-related and We have all heard the term, but what personal) per month on the Internet, with at exactly is social media? Although there are as least six of those hours spent on social media many different definitions as there are “social sites. The amount of time spent increases sub- media experts,” if we look at each of the stantially with those who have access to the words individually, then relate them together, Internet through mobile devices. With more it helps us understand what is encompassed and more of our user groups accessing these in this term. sites/pages, it just makes sense for us to tap “Social” is the interaction between individ- into this marketplace. Utilizing this forum can uals or groups on a friendly basis. “Media” is the application give us access to a wider range of people than we would or instrument of communication (typically Internet-based) normally reach. used to deliver the message or desired outcome. “Social Me- Some of the questions we, as a committee, asked in- dia” would then be any online application or combination cluded: How would establishing a page on a social media of applications, where individuals or groups can interact. website benefit our agencies? Would the page receive In other words, where traditional media is a one-way enough response to make it worth our while to maintain? street with only the author having a voice, with social Was there some special setup that would bring and keep media, the readers or viewers are also allowed to commu- people interested in the page? nicate, thereby giving them participation in the direction To help us answer these questions, we researched other or creation of the content. businesses to see how they utilized Facebook and how The most common forms of social media are: they gauged the effectiveness of their sites. We gathered • Social networking sites such as Facebook, Twitter and white papers written by media experts and researched MySpace where people with common interests join social media/social marketing in general to see if there was groups and have discussions; a “magic formula” for success in setting up a page of this • Social sharing sites such as YouTube and Flickr where type. Finally, we were ready to start building the Alabama people share videos and photos; Marine Police Facebook and Twitter pages.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 14 Simple to get social Rachel Burkholder, of the National Safe Boating Council, and I went to work setting up the basic structure of the Facebook page, which proved to be surprisingly easy. Facebook and Twitter have developed a setup process that basically walks you through the whole procedure, with just a few items that need explanation, mainly because the profes- sional pages differ from the setup of personal pages. We documented everything we were doing in order to create a “startup” PowerPoint and manu- al to aid anyone who wants to create profession- al social media pages for their organization. Editor’s Note: To receive a copy of this Power- Point and manual, e-mail NASBLA Marketing Director Tom Hayward at [email protected]. One of the things that appealed to us on other pages we researched was the use of graphics, videos and images, so that was something I tried to incorporate and will maintain as our organiza- tion adds to the page. The Alabama Marine Police page has been active since February 2010 and, with no adver- tising except word of mouth, has accumulated (at the time of printing) 316 fans (old term) or people who like our page (new term). We have started getting more interactions from people on the site to posts and photos/graphics we are publishing and hope this will increase as time goes by. We check the site at least twice each day in order to respond to comments posted and try to add new content at least once each week. We have already had some suggestions on new weekly content people would like to see and are driven, we will also be implementing items to encourage in the process of implementing those weekly features. that interaction between our agency and the page viewers. The Alabama Marine Police is finding that social media The Alabama Marine Police Facebook page is still evolv- provides an alternate way to list upcoming events, espe- ing and changing and will continue to do so as long as cially those that we would normally not list on our website. people are interested in our message. The way people And because our Facebook content tends to be more “real interact with us and each other keeps evolving, so we must time” and fluid than our website content, we are able to remember that “the times, they are a-changing” and be open facilitate changes more easily and adjust the content to to change in order to stay current and fresh and get our suit our user groups. Since Facebook pages are interaction message heard. www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 15 boat program update Tactical Operators Course takes off Training is under way with NASBLA’s new Tactical Operators Course. Thus far, courses have been held in Rio Vista, Calif.; Long Island Sound, Conn.; Delaware Bay, Penn.; Toledo, Ohio; and Sabine Pass, Texas. To schedule training for your agency or to learn more about NASBLA’s Boat Operations and Training Program, please visit http://www.nasbla.org/boat.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 16 www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 17 member states NASBLA treasures its member states
