ON-WATCH

Change can be a chill or a challenge. We can stand up and meet it head on, move to the side and hope it misses us, or we can just stand there EYES WIDE OPEN (like a deer) and get mowed over. But it all will have an emptiness without your seeing its sense of value.

Every day the opportunity to serve the public with education classes, operations, both on land, sea or on base, are presenting themselves to each of us. IF we capture these moments and realize that each of us can make a difference DIRECTLY, then we can have a sense of value to the time we devote to the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Dan Swanson called me and asked for a vessel exam on his 17' boat. He had to come back twice because he needed some safety items. After the exam he said he wanted to do this voluntarily because he "felt safer knowing the Coast Guard had looked at his boat. I have three boys and you can't do enough to see that they are safe." Now, the world did not shake, but it was a difference for Mr. Swanson. We should not discount our CUSTOMERS' FEELINGS. (Yes the public is our CUSTOMER!)

Know that you have value for the time invested in our Coast Guard Family. Learn, become qualified, seek more knowledge and your value can do nothing but grow. Capture that value by knowing that every action you take (KEY WORD ACTION) can add value to your and someone else's life.

IF YOU HAVE BEEN VOLUNTEERING FOR 20 YEARS, OR JUST STARTING to volunteer for duty with the USCG Auxiliary, we value your service. It's up to you to GROW Its VALUE and SHARE THE DIVIDEND.

I have written many articles for On-Watch since I became a 16-05 member. This is the first time I will write as your Vice Flotilla Commander. First, thank you for your confidence. I will do everything in my power to live up to the trust your have put in me.

Here we are in 1999, the year that we all will proudly celebrate out 60th Anniversary. That's many years of teaching boating safety, something we all must practice before we preach. We cannot go out into the world and ask others to do something we ourselves would not do or don't know how to do. This year, let's all get to work and look at what we are doing for the Coast Guard, the Auxiliary and ourselves.

Let's read our manuals carefully and be able to talk intelligently if questioned by Coast Guard personnel, a fellow Auxiliarist or a boater with a question.

If we are qualified crew, let's all question if we are truly qualified by practicing every time we go out on a vessel. It's not enough just to qualify for the year, then sit back on all the other patrols and do nothing. Do we remember how to rig a towline? Do we remember to stand clear of a towline? Do we remember what to do if we have a man overboard? How quick will we respond? Why should you never stand on a swim step during maneuvering? Safety on the water is an ongoing practice session.

If you are not qualified crew and don't intend to be, ask to go aboard a vessel on patrol so that you can understand what happening on the water. Perhaps you are or will be a vessel examiner, instructor or stand watch at a public affair. The boater that is asking questions thinks we have all the answers. The best way to answer them is with experience, experience, experience.

Here's looking at you, 16-05!

The Commandant has approved all recommendations passed by the National Board at the National Conference in Dallas, Texas. These recommendations are as follows:

1. To officially establish the cornerstones for the Coast Guard Auxiliary as:

• Member Services (includes FN, IS,LP,MA,MT,PS,PA,PB and SR)
• Recreational Boating Safety (includes MV, PE and VE)
• Coast Guard Support (includes AN, AV, CC, CM, MS and OP)
• Fellowship.

2. Set the terms of office for flotilla commander and flotilla vice commander as a maximum of two one-year terms, followed by one year out of the respective office, with no limitation on the number of times this can be repeated.

3. Flotilla commanders are to appoint a flotilla staff officer in each of the following internal functions: FN, IS, MA, MT, PS, PA, PB and SR. Additionally, a flotilla staff officer is to be appointed in at least one of the external programs in Recreational Boating Safety and/or Coast Guard Support.

The external programs include: AN, CC, CM, MV, OP, PE and VE. Each flotilla should be involved in at least one external program. No staff officer need be appointed to a program not being undertaken by the flotilla.

4. The division captain must appoint at least one staff officer in each of the programs: Member Services, Recreational Boating Safety and Coast Guard Support. In addition, division staff officers must be appointed for those programs being pursued by the flotillas. While the division captain does not have to fill all staff position, the basic functions (FN, IS, MA, MT, PS, PA, PB and SR) should be covered.

5. Effective 1 January 1999, The Auxiliary Atlantic Area will be reorganized into two areas as follows:

• Atlantic - Eastern Area consisting of 1NR, 1SR, 5NR, 5SR and 7, Auxiliary Districts/Regions.
• Atlantic - Western Area consisting of 8CR, 8ER, 8WR, 9CR, 9ER and 9WR Auxiliary Districts/Regions.

