District Directorate Chiefs

Prevention is defined as "the action of stopping something from happening or arising." The Prevention Directorate's mission to prevent loss of life, property, and marine waterway resources. Recreational Boating Safety (RBS) is one of the eleven (11) missions assigned to the United States Coast Guard (USCG) by Congressional mandate and for which the USCG Auxiliary is an integral partner.

The USCG Auxiliary District 7 (D7) Prevention Directorate has responsibility for the planning, administration, and execution of the Auxiliary programs that support and augment the USCG's mission of ensuring the protection of the nation's marine resources and waterways within District 7. D7 is the largest of the Auxiliary's Districts and comprises the states of South Carolina, Georgia, most of Florida, the Commonwealth of Puerto Rico, and the U.S. Virgin Islands

The Prevention activities are the ones that interface directly with the shore side boating community, the general public and the businesses that support the boaters. Activities range from vessel exams, boating safety classes, adopt a highway or beach cleanup to manning booths at partner and public events.

The three (3) key departments in RBS consist of: 1) Public Education (PE), 2) Program Visitor (PV) also referred to as Marine Dealer Visitation (MDV), and 3) Vessel Exams (VE).

In addition to these core efforts the USCG Auxiliary District 7 Prevention Directorate is comprised of four (4) other programs: Member Training (MT), Marine Safety (MS), Navigation Systems (NS), and the State Liaison Officer (SL) program.

These Prevention activities interface directly with the recreational boating public, the various businesses, and local and state government agencies that support the public. Often, a Prevention Directorate auxiliary member is the first interaction a boater or potential boater has with the USCG.

The D7 Prevention Directorate is organized with a District Directorate Chief-Prevention, reporting to the D7 District Chief of Staff and responsible for managing the total Prevention Program for D7.

For Calendar Years 2023 and 2024, the DDC-P is Mr. Hal N Blaisdell. He has been a member of District 7, Division 10, Bluffton-Hilton Head Flotilla 10-11 since enrollment over ten years ago. He has served in various elected and appointed offices at the Flotilla, Division, and District levels. At the flotilla Level, he has held the following offices: Flotilla Staff Officer positions of Vessel Examiner, Operations, Member Training, Public Education, and Human Resources. In addition, he was elected and served as Flotilla Vice-Commander and Flotilla Commander for two years each. Mr. Blaisdell was elected and served two years each as Division 10 Vice Commander and Division Commander. Additionally, he was appointed for two years as ADSO-Member Training Sector Charleston. Mr. Blaisdell is Auxiliary Operations (AUXOP) qualified. Additionally, he is an instructor, TCT/RM facilitator, vessel examiner, TCO, Boat Crew Member, and Academy Admissions Partner. Mr. Blaisdell holds multiple individual and team awards for his leadership and sustained service.

Reporting to the District Directorate Chief and serving as District Staff Officers (DSOs) in the Prevention Department for 2021 – 2022 are:

You are on a Coast Guard Mission!

Prevention District Staff Officers (DSO)

Public Education - George Peek

The Auxiliary offers many boating safety and seamanship courses to the public. These courses are tailored for various age groups, types of vessels, and experience levels. They are taught by a group of seasoned and knowledgeable instructors that have been qualified to provide the subject instruction.

Public Education Page

Program Visitor - Patrick McGowan

To inform the public what the Auxiliary offers and to provide informational material on various boating safety programs. The Program Visitor department works closely with various marine businesses such as boat dealers, marinas, marine retail stores, and sporting goods stores to discuss the latest regulatory and boating safety issues so they can better assist us by educating their customers. Literature is made available to businesses that can be distributed to their customers, providing information on various boating safety, environmental issues, and information on the Auxiliary, its upcoming activities, and recruiting.

Program Visitation Page

Vessel Exams - Patti McGowan

An essential facet of prevention is that all vessels on the water, be they paddle, sail, or power, have the mandatory safety equipment on board for normal safe operations and emergencies. By successfully passing a vessel exam, a mariner has shown compliance with the regulations and an interest in safety. Also, while the exam is being conducted, the boater can be informed of additional educational opportunities and Auxiliary membership advantages.