Delaware Marine Police officers prepare to go out on patrol. Kim Jackson, boating safety education coordinator with the Idaho Department of Parks & Recreation, poses with a few young boaters during a boating safety fair. This is the fifth installment of an ongoing series featuring the member states involved with the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators. We truly appreciate the contributions these states and their boating safety programs continue to provide in the unrelenting endeavor to reduce boating-related accidents and fatalities and make the nation’s waterways safer and more enjoyable. Arkansas 1997 saw the passage of Arkansas’ boating educa- Arkansas has over 12,000 miles of streams, tion legislation. In 2009, Arkansas enacted Rachel’s 600,000 acres of lakes, and numerous bayous, farm Law, which increased the legal ages for operators of ponds, creeks and sloughs. The majority of these personal watercraft. waters are accessible by some kind of boat. In 1959, Arkansas legislators passed the state’s Delaware boating law and established the Arkansas Game The Delaware Marine Police was established and Fish Commission as the agency responsible in 1975. George Stewart, who later served as for carrying out the law’s requirements. Currently NASBLA’s executive director, was the state’s first the agency has about 180 full-time employees to boating law administrator and chief of the Marine perform law enforcement patrols, accident investi- Police. In 1988, the Delaware Marine Police and gations, boating safety education and outreach. Game Wardens merged into a single agency called In 1994 legislative efforts began to make boating the Delaware Fish and Wildlife Enforcement which laws uniform statewide, thus to bring sole state enforces all boating, fisheries and wildlife laws and waters in conformity with requirements on U.S. regulations. Beginning on Jan. 1, 1994, successful waters within the state. The following year, the completion of a boating safety course became state passed an operating under the influence law, mandatory for persons born on or after Jan. 1, establishing a BAC of 0.10 and implied consent. 1978, to operate a boat. That same year, uniform requirements were imple- In May 1997, the agency adopted a policy mak- mented statewide: boats under 10 horsepower on ing it mandatory for all officers while operating a state waters are required to be registered; boats Division marine patrol vessel to wear some type on state waters are required to carry life jackets; of approved flotation device. The agency then pur- Type IV PFDs are no longer approved PFDs on chased inflatable life jackets for all officers. boats under 16 feet in length; children 12 years With 28 full-time officers and one part-time, the Ma- and younger are required to wear life jackets at rine Police provides law enforcement services for hunt- all times in open boats; all occupants of personal ing, fishing, boating, boating education and outreach. watercraft are required to wear life jackets as well. Homeland security duties were included in 2006.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 18 NASBLA treasures its member states Part 5
Two officers with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission Maine game wardens and marine patrol officers have full police get ready to patrol on personal watercraft. powers and statewide law enforcement authority. Guam to encourage boaters to attend the Guam Boating An island in the Western Pacific Ocean, Guam Education Course as well as the Coast Guard Auxil- is an organized unincorporated territory of the iary safe boating course. Also, MPS conducts lectures United States. Guam is a recipient of federal and presentations on RBS to schools as requested. funds under the Boating Safety Act of 1971. Prior to March 1985, the Department of Public Safety Idaho (DPS) administered the territory’s recreational With over 16,000 miles of rivers and more than boating safety program. The program is now ad- 2000 lakes and reservoirs within its borders, Idaho ministered by the Guam Police Department (GPD) is a boating paradise. In addition, the state attracts a and carried out by GPD’s Marine Patrol Section, great deal of white-water enthusiasts. With this much which is responsible for the enforcement of boat- boating activity, safety and enforcement are critical. ing laws and regulations. The Guam Fire Depart- The current Idaho Safe Boating Act, Title 67 ment (GFD) Rescue unit’s primary responsibility Chapter 70, was implemented in 1986. This was is joint maritime search and rescue (SAR) services also the year that the position of boating law with the Coast Guard. administrator was established at the Idaho Depart- Guam’s present recreational population has ment of Parks and Recreation, with Jeff Hoedt increased to more than 3500 registered boaters (currently the chief of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boat- who use all 119 coastal miles and adjacent open ing Safety Division within the Office of Auxiliary oceans (Pacific Ocean and Philippine Sea) for a and Boating Safety) serving as the initial BLA. variety of water sports activities. Since 1990 water- In Idaho, county sheriffs are responsible for en- related activities have increased significantly on forcement of the Idaho Safe Boating Act. The Idaho Guam. Many new water sports have developed, Department of Parks and Recreation sub-grants a which are largely tourist related. With more than substantial portion of the state USCG RBS grant to a million tourists visiting Guam each year, the is- the counties for enforcement and education. The land’s economy is based primarily on tourism. The department also has active public education and Guam Police Department’s Marine Patrol Section marine law enforcement training programs. is involved with the Coast Guard Auxiliary and In 2002 Idaho implemented a law requiring other concerned nongovernment organizations in that boaters ages 14 and younger must wear a life coordinating National Safe Boating Week and GPD jacket on vessels 19 feet or less. continues to promote safe boating to the public. In order to develop a creative and resounding Maine public outreach, the Guam Department of Public Maine has 6,000 lakes and ponds; 32,000 miles of Safety recently launched an RBS campaign, includ- rivers and streams and approximately 3,500 miles ing a billboard, television commercials, radio spots, of coastline with about 2,000 islands. Recreational theatre slides and a digital billboard. GPD continues boating safety, public safety outreach and preven-
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 19 member States cont.