Effective 1 January 1999, the position of NAVCO-Atlantic East and a new position of NAVCO-Atlantic West will be established.

6. The National Commodore, subsequent to the current incumbent, be limited to one two-year term of office.

7. Effective 1 January 1999, the Directorate Chiefs of the RBS, MS and CG/SS Directorates will become appointed positions, wearing one star with a red "A". The current positions of NAVCO-RBS, NAVCO-MS and NAVCO-CG/SS shall be disestablished as of 31 December 1998.

8. The position of Immediate Past National Commodore (NIPCO) will be established as a voting member of the National Board and the National Executive Committee (NEXCOM) effective 1 January 2001, or upon completion of the term(s) of office of the current National Commodore.

There are no crowds of boaters on lakes and rivers in the colder months of the year. Fishermen work their favorite coves nearly undisturbed. On inland waters, migrating waterfowl appear in the fall and return again in the spring, as soon as the ice goes out. The fine, breezy days of spring and fall are the best days for many open boaters.

There are trade-offs for these blessings. The water is cold (less than 60 degrees F)in the off-season. More than half of the fatal boating accidents in Pennsylvania occur when the water is cold. Most such accidents occur in calm weather relatively close to shore. Because fewer boaters are on the water, the likelihood of a prompt rescue is greatly reduced. Off-season boaters must be as self-sufficient as possible.

Immersion in cold water rapidly incapacitates and may kill boaters who are not wearing protective clothing. Surfers, sailboarders and river paddlers wear wetsuits or drysuits when the water is cold. Off-season sailors, fishermen, hunters and other folks out in open boats can use these same precautions to greatly improve their safety on the water. What happens in cold water?

Water removes heat from the body 25 times faster than cold air. About 50% of that heat loss occurs through the head. Physical activity such as swimming or other struggling in the water increases heat loss. Survival time can be reduced to minutes. Strong swimmers have died before swimming 100 yards in cold water. In water under 40 degrees F, victims have died before swimming 100 feet.

Cold Shock

Exposure of the head and chest to cold water

Hypothermia (decreased body temperature) develops more slowly than the immediate effects of cold shock. Survival curves show that an adult dressed in average clothing may remain conscious for an hour at 40 degrees F and perhaps 2-3 hours at 50 degrees F (water temp.). The crisis is more serious than these numbers suggest. Any movement in the water accelerates heat loss. Survival time can be reduced to minutes. Hands become numb and useless. Without thermal protection, swimming is not possible. The victim, though conscious, is soon helpless. Without a life jacket, drowning is unavoidable.

Even with a wetsuit/drysuit on, one's hands rapidly become useless in water in the low 40's (degrees). Protective fingerless gloves for fishermen can be important. Shivering occurs as body temperature drops from 97 degrees down to about 90 degrees. Uncontrolled rapid breathing follows the initial gasping response and may cause loss of consciousness. The victim must attempt to recover control of his/her breathing rate.

Muscle rigidity and loss of manual dexterity, physical helplessness, occurs at about 93 degrees. Mental capacity also deteriorates at this point. Unconsciousness occurs when the body's core temperature reaches about 86 degrees. If drowning doesn't occur first, death occurs at a core temperature of about 80 degrees.

Try to get back in or on your boat immediately. Do not leave the boat. If you are not wearing thermal protection and can't get out of the water, stay as still as possible. Fold arms, cross legs and float quietly on the buoyancy of your PFD until help arrives. If two or more people are in the water, put your arms around one another. Stay still and close together (huddle posture).

On Memorial Day 1996, an 18-year old canoeist capsized into 50 degree lake water. He sank to the bottom before a rescuer in a boat towing the canoe could reach him. He was wearing blue jeans, a light shirt and no life jacket. His body was recovered the next day by divers. Your ability to survive accidental immersion will depend on how you prepared yourself before going out.

Dressing for the possibility of immersion helps buy time to work out a rescue in case of an accident. Warm weather does not cancel the danger of cold water. Instead, wearing lighter clothing on warm days may increase risk.

1. Mild hypothermia (victim shivering but coherent). Move victim to place of warmth. Remove wet clothes, give warm sweet drinks; no alcohol or caffeine. Keep victim warm for several hours.

2. Moderate hypothermia (shivering may decrease or stop). Victim may seem irrational with deteriorating coordination. Same as above but no drinks. Victim should be kept lying down with torso, thighs, head and neck covered with dry clothes, coats or blankets to stop further heat loss. Seek medical attention immediately.

