TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona Helps First Responders Stay Safe
By Teaching Practical On-Water Boat Handling Skills
Partnership with National Safe Boating Council; courses offered nationwide
CARTERSVILLE , Ga. – Every public safety department is familiar with EVOC – the Emergency Vehicles Operators Course that teaches first responders the necessary skills to operate an emergency vehicle safely. But what happens when the vehicle is a boat? Operating a recreational vessel on a swift-moving river or stormy lake requires boat handling skills not taught in a classroom.
In partnership with the National Safe Boating Council (NSBC), TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona, a 24-hour on water towing and assistance service based in Cartersville, recently hosted a three-day “Essentials of Close Quarters and Open Water Boat Control” on-water instructor certification course for local first responders. The course was one of many offered across the country each year by local partners and NSBC, a national public private coalition that provides safe boating educational resources, outreach programming, and training opportunities.
“This was a train-the-trainer type of event,” said TowBoatUS Lake Allatoona owner Capt. Chris Day. “Now, these firemen are NSBC-certified instructors and can teach the basic Boat Control On-Water Training to other local boaters or fellow first responders back at the firehouse.”
Day, a former law enforcement officer and NSBC-certified instructor trainer, added, “Many public safety departments have a big need for this kind of training. Firefighters are taught how to fight fires, but there is a gap in boat safety and handling skills. That’s where we help.” Day says he will continue to offer NSBC courses to meet regional demand, much of it coming from Tennessee, Kentucky, Arkansas, Mississippi and Alabama.
All NSBC courses include certified instructors who train boat operators in close quarters maneuvers such as docking and fueling sites, then progress to advanced open water maneuvers, increasing handling skills and confidence. Training vessels are provided and course pricing varies by location. Course content conforms to the American National Standard for on-water skills as verified through an independent third-party assessment process. To find out more about any of the NSBC’s training courses go to safeboatingcouncil.org.
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About TowBoatUS:
Boat Owners Association of The United States (BoatUS) is the nation's leading advocate, services and safety group for recreational boaters. We are the Boat Owners Auto Club and provide our more than 700,000 members with a wide array of helpful services, including 24-hour on-water towing that gets you safely home when your boat won’t, jump starts, fuel delivery, and soft ungroundings. The TowBoatUS towing fleet is North America’s largest network of towing ports with more than 300 locations and over 600 red towing assistance vessels, responding to more than 70,000 requests for assistance each year. The BoatUS App makes it easy to summon water and road assistance 24/7 and can speed response times (BoatUS.com/App). For more information go to BoatUS.com/Towing.
About National Safe Boating Council:
The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) exists to make recreational boating safer for all who enjoy the waterways. The community we serve includes organizations, agencies, and companies, as well as volunteers and individuals, who influence and impact recreational boating safety. The NSBC engages all aspects of the recreational boating community in relevant, compelling, and continuous opportunities which improve safety and reinforce enjoyment of recreational boating. This includes connecting with, listening to and involving everyone who lives, works, or plays within the recreational boating community. The NSBC promotes the advancement of a cultural shift relative to safe boating behaviors and life jacket wear to minimize the loss of life, personal injury and property damage. For more information, contact Peg Phillips pphillips@safeboatingcouncil.org.