Located in the western Pacific Ocean, Guam, which is in the Officers with the Arkansas Game & Fish Commission receive training Chamorro Time Zone, begins celebrating National Safe Boating on personal watercraft to enhance their patrol capabilities. Week more than half a day before the rest of the United States. tion and recreational boating enforcement in Maine safety instructor corps. are the joint responsibility of two different agencies: With 52 full-time officers, the Department of Ma- the Department of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife and rine Resources is responsible for law enforcement the Department of Marine Resources. Because of of coastal waters. this, Maine is unique in that there are two boating law administrators, one from each of these agencies. Rhode Island Maine Game Wardens and Marine Patrol Officers Rhode Island’s initial state boating safety pro- have full police powers and state-wide law enforce- gram was established as a result of the Federal Boat ment authority, but the focus of their duties is Safety Act of 1971. The RI Department of Environ- toward conservation law enforcement including the mental Management’s Division of Boating Safety enforcement of boating laws and regulations. On all was established with the appointment of a boating of the inland waters of Maine, the 125 sworn game law administrator and boating safety officers. The wardens of the Maine Department of Inland Fish- state was involved in boating safety before this eries and Wildlife enforce boating safety laws and but on a more informal basis. Over the years the rules. On the coastal waters of the state, the marine program waned and flourished according to the patrol officers of the Maine Department of Marine availability of funding. Resources are responsible for boating safety and The original boating safety program was ab- enforcement. sorbed into the Division of Law Enforcement in Since the inception of Maine’s RBS program, the 1990, with the chief of law Enforcement appointed state has changed life jacket wear laws to include as BLA. The boating safety officers were re-desig- mandatory child wear, mandatory wearable carriage nated as Environmental Police Officers and this laws, stricter fines for BUI violations and increased resulted in more officers being available for boating incentives for boater education. Both departments safety patrols. have increased boater awareness by working closely Officers of this division conduct boating safety with organized paddlesport groups to get the word patrols for the enforcement of state boating laws, out on the importance of life jacket wear. Numerous they teach boating safety classes to the public, train attempts by both agencies and the legislature have other municipal police and harbormasters conduct failed to enact a mandatory education requirement search and rescue. All of these tasks are performed in Maine with the exception of operators under the in addition to all other enforcement duties. age of 16 to operate personal watercraft. In 1991 the first Alcohol Boating Safety Act was The Maine Department of Inland Fisheries and enacted. Since then it has been changed to lower Wildlife is responsible for registering all watercraft the BAC to .08 and also to include extra penalties in the state. For over 40 years, the Maine Depart- for underage operators convicted of OUI. ment of Inland Fisheries and Wildlife has been Rhode Island passed a mandatory education responsible for the maintenance and administration program that went into effect in 2001, requiring of all recreational boating accident data for internal anyone born on or after 1986 and anyone regard- and Coast Guard use. The department also houses less of age that operate personal watercraft to have the state’s formal boating safety education pro- a certificate of education. grams, materials and coordinates the state boating
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 20 boating BRIEFs
New partnership promotes sions engines and have a very shallow boatingand waterways BRI section.E “ForFS some, it is environmental awareness draft, these boats are perfect for this now required to take the course.” among PWC renters partnership program.” There are a few exceptions. For in- The Florida Keys National Marine Compared to pre-1998 models, mod- stance, a person born on or after Jan. Sanctuary and the Personal Watercraft ern PWC produce up to 90 percent 1, 1988, who operates a boat within Industry Association have launched a less emissions and 75 percent less 90 days after purchasing it, does not new program aimed at promoting en- sound. Easy-to-use controls combined need a boating safety education iden- vironmental and ocean conservation with training provided by rental and tification card if a bill of sale, which among Florida Keys visitors who rent tour operators make a PWC tour in the meets the requirements of Florida law, a personal watercraft (PWC). The Blue Florida Keys approachable for boaters is onboard. After the 90-day period Rider Ocean Awareness and Steward- of all levels of experience. ends, the boat operator needs to meet ship Program was created to enhance the educational requirements. Those visitors’ experiences in the Florida Florida updates boating safety who possess a current United States Keys by ensuring those who rent education requirements Coast Guard license also are exempt. personal watercraft in the area un- Boating safety education require- During 2008, the last year for which derstand, embrace and practice good ments have changed in Florida. data are available, there were 657 ocean environmental stewardship Beginning Jan. 1, 2010, boat opera- boating accidents statewide with 54 when riding. The program launched a tors who were born on or after Jan. 1, fatalities. complementary educational website 1988, must pass an approved boating The new law was enacted after with user etiquette tips and infor- safety course and possess photo- Osmany Castallanos, a 23-year-old mation on the sanctuary, http:// graphic identification and a boating- Miami-Dade lifeguard was killed in www.BlueRiderPWC.com. safety education identification card 2007 when he was thrown from a “Through education programs like issued by the Florida Fish and Wildlife boat operated by a friend who made Blue Rider, visitors to the Keys can Conservation Commission (FWC) to a sharp turn. The operator had never gain a better understanding and appre- legally operate a boat with a motor of taken a boater safety course. ciation of the diverse marine life and 10 horsepower or more. habitats which make the Keys so spe- The new law, which went into ef- Tennessee investigator cial,” said Sean Morton, acting superin- fect Jan. 1, replaced a rule that said provides training for tendent of the Florida Keys National anyone younger than 21 operating a Delaware Officers Marine Sanctuary. “The Blue Rider boat with more than 10 horsepower On March 11, 2010, Tennessee program provides local businesses an must pass a boater safety course. Wildlife Resources Investigator and opportunity to share this information “We want to encourage everyone, NASBLA Instructor, Ken Ripley, pro- with their customers, thereby enhanc- regardless of when they were born, vided a day of training on the new ing their tour experience and further- to take an approved boating-safety electronic boat accident reporting ing ocean stewardship. education course, because all of us system, ReportBeam, for Delaware The Blue Rider program is the can learn something new, even if we Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforce- first-of-its-kind program that brings have been boating all our lives,” said ment officers during their annual together local businesses, a federal Capt. Carol Keyser of FWC’s boating In-Service Training. agency and the PWC industry ReportBeam is an electronic aimed at promoting responsible boat accident reporting system eco-tourism. The Blue Rider pro- capable of electronic boat col- gram was established in 2009 lision reporting, management and made possible with support of reports, statistics and provid- of the National Marine Sanctu- ing collision reports online as ary Foundation. per request. This program, after “A personal watercraft tour approved by the supervisor, is is the perfect way for a visitor automatically sent to the U.S. to get off dry land for a while Coast Guard’s Boating Accident and see and experience one of Report Database. America’s most beautiful trea- Delaware Division of Fish and sures,” said PWIA Executive Di- Ken Ripley, an investigator with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Wildlife Enforcement began rector Maureen Healey. “Because Agency and an accident investigation instructor for NASBLA, utilizing this electronic reporting today’s PWC have no propellers, discusses electronic boat accident reporting with Delaware Division format for boat accident report- are equipped with low-emis- of Fish & Wildlife Enforcement officers during a one-day seminar. ing on March 15, 2010.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 21 boating BRIEFS cont.