Vessel Examinations Page

Marine Safety - Mark Wronkowski

The Marine Safety program is designed to provide direct support, minus any law enforcement or military activities, to the USCG Marine Safety Detachments and Units in the District. Activities in this department are Commercial Vessel activities involving Foreign Flagged Vessels, T-boats, K-boats, Passenger, Cargo, Tankers, Uninspected Passenger, Tow, and Commercial Fishing Vessels. Port and Facility Activities including Container Inspections, Marine Safety oriented surface and air patrols, Regional Exam Center Support, and waterways management. Prevention outreach includes America's Waterway Watch, Sea Partners, Aquatic Nuisance Species Resources, Living marine mammals' program, and the Good Mate Program.

Marine Saftey Page

Member Training - David Patlak

Most of the Coast Guard Auxiliary mission areas require Auxiliary specific qualifications in these mission areas to fully participate and are provided through the Member Training department. These qualifications, except for military and law enforcement requirements, mirror those of the active duty. Most programs are based on the individual Coast Guard units' needs in the Auxiliary's Area of Responsibility (AOR). If there is no need for the Auxiliary to provide support in a particular program area, then training and qualification are not available in that area. Courses range from local instruction to formal courses at various U.S. Coast Guard training centers. The goal is to meet the USCG and boating public's needs by having well-educated and informed USCG Auxiliary members interfacing with them.

Member Training Page

Navigation Systems - Faron Petteys

Once qualified by completing the Aids Verifier PQS, Auxiliarists are authorized to provide direct support and augment the CG's Aids to Navigation program. There are four programs in the Auxiliary Navigation Systems training, including Aids to Navigation (ATONs), Private Aids to Navigation (PATONs), Bridges Administration Program (BAP), and Chart Updating (CU). Auxiliarists can assist with inspecting, verifying, and reporting on the condition and location of buoys and day beacons in the district's AOR. AV-PQS's can also work with the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration (NOAA) and the U.S. Army Corps of Engineers (USACOE) in updating nautical charts and publications. Qualified Auxiliarists can also attend the Navigation Systems C-School for additional training in these topics.

Navigation Systems Page

State Liaison - Anda Ray

Local and State governments are always reviewing and assessing their legal statutes in boating safety, environmental, and other topics that can impact the recreational boater and marine industry. The State Liaison program provides an interface and consults with the various governmental entities and other boating safety agencies, water management districts, and environmental organizations on these issues. Since District 7 has multiple states, a commonwealth, and territory, there are Liaisons in each of those areas. This team's charter is to keep the Auxiliary informed on these updates and developments so that we can have an input into the process and to keep our other Prevention programs informed so we can provide the information to the boating public.

State Legislation Page

To everyone in the Prevention Directorate, fun should be built into any of its activities. Fellowship is a major tenet of the Auxiliary, and as we are volunteers, fun is one of the ways we get paid back. Another of our goals is inclusion. Every member should be given the opportunity to come out and see what the various prevention programs are about and get them involved. Do not wait for them to come to you. Reach out and make them feel wanted. Uniforms are another key item to always be cognizant of. Make sure everyone in your program has the proper uniform and is wearing it properly, including grooming. It is a privilege for us to wear the Coast Guard uniform. Make them proud of us exercising that honor. Always remember the District's watchwords of Embolden, Enable, and Empower. We must help our members reach their full potential and meet our common goals and objectives. Through training, mentoring, and providing opportunities for our members to use their skills and creativity, provide them opportunities to develop their leadership skills and make them ready for leadership opportunities. Give members the authority along with the responsibility to carry out missions and operations to give them the confidence and trust in their own abilities. The Prevention Directorate looks forward to a great two years. The more we can support the Coast Guard, the more relevant and useful we become to them. Let us always be "SEMPER PARATUS."