September 18 GRDA Weekly Report
Local Task Force Mobilized to East Coast for Florence
GRDA Police Captain Casey King (far left) briefs personnel on the details of the Task Force assignment prior to deployment on Friday. Additional responders from the area will be on stand-by to go to the national disaster area, should the need arise.
The Mayes County Task Force arrived in North Carolina on Sunday and were assigned to Whiteville, in Columbus County south of Raleigh where they have spent the past two days working water rescues. Photo right is the staging area for multiple agencies involved in the disaster response.
Mayes County Task Force personnel rescue flood victims trapped by record high waters near Whiteville, North Carolina on Monday (below photos). The town of Whiteville is virtually an island surrounded by high water.
The category 2 hurricane that struck the east coast has resulted in the mobilization of local emergency responders to the area of devastation. Team GRDA has once again joined a task force from Mayes County that has committed personnel and equipment that left for the national disaster area on Friday. Twenty-two responders from Mayes County Emergency Management, the Quapaw Tribal Emergency Services, MESTA, Locust Grove Fire Department and Pryor Fire Department joined five GRDA Police Officers on a 10 day deployment to North Carolina after a national disaster declaration from FEMA.
Responders rolled out of Pryor in a convoy of ten vehicles with trailers to report to a staging area in Raleigh, North Carolina. Personnel were assigned to rescue and recovery operations, with an emphasis on water rescues for the victims of the hurricane. GRDA Police are using two of the agencies rescue boats for the mission.
This is the second national disaster mission for the Mayes County Task Force in recent years. The task force assisted in the rescue efforts in the Houston area last year as part of the national response to hurricane Harvey in Texas.
Did You Know?
True or False: It’s okay if others drink when onboard, as long as there is one responsible safe boater onboard to safely handle the watercraft.
Answer: False. Over half of all boating-related drowning incidents involve the use of alcohol, and many times the injured person is not the skipper or designated safe boater. Practice safe boating at all times by restricting use of alcohol to everyone on board- not just a few people.
Safety Education Programs
Life Jackets
"Updates" on the Web
Did you not receive our latest GRDA Update? Do you have a friend that wants to see our Updates? You can now go to our website at GRDA.com to view the latest edition of GRDA Police Updates. Go to the Lakes/River tab, open the GRDA Police tab and click on the GRDA Police Update for the latest version of our email release.
Boating Tips From the GLSPS
There are both GRDA rules and maritime navigation rules that regulate boat wakes. The GRDA rule is consistent with Maritime Inland Rules in that all vessel operators are responsible for any damage that their wake might cause to property. In addition, the GRDA states that a “No wake zone” means in any area posted with buoys or within 150 feet of any boat ramp, dock pier or anchored/ moored vessel.
Rule 6 of the Inland Rules states that each vessel “shall at all times proceed at a safe speed so that she can take proper and effective action to avoid collision”. The courts have read the word “collision” to include both a collision with a vessel’s hull as well as with its wake. There are court cases where individuals on small craft have been injured by the violent action of a boat wake from a larger vessel. However the small vessel operator also has a responsibility to take action to prevent a collision with the wake.
Inland Rule 2(b) provides for departure from the “Rules of the road” to prevent a collision including a collision with a boat’s wake.
Interested in becoming more confident in your boating skills? Boat Smart from the start and take a course from America’s Boating Club, the United States Power Squadrons. For local information visit our website at: usps.org/grandlake or on Face Book at GLSPS.
NAV TIME
A Summary of Boating Laws, Navigation Regulations & Tips
That All Boat Operators Should Know
Ignition Safety Switches
Most PWCs and powerboats come equipped by the manufacturer with an important device called an emergency ignition safety switch. This is a safety device that is designed to shut off the engine if the operator is thrown from the proper operating position.
A lanyard is attached to the safety switch and the operator’s wrist or PFD. The safety switch shuts off the engine if the operator falls off the PWC or out of the powerboat. If your vessel does not come equipped with an ignition safety switch, you should have one installed.
In many states, it is illegal to ride your PWC without attaching the lanyard properly between the switch and yourself.
Always wear your lanyard when operating a PWC.
Get your free copy today!
Thank You
Pelican Festival
Do you have a Special Event Planned?
PLEASE let us know about your lake or river events so we can provide the resources you may need to make it a positive experience!
2018 Special Events Schedule
September 22: 5K Sunset Dam Run, Disney
September 29: Hook N Cook Off, Ketchum Airport
October 6-8: Crawl-A-Palooza, Pensacola Dam Off-Road area
October 11-14: GCO Off-Road Phenomenon, Pensacola Dam Off-Road area
October 12-13: Pelican Festival, Wolf Creek Park, Grove
October 26-28: Crawl-O-Ween, Pensacola Dam Off-Road area
2018 Fishing Tournaments
Numbers to Call:
GRDA Police Dispatch 918-256-0911
GRDA Ecosystems and Education Center 918-782-4726
GRDA Lake Permits 918-256-0852
E-mail: lakepermits@grda.com
GRDA Pensacola Dam Tours & Facility Information 918-256-0899
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