ASA unveils SAILING Sailing Made Easy is currently avail- investment to experience the boating MADE EASY Textbook able for purchase on the ASA Web lifestyle.” to attract newcomers site www.asa.com or by calling the “All of the participating groups will The American Sailing Association association at 310-822-7171. It will promote this day through their own (ASA) has released Sailing Made Easy, also soon be sold in retail book stores channels and to their own audiences,” a highly visual, easy-to-read teaching and marine stores. The retail price is said RBFF President & CEO Frank Pe- tool for would-be sailors with little or $24.95, with discounts given to ASA terson. “Participants will tout the value no prior exposure to the sport. Sailing members, instructors and schools. of spending time on the water, from Made Easy will serve as the new official the beauty and tranquility of cruising, textbook for the ASA’s Basic Keelboat Industry joins forces to to the thrill of fishing and fitness ben- Sailing Standard course, ASA 101. grow boating, fishing efits of wakeboarding.” Setting a new standard for sailing lifestyle Activities at these events will in- education materials, Sailing Made Easy This summer, industry organizations clude boating and fishing demos, Take was written by a team of expert sailing are coming together to grow the boat- Me Fishing™, Wear It and Discover instructors with more than 150 years ing and fishing lifestyle and get more Boating campaign materials and activi- of combined sailing experience. The people out on the water. To kick off ties, a visit from BoatU.S. tow boats, text closely mir- boating and fishing season, boat test drives, safe boating demos rors the customary the Association of Marina and safety vessels on site. Some sites sequence in which Industries (AMI), the Ma- will also include fireworks, regattas, beginning students rine Retailers Association speedboat races, live music, raffles, are introduced to of America (MRAA), the contests, kids areas and more. the theory of sailing, National Marine Manufac- For the latest information on this the boat in which turers Association (NMMA), promotion, visit http://www.National- they will learn, and the Recreational Boating & MarinaDay.org, or e-mail questions to the skills they will Fishing Foundation (RBFF) [email protected]. acquire. and several others will host “With its high- Boat. Fish. Live. At National Puerto Rico urges boaters quality, detailed illus- Marina Day on June 12, to Wear It! trations and easy-to- 2010. To encourage life jacket use among understand sailing To celebrate National its boaters, Puerto Rico joined the lexicon, we expect Marina Day, along with national Wear It! campaign earlier this Sailing Made Easy to help more National Fishing & Boating Week, year. The campaign spreads the message people discover the joys of sailing,” National Get Outdoors Day and other of safe and responsible boating and said Charlie Nobles, executive director very popular June events during Great educates the boating community about of the ASA. “As the leading authority on Outdoors Month, 10 marinas across life jacket wear and the options that are U.S. sailing instruction, we believe that the country will host events where available when it comes to comfortable this is the source book for anyone who consumers can participate in boating and lightweight life jackets. is serious about this exciting sport and and fishing demonstrations, test drive The Office of the Commissioner of lifestyle.” boats, educational activities and more. Navigation set up an educational booth at Published in full color and contain- “With all of these activities hav- ing world-class sailing photography, ing the same general goal of safely Sailing Made Easy is both a valuable putting people on the water boat- reference book and an attractive “cof- ing and fishing, it makes sense fee table” read. Other features include that the various organizations a water-resistant cover, an easy-to-fol- should work together,” said AMI low layout of two-page “spreads” that Legislative Coordinator Wendy La- allows for each topic to be covered rimer. “When AMI moved the date without page-flipping, and an exten- of its annual National Marina Day sive glossary of sailing terms. The basic from August to June, it coincided sailing guide also provides online with the last day of National Fish- references to address key sailing issues, ing & Boating Week. It’s also an such as federal and state boating regu- opportune time to motivate con- lations, as well as sources of weather sumers who may be interested in information. boating but haven’t yet made the
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 22 the Puerto Rico International Boat Show, reational boating safety (RBS) program. Kids Don’t Float loaner life jacket. which was held March 19-21, 2010. Dur- Then, on May 9, 2000, Governor Tony • Life jacket wear rates in Alaska ing the boat show, staffers were on hand Knowles signed HB 108 into law and among adults have doubled to answer questions and discuss boat- Alaska became the last of the 50 states • Life jacket wear rates among all age ing safety. The agency also had banners, to join the national RBS community groups in Alaska are now higher handouts, a patrol boat and a specially and to qualify for the state’s full share than the national average. wrapped vehicle at the show to promote of federal RBS grant funds. boating safety. Since then, this relatively small pro- Alaska Office of Boating gram has accomplished much, actively Safety receives Meritorious C-PORT, U.S. Coast Guard promoting life jacket wear in its social Public Service Award renew partnership marketing efforts, providing 30,287 The Alaska Office of Boating Safety C-PORT (Conference of Profes- life jackets to Alaska’s Kids Don’t has received the Meritorious Public sional Operators for Response Tow- Float life jacket loaner board program, Service Award from the U.S. Coast ing) signed a new Memorandum of teaching 71,000 children through the Guard. The award acknowledges Alaska Understanding with the U.S. Coast Office of Boating Safety for “out- Guard regarding a marine assistance standing dedication and support to industry quality partnership. the Coast Guard and the recreation- The Memorandum of Understand- al boating public, working closely ing (MOU) states, “The purpose of with the 17th Coast Guard District.” the partnership is to improve effec- Notable