U. S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Seventh Coast Guard District Division 15

Last update 16 NOV 2009

The United States Coast Guard Auxiliary is the civilian component of the United States Coast Guard. Founded in 1939 by an Act of Congress as the US Coast Guard Reserve and re-designated the Auxiliary in 1941, the 31,000 volunteer members (men and women) volunteer more then two million hours annually benefitting boaters and their families, in support of Coast Guard missions.

Division 15 operates under Coast Guard Station Yankeetown and stretches from the southern Hernando County line north to the Fenholloway River and from the center of Florida westward into the Gulf of Mexico. There are seven U.S. Coast Guard Flotillas with over 300 members in the Division who assist the Coast Guard with Vessel Inspections, Patrols and carry the main responsibility for Boating Education to the public.

2009 Officers

2010 Officers

Public Education Boating Class Schedules	The Coast Guard Channel	Division Bridge & Staff	Vessel Examinations
Member Status Auxinfo	Membership Training & Schedules	Division Meeting Schedule	Find a Vessel Examiner
National website	District Store 727-535-2593	Ribbon Checker	Where is it?
Flotilla Locator	On-line Tests	Staff Notices	DIRAUX 7
Auxiliary Website Directory	CG Aux. Association	Manuals	E-commerce
Operations	Float Plan	Forms	Fellowship Activities

Regarding PEPIRBS or PLB’s (Personal Locator Beacons) as they are now known as now. Did you know that there is an ADDITIONAL DATA section in the online registration www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov in which you can update your location where you will be.

This saves a lot of time if your signal is picked up because right there on the form is the general area you plan to be in. Now they don’t have to make the calls to verify your location.

You can also take these units with you on vacation and if you got injured up in the mountains and had indicated you would be in say “Montana” and that is where the signal came from then help would be dispatched much quicker. These updates can only be done on-line since the only manpower required is yours. It’s like filing a float plan.

COAST GUARD RECRUITING Video -- take a look, it will make you proud of the Gold Side.

Click here

HURRICANE CONDITIONS Review

Condition 4: Automatic from June 1 to Nov 30 here in Florida

Condition 3: Warning, probabilty of winds 50 knots or more within 48 hours.
Account for Flotilla members
Designated Auxiliary Vessels will be fueled to 100%, non perishable food and water supplies on board, move them to safe location, alert standby crews.
Advise SO/OP of status.

Condition 2: Probability of winds in excess of 50 Kts. within 24 hours.
Check operation and fuel in Auxiliary Generators, Check readiness of "Safe houses", recheck supplies, radios, etc.
Consider evacuation, use your discretion.
Advise SO/OP when complete.

Condition 1: Probability of winds in excess of 50 Kts. within 12 hours.
You should probably be gone by now if you are in a low lying area.
The SO/OP probably is, his cell is 352-279-0947. Merry Christmas.

A Television Can't Save Your Life...A 406 MHz EPIRB or ELT Can!

LOS ANGELES - For the past year the television broadcasters have blanketed the airwaves advising the public that starting in February 2009 over-the-air television broadcasts will be going digital in the United States. This means that if you want to continue to receive free television reception, you must have a newer TV that has a digital tuner or you need to get a digital-to-analog converter box. Not as well known but of substantial importance is that a critical piece of life-saving equipment will also be affected with a change from analog to digital transmissions - an Emergency Positioning Indicating Radio Beacon or "EPIRB."

Starting in February 2009 the older beacons that transmit only an analog signal (121.5 or 243 MHz) will no longer be "heard" by search and rescue satellites. Just like checking a TV, boaters need to ensure that their distress beacon is capable of transmitting a digital signal (406 MHz) in order for it to be recognized.

Although recreational boaters are not required to carry an EPIRB, they are strongly recommended for ALL boaters, including kayaks and other paddle craft, along with a VHF-FM marine band radio. The 406 MHz signal sent by the newer EPIRBs when a mariner encounters distress are picked up by the COSPAS/SARSAT satellite constellation, which determines the EPIRBs position through triangulation. EPIRBs with embedded GPS are even more helpful in quickly finding a distressed boater. With GPS coordinates, the position of distress is pinpointed almost immediately. Without GPS, it may take two or three satellite passes to come up with a good, triangulated position. According to Coast Guard Search and Rescue Controller Sandy Needle of Coast Guard Sector Los Angeles-Long Beach, "a properly registered EPIRB takes the Search out of Search and Rescue."

As long as the new 406 MHz beacon has been registered (which is required by law), search and rescue authorities can quickly confirm that the distress is real, who they are looking for, and a description of the vessel or aircraft. This means an effective search can be initiated even before a final distress location has been determined for non-GPS EPIRBs. It also means that a false activation may be resolved with a phone call to the beacon owner, saving resources for actual distresses.

Registration is free and can be done on the internet at: www.beaconregistration.noaa.gov or it can be mailed/faxed to NOAA by calling 1-888-212-SAVE. Beacon registrations must be updated at least every two years or when information such as emergency contact phone numbers and other vital information changes. This registration information is only available to authorized search and rescue personnel. It saves lives.

COMPASS PROGRAM

SECURITY FORMS

All Auxiliarists must undergo a degree of Security check. What you choose to become involved in determines the extent of the background check. Everything has been consolidated on the Enrolment Application (form 7001) on the National Forms page. See the FORMS button above.

Additionally the applicant will be photographed and have 2 sets of fingerprints taken and sent in with the application. Each Flotilla has fingerprint technicians.

Complaints, suggestions or comments and photos may be E-mailed by clicking on Webmaster