3. Severe hypothermia (shivering may have stopped, victim may resist help or be semi-conscious or unconscious). Removed from water, victim must be kept prone, on back and immobile. Victim must be handled gently. Cover torso, thighs, head and neck with dry covers to stop further heat loss. Arms and legs must not be stimulated in any manner. Cold blood in extremities that suddenly returns to the core, may induce cardiac arrest. Seek medical attention immediately.

4. Victim appears dead. Little or no breathing or pulse, body rigid. Assume victim can be revived. Look for faint pulse or breathing for two minutes. If any trace is found, do not give CPR. It can cause cardiac arrest. Medical help is imperative. If pulse and breathing are totally absent, CPR should be started by trained medical personnel.

Wear clothing that permits safe cold-water immersion and a life jacket. It is the only way to combat the risk posed by cold-water boating.

The common advice to wear layers of wool (nylon, polypropylene) is misleading. These fabrics do not effectively retard heat loss in cold water. They are warm when damp, after being wrung out, due to air trapped in the fibers. They must be worn inside a waterproof barrier (shell) having neoprene or latex gaskets at ankles, waist, wrists and neck. Fleece lined "wetsuit grade" polartec clothing is rated equal to 2.5mm neoprene and is comfortable under outer clothes. Such clothing ($100-300) may be found in catalogs and shops that serve river paddlers and windsurfers.

Carry dry clothing in a waterproof bag. Tie a bailer and paddle to your boat. Evaluate the flotation in your boat. A short sling tied to the transom, with a footrest in the loop, may assist boat re-entry. Attach a whistle or horn to your life jacket.

Tell someone where you are going and when you will return. Inform them of your return. Check the weather forecast for the day.

WATCH THE BOATS AROUND YOU. On cold water, you are depending on one another for prompt rescue in case of an accident.

The new boat crew manual is in the final stages before release but probably won't be released for about a year. The new manual unifies the auxiliary, reserve and active duty boat crew training programs. Due to the cost of printing ($40/copy), only one copy will be available for each 4 members in the program (BC and Coxswains). There will be an effort to release the manual in softcopy form over the web and via CD-ROM.

NewsWatch

• A new ATON videotape has been produced addressing the Auxiliary's role in providing assistance to NOAA to update charts. This program has fallen off significantly over the past few years and this video's purpose is to reinvigorate the program. A copy of the tape will be made and sent to all flotillas. NOAA wants all of their positions to be with differential GPS accuracy. Since so few Auxiliarists (do we have any?) have this capability, some of NOAA's requirements may be hard to meet. "I addressed this and was told to continue submitting reports even if only standard GPS accuracy was available." These reports would have to be confirmed by NOAA with DGPS equipment later.
• A comms presentation was made on the impact of the GMDSS (Global Maritime Distress Safety System) on VHF communications. This new digital selective calling (DSC) based service is going to be phased in rapidly over the next few years under SOLAS for documented vessels. The DSC radios will be significantly more expensive than our present ones (over $1K) and this may have significant impact on the Auxiliaries ability to contribute to large vessel safety. National is pursuing obtaining authority for Auxiliarists to use designated HF frequencies (currently we are limited to a couple of VHF frequencies and a frequency near the CB band).
• Members can use the AUXWEB website to register your e-mail address, enter your qualification levels to gain access to e-mail mailing lists and to search for others e-mail addresses. The URL for doing this is: http://uscguax.org/news/email.htm.
• There is a "fileable" form format in the works, which will allow Auxiliarists to e-mail in activity report forms. This has significant implications for the computer skills requirements for flotilla IS officers and probably has implications for the entire structure of how AUXMIS is handled. These forms are available at: http://uscgaux.nrlssc.navy.mil/~forms/aform.html. A new policy is coming out which will have us referring to these forms by their ANSC#, instead of the Aux#. i.e., a form 26 member activity report (mission hour card) is an ANSC# 7030. We are encouraged to fill out the electronic forms online to ensure using the latest revision. These forms change periodically and members need to check the current revision date to make sure all are using the most current form. Be safe and just fill in the form online!
• A "flotilla finder" feature has been added to the AUXWEB. Using this feature one may enter the home zip code and get the nearest flotillas in one's area. This may be found at: http://uscgaux.org/public/pubframe.htm.

• Be early for meetings to assist in setting up meeting facilities
• Assisting Guest Speakers
• Gate duty at Coronado Yacht Club
• Name tags for all visitors
• Making sure all visitors sign the meeting roster
• Assist in planning social and other Flotilla events
• Training and other event assistance
• Other duties as assigned