accomplishments ac- tiveness of maritime safety, security, knowledged during the awards cer- and response and to promote and emony included the leading role the strengthen the communication and Office of Boating Safety took in de- working relationship between the veloping the “Kids Don’t Float” pro- parties and to support the protec- gram from concept to world-class tion of marine environments.” reality, where now 500 life jacket The last agreement was signed in loaner sites are in place around Rear Adm. Christopher Colvin, 17th Coast Guard District the late 1990s. “This updated agree- Alaska; the development of Cold commander, presents the Meritorious Public Service Award ment reflects the growth of the to Jeff Johnson (center) and Joe McCullough (right) of the Water Boating, a training video that marine assistance industry and the Alaska Office of Boating Safety on Feb. 14, 2010. has become the national standard changes that have occurred in the U.S. Coast Guard photo for cold water immersion education; structure of the U.S. Coast Guard,” and producing the Alaska Boaters said Tina Cardone, executive director of Kids Don’t Float schools program and Handbook and regional supplements C-PORT. reaching hundreds of Alaskan boat- that have become widely regarded as Signing the MOU on behalf of C- ers with Alaska Water Wise, the state’s the primary source of safety informa- PORT was Terry Hill, immediate past boating safety course. The program tion for Alaskan recreational boaters. chairman. Signing for the Coast Guard also pioneered curriculum develop- “We are deeply honored to have were Rear Admiral Brian M. Salerno, as- ment and delivery on the topic of been recognized by our Coast Guard sistant commandant for Marine Safety, cold-water immersion. And in just 10 partners,” said DNR Commissioner Security and Stewardship, and Rear short years, the program has made Tom Irwin. “Alaskans are fortunate to Admiral Vincent B. Atkins, assistant significant progress; have one of the best boating safety commandant for Capability. • Alaska’s boating fatalities have dropped programs in the nation. The Office of Captain David McBride, US Coast steadily, to as low as 12 in 2009. Boating Safety’s effort and dedication Guard, Chief of Office of Search and • More Alaskan boaters say they wear toward raising boater awareness and Rescue and Tina Cardone, Executive Di- a life jacket more often today than promoting education have been a pri- rector, C-PORT are the named points of they did five years ago. mary factor in the reduction of boating contact for administration of the MOU. • 12% of Alaskan boaters say a life fatalities on Alaska’s waterways.” jacket saved the life of someone in The Coast Guard maintains several Alaska Boating Safety Act their household. Public Service Awards to recognize sees10th Anniversary • 72% of Alaskan boaters say they have private citizens, groups, or organizations From 1987 to 2000, even with a taken a boating safety course, for helping the Coast Guard carry out its boating fatality rate many times the compared to 46% five years ago. missions. The Coast Guard Meritorious national average, Alaska was the only • At least 17 Alaskan children have sur Public Service Award is the second-high- state without a federally approved rec- vived a water emergency thanks to a est Public Service Award.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 23 government AFFAIRS All a twitter President Obama’s 2008 campaign had sage to their followers, who in turn do the one major message for those involved in same, you get the idea. Ideas as well as com- grassroots advocacy: GET ONLINE. The plaints can circle the world in a matter of candidate turned President was the first hours. Secondly, it is as close to a direct in- Matthew Long national candidate to successfully leverage terface between users as is possible online. NASBLA Government the power of modern social networking Even though large companies or impor- Affairs Director sites to give him a significant advantage in tant people hire people to monitor Twitter, the election and it may have even won the it is still the fastest way of direct commu- race for him. nication. That is because the people you What are we talking about? Well, there is want to reach understand the inherent viral a large universe of social networking sites. nature of Twitter and know that while they You are probably familiar with the most can’t completely control the message on well-known: Twitter, Facebook, Myspace, etc. Twitter, they can help direct it. However there are many others that also For example, let’s say I went to Joe Bob’s have considerable power: Digg, Stumble- Diner and HATED it – worst meal ever. Upon and Redditt. Don’t worry, we’re not Well, of course I’m going to let my Twitter going to review all of these tools, but we followers know instantly about my experi- will examine one in particular and how you ence, and I’ll also copy the good people at can leverage it for political advocacy. Joe Bob’s to let them know my displeasure. Realizing that soon the world will think Joe Short bursts of information Bob’s has inedible food, they will do their Twitter. The term can cause a look of fear best to appease the diner who in turn will and confusion in many, but I argue that it is let the world know. Spin handled and prob- the single most important social network- lem resolved. Now, let’s extrapolate this to ing tool out there today. It is important that the political world. we note the word TODAY. The social media world is changing daily, and a year from now Politicians accessible online there probably will be a new tool to discuss. Once again, here we have different ave- However, given the evolution of Twitter, I nues of interest on behalf of politicians. The feel that not only is it here to stay, but that first is shaping their message online. Here, its influence is as well. they have the power to attract lots of fol- Twitter put simply is a microblogging site. lowers to whom they can push stories and Users write tweets, which are text-based ideas. As the number of followers grows and posts of up to 140 characters displayed on as these messages make their way around the author’s profile page and delivered to the Internet, they soon start shaping opin- the author’s subscribers who are known as ion. Just as the cable news channels shape followers. Interestingly enough, the majority public opinion, so does social media. of Twitter users are adults who have never Second is the interaction between elected used a social networking site before. Ok, this politicians and their constituents in the is all great, but why is it so important? online world. Many politicians have Twitter It’s important because it does two things. accounts, and more are added every week. It is necessarily viral. Let’s say I tweet to my Once again, this allows for the politician followers that I love NASBLA. Then, ten of to directly communicate with their con- my followers pass along my original mes- stituents in a manner of the constituents’
