A few very important minutes

[Reposted from CGBlog.org] Yesterday morning at a little before six all the training, the practice, the field experience and the mental scenario building paid off. The moment didn’t occur out on the water or during a disaster – the moment occurred in the safety of home, waking from those last few moments of sleep before the alarm was to go off with a shout for help from my wife.

Sarah had been out for her morning five-mile run and got bitten by a yellow jacket on her way up the walk. She didn’t think much of it and proceeded to the shower. Within a few minutes she started to feel dizzy. Thinking it was just the heat of the shower combined with a warm morning she sat down to clear her head. Luckily she decided something was really wrong and shouted for me. Within a few seconds I knew something wasn’t right and the responder persona kicked in -- the mental checklists started popping up in my head: establish communications, do an assessment, check the ABCs, … I yelled for my daughter to get the phone (30 seconds from a sound sleep to a phone in my hand – yes, an 11 year old can be a superhero). By the time Sarah lost consciousness, 90 seconds to 2 minutes after calling out, we had the 911 dispatcher on the phone. She ended up having a fair selection of the anaphylactic shock symptoms list – BP through the floor, unconsciousness, seizures, breathing irregularities.

We were lucky in a lot of ways yesterday. The ambulance crews hang out at the grocery store a few blocks away, the fire station is 4 minutes away and the ER is 7-8 minutes out. We were home rather than camping, biking or hiking in the boonies. Sarah got stung on the way home rather than the way out. She wasn't home alone.

We also got lucky because I’ve been trained to call on my team (in this case my two kids), developed a bias to seek outside assistance immediately, have enough basic first aid training to check her eyes and general responsiveness, and enough practice in other emergencies to have a calm inner place to go when action is required. Having the Coast Guard training and the experience saved 2-3 minutes yesterday. They were very important minutes.



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The crazy thing about anaphylactic shock is how quickly it responds to treatment – Sarah was out of the ER under her own power in six hours. The dispatcher, the paramedics, the firemen, the ER RNs and doctors were all great. Everyone took great care to treat Sarah respectfully and tell her exactly what they were doing and what they did, and didn’t know. She has now joined the ranks of the EpiPen wielding masses. When I asked if I could write about her experience she responded without pause that the more people who are aware of the risk the better -- the kind of thinking I'm lucky enough to have come to expect over the last 20 years.

UC Davis has some great information on bee and wasp stings.

Vessel Safety Checks for canoes and kayaks? Requirements and recommendations

The answer in short is Absolutely! While the equipment requirements for canoes and kayaks are minimal the Vessel Safety Check is an outstanding opportunity to discuss safety issues in general and focus on those issues most relevant to our area.

Requirements:
1) A type I, II, III or V Life Jacket for every person aboard. This life jacket must be of appropriate size for the intended wearer and in good condition. Ideally the life jackets are worn! (See the Federal requirements here, the Oregon requirements here, and the Washington requirements here)

2) A sound producing device for signaling, typically a whistle. The best location is attached to the Life Jacket of the operator. (See the Federal requirements here)

3) If operating at night appropriate lights. The navigation rules allow the use of a white lantern or flashlight for vessels under oars or you may have running lights like those used a sailboat under sail. The lantern or flashlight should be readily available and bright is best. (See the Federal requirements here)

4) If operating under the following conditions "All vessels used on coastal waters, the Great Lakes, territorial seas, and those waters connected directly to them, up to a point where a body of water is less than two miles wide, must be equipped with U.S.C.G. Approved visual distress signals. Vessels owned in the United States operating on the high seas must be equiped with U.S.C.G. Approved visual distress signals." You must carry approved, non-expired night signals. You are not required to carry day signals. (See the Federal requirements here) These conditions generally don't apply to boating in our area until you get downriver near Astoria.

Recommendations:
Wear your life jacket

Carry a dewatering device, a pump and/or a bailing bucket.

Be aware of the special conditions on the Columbia and Willamette Rivers

• High levels of commercial vessel traffic including deep-draft ships, tugs with barges and passenger vessels
• Many recreational boaters operating in a very constrained waterway - there are lots of us in very little space
• Snow fed rivers with very cold water much of the year
• General water quality issues in some areas and sewer overflow conditions in periods of high runoff
• Occasional heavy river level fog which seriously reduces visibility

Be comfortable in the water, out of your boat.

Obtain the knowledge, skills and ability necessary for kayaking and canoeing.

Always boat with a group. Three boats is a recommended minimum.

Know how to self-rescue. Practice! Practice! Practice!

File a float plan, with friends or family so someone can call for search and rescue if you are overdue.

Bring appropriate safety, rescue, and navigational aids, and more than adequate food, water, and extra protective clothing. Do not wear cotton!

