WAVES

Watercraft and Vessel Safety

The Newsletter from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Department of Boating
VOLUME 05 02-01
Editor: Karen L. Miller, DVC-BN 2931 Buttonbush Court Palm Harbor, FL 34684
Department Chief: Warren E. McAdams, DC-B 894 Surrey Ridge Drive Cincinnati, OH 45245
State Liaison Program
Ed Huntsman DVC-BS
2001 REPORT ON STATE LIAISON
PROGRAM EFFECTIVENESS
Just over one year ago, based on
perceptions that the State Liaison program
was ineffective and failing to produce the
desired results of interaction between state
boating safety officials and the Auxiliary to
further recreational boating safety (RBS), an
internal Boating Department evaluation was
conducted. The Department Chief, State
Liaison Division Chief and two Branch
Chiefs determined that in the three (now
four) years following the creation of the
Auxiliarys Boating Department, varying
degrees of success had surfaced with
regard to the State Liaison Officer (SLO)
program. Following the release of that
report, an aggressive effort was launched to
improve the program.
We are making progress. Everyone involved
has faced their fair share of challenges, but
it is apparent that a few District
Commodores (DCOs) either do not take the
program seriously or dont have time to hold
their SLOs accountable for effectively
communicating their activity within the state
on the DCOs behalf. It would be easy to
point the finger of failure at the State Liaison
Officers (SLOs) that arent getting the job
done, but they do after all, serve at the
pleasure of the DCO who appoint them. And
the paper that was completed a year ago
and forwarded to each DCO was a blueprint
for success. The paper was also forwarded
to every new SLO appointed to serve in
2001.
Just as a year ago, in several districts,
active and hard working Auxiliarists were
again appointed to the SLO position by their
respective DCO and the program flourishes.
In many states however, based on the
reported activity, again as in the past, the only
conclusion to be drawn is that the SLO is
nothing more than a name in a slot. The good
news is there are known exceptions of which
the Department is aware because the BLAs
(Boating Law Administrators) and others report
that all is well and the relationships are great.
The problem that remains for us to overcome
is that the reports are coming in to us from
sources outside of the Auxiliary.
In other cases however, virtually every district
is represented by states with no apparent
involvement by the SLO and the states BLA,
let alone other boating safety officials.
According to the Departments branch chiefs,
when asked if regular communications exist
between them and the SLOs in their area of
responsibility (AOR), I was advised that no
report has been received from 15 states this
entire year. But again, even though were not
receiving reports, we are aware that the
relationships are in some cases excellent. For
example, we know through the BLAs and
others that the Auxiliary enjoys an excellent
relationship in many states that were not
receiving reports from and are rapidly
improving in others. But with many states, we
simply just dont know.
On the other end of the spectrum, models of
success can be held up as examples for us to
strive towards. Many Districts with good
programs and excellent communications are
scattered across the country, however District
13 has displayed the greatest consistency for
each state within the District. This is the one
district where all stakeholders; the District
RBS, DCO, SLOs, BLAs and other principals
regularly meet and keep one another informed
of their activities, communicating to the Boating
Department through the SLOs. All the districts
have their individual successes with specific
states, but District 13 stands alone in their
program of Auxiliary and State interaction and
follow-up reporting.
2
Having made significant progress in many
states, the major problem that remains is
that in several states, there appears to be
little to no activity whatsoever originating
with the SLO.
The single most important function of the
SLO is to arrange a meeting between the
DCO and BLA for their State annually. In
many states, this meeting has been
expanded to include representatives of the
states boating safety education program,
DIRAUX and others, both members of the
Auxiliary such as Division Captains and
other stakeholders involved in RBS within
the state. According to the latest reports
from the Boating Departments Branch
Chiefs, this meeting has not been held in
the majority of states that are within their
AOR. It would be far easier to list those
where the meeting has occurred rather than
those where it hasnt and the reasons are
varied. In the Pacific Area for example, only
five states out of 13 (38%) have had a
DCO/BLA meeting to set the agenda for the
coming year. In the ATL (W), according to
our reports not a SINGLE DCO/BLA
meeting dedicated to setting the coming
years agenda has occurred. In the ATL (E),
10 of 19 states (47%) have had a meeting
devoted specifically to RBS attended by the
DCO and other boating safety principals.
However the good news is that we know an
acceptable alternative meeting is happening
with the DCO represented by the SLO,
Division Captains or others.
One concern with meetings not attended by
the DCO however, is that these meetings
are probably not attended by DIRAUX and
other major players in the District as well. If
they are, its not being reported. And if they
arent being reported, they arent viewed
with the emphasis that would enhance the
overall effectiveness of the Auxiliary within
the state.
The same can be said for monitoring MOUs
between the states and the Coast Guard.
Efforts are being made to improve the
process, but on a national basis, reportedly
through the SLOs, few MOUs have been
developed that recognize the potential
contributions of the Auxiliary as a part on a
single MOU between a State and the Coast
Guard. Again, the validity of this situation is
at best questionable because in many
cases, we arent getting the information
reported.
Last year, the top three goals and objectives to
achieve the desired results in the SLO program
were:
Track and log annual BLA meetings by
state and communicate the outcome of
the meetings.
Facilitate maintenance of MOUs with
their state.
Initiate direct communication via email
to state BLAs via the SLOs through the
branch chiefs indicating Auxiliary
activities occurring in the state, i.e., the
number of boating safety classes and
student numbers, SITREPs from
patrols and AUXMIS reports indicating
the amount of Auxiliary activity within
the specific state.
We know that BLA meetings are occurring with
greater regularity and effectiveness in at least
28 states and/or territories. We believe that a
meeting of some type has been conducted in
most, if not all of the states/territories, but were
attended by a SLO or division captain
representing the DCO.
The program has progressed well in the
preceding year through the efforts of all
concerned. However opportunity exists for
greater progress through continued and
coordinated efforts across organizational
boundaries involving each Coast Guard District
and Auxiliary District Commodore.
In the year following our initial assessment of
the program, much has improved through the
leadership of the Boating Department.
However, without the DIRECT involvement of
the DCO in each district, the SLO program
cannot sustain effectiveness. The DCOs must
appoint active and dedicated Auxiliarists to
carry both their and the Auxiliarys message.
Additionally, the DCO must then demonstrate
their support for the SLO and the state s/he
represents by holding the Coast Guard District
accountable for their support of the program as
well.
Dont forget the 8-31-01 Deadline for the
BoatU.S. Grassroots Grants Applications
Distribution: NEXCOM, N-H, DCOs, VCOs, DCPs,
FCs, G-OPB, G-OPB2, G-OCX, G-OCX2