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 24 All a twitter choosing. That is hugely important. What is also important, ents. Not only do they get to quickly address their con- however, is that the constituents can directly communicate cerns but, more importantly perhaps, they understand with their elected officials. By now you’re probably saying what the real concerns are of the people they represent. that you can already communicate directly through an e- And that is why it is vital that you, as a constituent, enter mail or telephone call. Well, that is true. Sort of. into this dialogue and have your voice heard in a way that What happens when you call or write your elected no poll can replicate. Twitter is about representative? Well, it is first logged by expressing short ideas to your followers. It one of any number of different staffers. was built for the sole purpose of commu- It is then categorized and put in the nicating so it’s important to engage and chain for what is basically a formulaic not just have a one-way street of posts. response. If there are many people with the same concerns, then those will even- Start tweeting tually make their way up the staff food What to do now? Step one, open a chain. What happens when you tweet? Twitter account. It is fast and easy. Well, it depends on what level of govern- Step two, spend some time on the site ment we are talking about. At some levels, getting used to how it all works. The the Twitter account is actively monitored 140-character limit has the benefit by the politician and in other cases a staff of forcing the user to fine-tune their person monitors it. Either way, though, messages. Step three, start looking for there are far fewer people involved in the others on Twitter: friends, family and communications chain and both realize even companies you like. Do you love that a tweet demands a more immediate shopping at Target? Then follow them response because of the already discussed on Twitter and get updates on sales. nature of the online world. Are you a big NASCAR fan? Then An e-mail is private and no one other than follow your favorite racers. At this the sender and the recipient ever see it, un- point, also check to see which of less the message is forwarded, of course. How- your elected representatives at ALL ever, with a tweet, unless it’s a private one, levels of government are online. You EVERYONE sees it. In fact people just search- may be surprised to see some you ing the official’s name can see it. At that point wouldn’t expect on Twitter. Finally, the media can pick it up, bloggers can repost engage. As we discussed, Twitter is about it, other constituents can pass it along, etc. It is a cascading communicating, which is a two-way street. effect. Therefore, it is important for the elected member to at It’s a brave new world for social networking online and least respond in a timely way, even if they don’t agree with it is constantly evolving. The hot sites this year will be the problem or cannot do anything to help. This is perhaps replaced next year by even more effective ones. However, the most important change the social networking has had in the core principles remain no matter the site. Social me- grassroots advocacy, the ENGAGEMENT. dia is now a key part of grassroots advocacy for its ability Elected officials can get a Twitter account and simply to allow collaboration and engagement among users. Just post updates, that’s fine. But to fully utilize this medium, make sure you are part of the conversation and not a they listen and respond to their audience, their constitu- bystander.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 25 coast guard COMMENTS
Riding the wave of evolution
Some people would say that only two It’s important that we, as the boating things are certain in life: death and taxes. Of safety community, understand these new course, we all know that there is more that forms of media and that we use them effec- is certain; and the key thing that I’m refer- tively. At the same time, let’s also study who Jeff Hoedt ring to here is CHANGE. our target audiences are. That’s essential to Chief, Boating Safety Division Office of Auxiliary Particularly over the past 39 years (the make sure that we do get the message out and Boating Safety span of the National Recreational Boating effectively. U.S. Coast Guard Safety Program), we’ve witnessed an explo- An example of what I’m referring to is sion in computer and communications tech- easy to understand. The different genera- nology. Just think about the earlier 1970s tions change with the time. Thus, younger computer systems, where you typed out a people are typically more adept at using the multitude of index cards. Then, you took newest technologies. They’re more prone your large stack of cards and placed them in to use Twitter, FaceBook and YouTube, as the computer, where the wheels spun and opposed to a more mature generation. So, a basic equation was calculated in a slower when you think about whom you’re trying time than you could have thought out the to reach with your message, be sure to equation yourself. consider the mode of communication most Now look at today’s computers. They’re likely to be used by those audience mem- incredible in what they can do, and they’re bers. For some audiences, that will be the evolving so fast that we can’t keep up with new social media. These are the younger them. Instead of taking up the whole wall boaters, who will most likely get these mes- of a room, they now fit in a briefcase. And, sages from you and then store them in their these relatively small devices will do far minds, or on their computers and phones, more now than that huge piece of equip- for future use. ment back then. For more mature generations, we may The same evolution has occurred with need