Pick an activity level that matches your ability, and progress to more demanding challenges.

Monitor your physical and emotional condition, and watch the other members or your group for fatigue, illness, and changes in behavior.

Know and follow all local, state and federal laws.

Be visible - wear bright colors so others can see you between waves or in the fog. Carry a bright light, flares, and whistle to signal your position.

Take a boating safety class offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Safe Summer SITREP: Columbia Slough Regatta

Hosted by the Columbia slough watershed council, this annual celebration of the slough is the largest one-day paddle in Oregon. The council provides 15-20 paddle craft on a reservation basis and encourages the public to bring their own boats.

Flotilla 76 has participated in a number of paddle craft focused events in recent years. This is the first event where we developed focused paddle craft education materials (handouts & posters). The paddling specific material developed was based on the work done in District 1 for their Paddle Safe 2009 campaign.  Seven vessel exams were conducted – we have some gaps to fill in our knowledge to maximize the educational value of vessel exams for paddlers. We plan an ongoing outreach effort to the padding community and will be receiving two kayaks next week funded by a boating safety grant from OSMB. We will use the kayaks as static displays and hopefully as operational facilities, within the limitations of such vessels, in the future once we have PCO qualified members.

A PDF versions of the new cold water poster can be found here (matrix only) or here (matrix and PNW information).

A PDF version of the paddling safety poster can be found here.

Please send me any corrections or additions to these three posters and I will update them for our next event.

Paddle Craft Safety

The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary and the American Canoe Association (http://www.americancanoe.org ) offers some basic safety tips:

• Always wear a U.S. Coast Guard approved life jacket.
• Be comfortable in the water, out of your boat.
• Obtain the knowledge, skills and ability necessary for kayaking and canoeing.
• Always boat with a group. Three boats is a recommended minimum.
• Know how to self-rescue. Practice! Practice! Practice!
• File a float plan, with friends,,family, or the authorities.
• Bring appropriate safety, rescue, and navigational aids, and more than adequate food, water, and extra protective clothing. Do not wear cotton!
• Pick an activity level that matches your ability, and progress to more demanding challenges.
• Monitor your physical and emotional condition, and watch the other members or your group for fatigue, illness, and changes in behavior.
• Know and follow all local, state and federal laws.
• Be visible - wear bright colors so others can see you between waves or in the fog. Carry a bright light, flares, and whistle to signal your position.
• Take a boating safety class offered by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Resources:

• USCG: Boating Sidekicks - Smart Start for Paddlers (Flash webpage - great for kids)
• USCG First District Auxiliary: Federal Requirements for Paddlers (webpage)
• OSMB: Paddling Oregon Safely (pdf)
• Flotilla 76: Cold water effects | Pacific Northwest water temperatures & cold water effects 
• Flotilla 76: Paddle safety tips

Sector Portland also requests you clearly mark your boat with your name and phone number:

• If your Paddlecraft is found, it can be returned to you 
• A simple phone call can help us determine if you are OK, or separated from your paddlecraft and in need of assistance

Oregon State Marine Board on Twitter and YouTube

Our friends (and great boating safety partners) at the Oregon State Marine Board are now on Twitter and YouTube.

Follow OSMB on Twitter
Watch and subscribe to the OSMB videos on YouTube

Scappoose Detachment update

We had our first onsite detachment (pre)meeting at Multnomah Channel Yacht Club on Friday evening. [Why Friday? Because your FC fouled up and asked the Division Commander to request a Wednesday based on the June, not the July calendar, so we got Wednesday, July 17.... which was in fact a Friday] Our intent was to look at the meeting space and the parking ahead of a formal Detachment meeting. The MCYC facility is a great waterside venue and will be perfect for meetings and classes.

Based on our very positive assessment of the location we will ask the MCYC board to allow us the use of their facilities on a monthly basis for detachment meetings and as yet to be determined times for classes. We hope to see MCYC members become new Auxiliarists and, as these are symbiotic relationships, for existing Auxiliarists to consider pursuing membership in MCYC. We have a number of members who live on Multnomah Channel within a mile of MCYC so it should prove a very good fit in an area that has been without a Flotilla for a number of years (Todd Mains of FL73 arrived via boat this evening, his wife's boat).

One of the primary goals of this effort is to reinvigorate the USCG presence on Multnomah Channel by adding new members, new facilities, and recreational boating safety (VE and education) opportunities in this critical portion of our area of responsibility. We are very happy to have MCYC as our partner.

