BoatU.S. is urging boaters to have a working VHF radio with digital selective calling (DSC) in addition to a cell phone in case of an emergency.
A provision in the recently passed Frank LoBiondo Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2018 aims to improve the 911 system that assists recreational boaters in times of trouble or routine on-water assistance. The U.S. Coast Guard will review its Public Safety Answering Points (PSAP) policy that operates more than 6,000 24/7 call centers across the country.
“This effort will help minimize the possibility of maritime calls being improperly routed and to assure the U.S. Coast Guard is able to effectively carry out its maritime search-and-rescue mission,” says Tina Cardone, the executive director of the Conference of Professional Operators for Response Towing.
For more information, visit boatus.com/pressroom/release.asp?id=1459.
