Boat U.S. - May 2008 - (Page 48) goodfoundations ideas for safe, smart, and clean boating “Wear It!” Campaign Wins May is a big month in boating. National Safe Boating Week (NSBW) launches on the 17th and runs right up to Memorial Day weekend, kicking off what is considered the unofficial start of the boating season. The goal of NSBW is increasing life jacket wear, and the BoatU.S. Foundation is participating in a specialized campaign to distill that theme into a single, unifying message: “Wear It!” The “Wear It!” strategy is designed to provide a recognizable name, simplify the safety message and increase public awareness about life jacket use and the newer styles of life jackets available — most notably modern, comfortable inflatable jackets. The campaign ties this “one-voice one-message” effort together by providing marketing resources that any group can use locally. Last year, the pilot for this targeted campaign focused on the Sacramento Delta region of Northern California. Sacramento was chosen for several reasons — with over 700 miles of waterways and a mild climate, the Delta has year-round boating, a fairly distinct media market and most importantly, a strong need. The Delta region sees a disproportionate number of accidents, as well as many boating fatalities each year, particularly in the angling community. A four-way coalition teamed up for this campaign — the U.S. Coast Guard, California Dept. of Boating and Waterways, the National Safe Boating Council and the BoatU.S. Foundation for Boating Safety and Clean Water. The group decided to target one region to better measure the campaign’s effectiveness. While it is not easy to measure, the Coast Guard does an annual on-the-water life jacket wear rate survey that measures how many people wear life jackets from year to year. In May 2007, the campaign began with a Safe Boating Week kickoff event, and the “Wear It!” campaign hit the ground running, holding events at popular boating sites such as Sugar Barge and Buckley Cove. Billboards, newspaper ads and radio station simulcasts promoted events and brought Delta boaters to campaign events. There was even a dedicated campaign boat, provided by Yamaha, which the Campaign boat crew used to visit with boaters out on the rivers and sloughs. Boaters received tee shirts, Delta maps and even life jackets. So, what were the results? With over 48 BoatU.S. Magazine May 2008 10 campaign events, countless on-the-water encounters with boaters and over 1,100 free inflatable life jackets given away, the wear rate did change. Life jacket use nearly doubled in some user groups — adult men, for instance, saw a jump from 8.3% of boaters wearing a life jacket in 2006 to 15.2% in 2007. Across the board, every type of observed boater was wearing a life jacket more often in 2007 than in 2006. work towards getting more Delta boaters into life jackets. The next step of the campaign is to see if the success experienced in the Delta can be matched in other locations. The 2008 “Wear It!” campaign will also focus on Tennessee, in partnership with the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency. The Tennessee efforts will closely match those conducted in California, and will concentrate on a few key waterways. If both efforts improve life jacket wear, then the campaign will most likely be expanded to other locations, and bring in more partners. For more information, please visit Safeboatingcampaign.com. — By Chris Edmonston EPIRB Renters Speak — We Listen Due to popular demand, the BoatU.S. Foundation has expanded the EPIRB rental program to include the McMurdo Smartfind Plus GPS EPIRB. This device has an integrated GPS that can improve the response time of search and rescue because the EPIRB is able to send the vessel’s exact coordinates to the first COSPAS-SARSAT satellite that passes. The GPS-enhanced beacon is often referred to as a GPIRB. This model also has a nonhazmat battery which allows for greater flexibility in shipping and transport options. Renters will have the option to choose either an EPIRB or a slightly more expensive GPIRB when they place their order with us. Placing an order online is now even easier with our new EPIRB rental web site. Renters can log in to our secure site to create a profile and save their shipping, contact and boat information for future orders. Renters can also track the status of their order and make changes to their information online. Visit BoatUS.com/foundation/epirb or call 888-663-7472 for current pricing and to place your order today. Christa Miller, star of TV’s “Scrubs” served as the campaign spokesperson, at left, with Virgil Chambers of The National Safe Boating Council. How did the Delta “Wear It!” campaign stack up with the rest of the country? At 50 other locations measured by the Coast Guard, life jacket wear rates saw no increase from 2006 to 2007. The one and only location that did see an observable increase in life jacket use was in the California Delta. Ray Tsuneyoshi, director of the California Department of Boating and Waterways, a key partner in the overall campaign, said, “I speak for all boating safety advocates in California when I say that we were delighted that the Delta was chosen for this first-time effort. These extraordinary results underscore the importance of outreach and education, and more specifically, the value of ‘one voice – one message’ targeted approach.” In 2008, the “Wear It!” campaign hopes to continue the success of 2007 in the Delta. This year, a greater emphasis will be placed on reaching out to the angling community. The BoatU.S. Foundation will be at the forefront and will recruit help from California fishing pros such as Ronnie Kovach, Sep Hendrickson and Kent Brown. The Foundation will also work with fishing clubs and tournaments, and continue to The BoatU.S. Foundation is a national 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization primarily supported by donations from individuals and grants. Please visit BoatUS.com/foundation for more information. http://Safeboatingcampaign.com http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation/epirb http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation http://www.BoatUS.com/foundation
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