We are still in the planning stages but we anticipate requesting the fourth Wednesday of each month as our meeting time and we have a tentative schedule of member/public training for August to October:

August: An introduction to the USCG, USCG Auxiliary and our Surface Operations Program (with 222051 dockside as an example Auxiliary facility)

September: Cold Water Immersion Awareness (based on Murrianna's great work)

October: Basics of VHF-FM operation for mariners and a brief introduction to Auxiliary Communications Operations.

A thank you to my Active Duty, Reserve and Civilian staff shipmates

I have received absolutely outstanding support from my Active Duty, Reserve and Civilian component Coast Guard shipmates in response to the death of our member Tony Touch. This support has been offered to Tony's family, to our Flotilla and to me personally.

BM1 Mckenzie contacted Tony's family immediately on behalf of the Station upon hearing of the accident and began the notification process. I've met with Captain Myer and LT Trevinio of Sector Portland, and had conversations with LCDR Billeaudeaux our D13 DIRAUX and Chief Eaton, OIC at Station Portland. Their offers of support have been backed by the D13 Chief of Staff Captain Ewalt, D13 Senior Reserve Officer Forgit, Sector Deputy Commander CDR McClellan, D13 Command Master Chief Dunn,  BM1 Sierra, and many others. Our former Deputy Sector Commander Captain Russ Proctor, who is now at Headquarters, shared his memories of Tony which I have passed to the family.

When I got the news of Tony's death I was shocked and started to call upon my shipmates. Within fifteen minutes I did not have any doubt that I had the full resources of our service behind me (thanks Andre!) and any counsel I needed on how to effectively deploy those resources.

The Coast Guard excels in times of adversity and takes care of its own in times of grief. As Auxiliarists we are very much part of the Coast Guard family, something that has never been clearer to me than it has been over the last few days.

Thank you shipmates

Daren

Remembering Tony

On Tuesday evening we lost our shipmate, Tony Touch, in a motorcycle accident. Tony was waiting for his weigh-in in a week to join the Coast Guard Reserve for a MK billet at Cape Disappointment. It was a billet he had earned by working at Station Portland in the MK shop. A few months after Tony started the word came down from the Officer In Charge CWO (then Chief) Clark that he considered Tony one of his guys. In my book there is no higher complement an Auxiliarist can receive.

While visiting with Tony's mother, brother, uncle and other family this afternoon I got a lot of stories to add to the ones I already had. His mother talked about Tony being the first to solo in a glider in his CAP cohort. She told me how he came home from his first Auxiliary meeting not sure if he was ready and she told him it was an honor and he must join. His brother David recounted how Tony always vehemently insisted they stop and help people on the roadside.

Bottom line, Tony was a Guardian. It wasn't something that he grew into in our company - it was something he WAS! Having spent time with Tony's mother I know exactly where the drive, the commitment, the honor, the respect and the devotion to duty came from. We were very lucky to be one of the places Tony's passion could shine.

Last Wednesday at our Flotilla meeting Tony got an ovation after describing his plans for the future. On the way home I thought about how much I looked forward to Tony to make Chief or become an Ensign in the coming years.

Sector Portland, Station Portland, Division 7 and Flotilla 76 will be there on Sunday to help lay Tony to rest with his family and his Harley Davidson buddies -- but as my friend Jon James said tonight "I know Tony isn't resting, he is already qualifying as a Guardian Angel." A Guardian Angel indeed.

Fair winds and following seas Tony.

Sunday 19JUL2009 1200-1600

River View Cemetery Funeral Home
8421 SW Macadam Avenue
Portland, OR 97219
503-246-6488

Uniform: Tropical Blue with combination covers

Anthony "Tony" Touch
Coast Guard Unit Commendation
Coast Guard Meritorious Team Commendation with Operational "O" Distinguishing Device
Coast Guard Auxiliary Operations Ribbon

Photo of the Week: Rocket's Red Glare

Fireworks off Rainier Oregon as part of the Rainier Days celebration. 11JUL2009 Safety Patrol

Happy 4th of July!

My daughter Charlotte is off to camp in the San Juan's tomorrow with the Oregon Museum of Science and Industry camps program. When reviewing the parent packet I came across OMSI's science camp rules. The first rule is:

1. If a rule is not stated, common sense and good judgement, courtesy, respect and safety should apply.

Two things struck me about this rule. First, it is the first rule, not the last -- not a catchall for things they missed, but very much the guiding principle. Second it sounds much like the principles we operate under as Guardians, our core values of honor, respect and devotion to duty combined with our responsibility of care to our shipmates set out in our TCT. The camp rule also seems like a good basic way to pursue the principles we celebrate today, those of life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness laid out in the Declaration of Independence.

Enjoy your 4th of July and be safe!

Photo of the Week: A Vessel Exam

Chris Roosevelt, FSO-VE doing a Vessel Exam at 42nd Street Ramp, 03JUL2009