to utilize more traditional modes of communications. We’ve come from the old communication or a blend of modes of the rotary style phones, to push button phones, more traditional along with the more mod- to cordless, to cell phones. And, today’s cell ern. The challenge here is not just to utilize phones have camera, computer and other any mode of communication available. The capabilities. They make Star Trek communi- challenge is to actually reach our target cators look obsolete. audience with our message and ultimately Given all of these new technologies, how change their behavior in a way that pre- do we successfully implement a boating vents casualties. That’s the real measure of safety program that will reach our audience? success. That’s the challenge. So, go out there and beat the drums, put In John Malatak’s article that follows, he up a poster, do a PSA, write an article, and explains the various forms of social media go on YouTube. Or, better yet, do them all. currently in use. If you’re not a techie, you’ll We have a very broad range of audiences to learn a lot from what he offers. In addition, reach in the boating community, and they’re he explains how we’re utilizing the new all important. media and how beneficial it is.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 26 By John Malatak Chief, Program Operations Branch Boating Safety Leveraging social media Division Office of Auxiliary and Boating Safety to support boating safety U.S. Coast Guard A successful outreach program – one that raises public Guard supported with a grant last year and will support awareness, connects with our boating safety partners and again this year, shows how well these tools can work. Last coordinates national initiatives to reduce accidents, injuries summer, before the initiative exploded into an enthusiastic and fatalities – involves tapping into every means of com- national campaign, ODW established a dedicated Facebook munication available. Today, a large number of outreach page, Twitter account and a special campaign website, in plans involve social media, an entirely new set of tools for addition to showcasing BUI videos on its YouTube channel. sharing information that in just a few short years has funda- These tools not only helped those who coordinated Op- mentally changed and continues to change our culture. eration Dry Water to promote the BUI enforcement week- end at the national level but also helped them to connect Blogging declines as social media increases and stay connected to the 51 of the 56 states, territories A recent study of teens and adults conducted by the Pew and trusts that eventually signed on as participants. Research Center revealed a decline in blogging among teens and young children and young adults and a modest Social media works rise among adults 30 and older. Much of the drop in blog- For Operation Dry Water, the website and these social ging among younger Internet users may be attributable to media tools enabled all of those participating to keep on changes in social network use by teens and young adults. message, share best practices and success stories, and stay Nearly three quarters of online teens and young adults use current on details of the ODW weekend as plans progressed. social network sites. By contrast, older adults have not kept The NASBLA YouTube channel also allowed the sharing of pace, with only 40 percent of adults 30 and older using highly creative BUI public service announcements (PSAs) social sites in the fall of 2009. produced at both the state and national levels. We were Social media is driving an incredible transformation in happy to post many of our own PSAs there, including a re- organizational communications, and the Coast Guard Boating cent one featuring Capt. Keith Colburn, national spokesman Safety Division is becoming part of that transformation. In for the Coast Guard’s Boat Responsibly! initiative and a star our 2010 National Communication Plan, for example, we still of the popular cable television show The Deadliest Catch. target traditional media, but we’re also moving toward reach- Capt. Colburn’s work for the Coast Guard has relied a ing boating communities at the grassroots through bloggers, good deal on social media to get the word out about life Facebook, YouTube, Twitter and viral video. As we see it, social jackets and boating safety. Besides posting his BUI PSA to media builds bridges that can connect the Coast Guard Boat- NASBLA’s YouTube channel, all four of Colburn’s video ing Safety Division with more of the people we want to serve. PSAs were promoted through the Discovery Channel blogs, How do these tools work? Twitter, which is sometimes on the Deadliest Catch fan site, on Facebook, and on his referred to as microblogging, enables users to issue short own blog “Crab Wizard.” updates to interested participants (or followers) via mobile As we explore applying social media to our outreach phones and computers. Twitter can be an important forum efforts, we’ll want to be able to measure its impact and get for soliciting feedback and sharing new information in real an idea of how well it’s working. In addition to using stan- time. Facebook allows users to profile communications dard external measures, such as media monitoring services, campaigns, share photos, link to articles and related groups, we’ll likely be looking at clicks on trackable links, mentions start discussion boards, and post and attend web-based of “Boat Responsibly!” on blogs and websites, links from events. It also has a Twitter-like function through status up- other organizations to our sites, frequency of engagement dates. YouTube, through TV-like web channels, allows users and comments and, with YouTube, the number of views. to reach a broader audience with their videos. Also, by al- We’re very excited about these new opportunities to lowing users to tag content with key words that make the broaden our communications strategies. With social media, videos easily searchable, YouTube provides an opportunity monologue has become dialog, and conversations that start to reach other like-minded organizations. It could enable locally can now have a national, even a global, impact. Using the Coast Guard, for example, to connect to more boating technology as a conduit, we’re looking forward to taking and boating safety groups, especially at the local level. our communications in a fresh, new direction – talking with Operation Dry Water (ODW), NASBLA’s highly successful members of our targeted audience, not just at them. boating under the influence (BUI) initiative that the Coast
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 27 partner PERSPECTIVES
Social media provides means for instant communication
A couple of years ago, before my beloved Relating this to what we do in boating friend and mentor, Alex, died at age 92, I education, it seems to me that our custom- asked him what he thought was the most ers will continue to want the information Robin Freeman remarkable thing he’d seen in his lifetime. delivered via social media rather than tradi- National Directorate Commodore for Recreational He was born in 1913, and I thought his tional media. And, they’ll have a say about Boating Safety reply would be “man in space,” “the end of what we deliver, and they will likely shape U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary the Cold War,” or “seeing the year 2001.” His the opinions of others about our products. reply? “The Internet.” For organizations and individuals (like me) This year over Spring Break, when my who’ve marketed messages in the traditional grandkids were out of school and bored, fashion, tapping into social media will first I took them out for a burger and catch-up require an education and next a whole new time. In the course of the conversation, my way of looking at products, services and teenage granddaughter told me she didn’t messages. It’s not only fascinating, but chal- “do” e-mail. I said, “What???” I got “the look” lenging and exciting as well. (you know what I mean) as she explained From dial-up modems not all that long ago to the dense adult, “Who needs e-mail when to user-generated content posted in literally there is Facebook and texting???” seconds – wow, have we come a long way The power of the Internet intrigued Alex, fast! I may never write a blog but I’m defi- and the immediacy of social media is what nitely going to read all I can on the various my granddaughter is accustomed to. I didn’t types of social media and find ways to put know too much about social media, so I the power of the “now” to work in getting looked it up on Wikipedia. I found the defi- our messages to the public. nition fascinating! Wikipedia says social media turns mono- logues into dialogues, and transforms people from content consumers to content producers. We’re in a period of time, it is believed, that builds off the Information Age and is termed the Attention Age. We can in- stantly and freely create, consume and share information thanks to social media. Blogs, micro-blogs, social media, events, video, photo, games and music sharing, collabora- tion (such as wikis), business and product reviews, and other components of social media all give us the ability to access the latest information, comment on it and share our thoughts with countless other people, in seconds.
www.nasbla.org | small craft advisory | may-june 2010 | page 28 Social media provides means for instant communication Your trusted education partner, delivering complete solutions for exceptional classroom, video, and online courses. The most educational tools and the best value–custom-tailored for you.
Save up to 50% with Kalkomey Last year, several states discovered they could save significantly by having Kalkomey print rather than self-publishing their boating handbooks. NON-PROFIT U.S. POSTAGE PAID LEXINGTON, KY PERMIT NO.1042
= PMS 286 May-June 2010 | VOL. 25 NO. 3 = PMS 136
1500 Leestown Road, SuiteFONTS: 330 Bank Gothic Lexington, KY 40511Century Schoolbook
CHANGE SERVICE REQUESTED
2010-2011 RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY CALENDAR
June–––––– August–––––– October–––––– 2011 5-13 25-29 1 January–––––– National Fishing & Boating Week U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary National Boating Federation 19-20 www.rbff.org National Conference Annual Meeting Colorado River Law Enforcement Scottsdale, Arizona Annapolis, Maryland Association Annual Conference 12 www.cgauxa.org/nacon www.n-b-f.org Laughlin, Nevada National Marina Day 410.573.1494 http://www.dbw.ca.gov/crlea/index.htm www.marinaassociation.org/nmd 30-Sept. 4 United States Power Squadrons 18-21 28-29 12-13 Governing Board Meeting States Organization for Boating U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary American Canoe Association Bellevue, Washington Access Annual Conference National Training Conference Board of Directors Meeting www.usps.org Park City, Utah St. Louis, Missouri Fredericksburg, Virginia 888.367.8777 www.sobaus.org http://www.cgaux.org www.americancanoe.org 312.946.6283 [email protected] 540. 907.4460 September–––––– 20-23 February–––––– 10-14 US Sailing Annual General Meeting 1-6 13-17 National Association Phoenix, Arizona United States Power Western States Boating of State Boating Law [email protected] Squadrons Administrators Association Administrators 401.683.0800 Annual Meeting Annual Conference Annual Conference Buena Vista, Florida Park City, Utah Honolulu, Hawai’i 21-23 http://www.usps.org http://bit.ly/bxID2k http://www.nasbla.org Canadian Power & Sail Squadrons [email protected] Annual General Meeting 25-27 859.225.9487 Nanaimo, Vancouver Island March–––––– National Association of State Boating http://www.nanaimo2010.ca 6-9 Law Administrators 26-29 National Safe Boating Operation Dry Water Association of Fish & Council National Water Safety http://www.operationdrywater.org Wildlife Agencies November–––––– Congress International Boating 100th Annual Meeting 5-7 & Water Safety Summit Grand Rapids, Michigan National Boating Safety Savannah, Georgia JULY–––––– http://fishwildlife.org Advisory Council Fall Meeting http://www.safeboatingcouncil.org 29-30 [email protected] Arlington, Virginia http://www.watersafetycongress.org National Association of State Boat- 202.624.7890 http://homeport.uscg.mil/NBSAC ing Law Administrators [email protected] 20-23 Executive Board Meeting 28-30 International Association Lexington, Kentucky International Boatbuilders’ 5-7 of Marine Investigators http://www.nasbla.org Exhibition and Conference American Canoe Association Annual Training Seminar [email protected] Louisville, Kentucky National Paddlesports Conference Chattanooga, Tennessee 859.225.9487 www.ibexshow.com Asheville, North Carolina http://www.iamimarine.org/iami http://www.americancanoe.org [email protected] [email protected] 540. 907.4460