Wash. Admin. Code § 352-65-040 - What are the minimum requirements necessary to obtain boating safety program approval?

The minimum requirements necessary to obtain boating safety program approval are as follows:

(1) Boating accident reporting and investigation.

(a) Each county or local jurisdiction must provide an assurance that all serious or fatal recreational boating accidents will be thoroughly investigated to the maximum extent possible, and that copies of the investigative reports will be submitted to state parks as specified in RCW 88.12.175.

(b) The approved county or local jurisdiction must support the statewide boating accident reporting system by:

(i) Providing recreational boaters with copies of the state required boating accident report (BAR) form and informing recreational boaters of their responsibility to submit the completed BAR as specified in RCW 88.12.155; and

(ii) Submitting to state parks a completed BAR form which includes all available information about the accident or casualty as specified in chapter 352-70 WAC.

(2) Boater assistance. The county or local jurisdiction will have the ability to respond or coordinate response to recreational boating emergencies which occur within its jurisdiction. Such emergencies may include swift water response, open water rescue, ice rescue, vessel fire, overdue boater search, or other boating-related emergencies or distress calls.

(3) Training. The county or local jurisdiction will be responsible for acquiring the training for its assigned boating safety program personnel. The training will include basic boating safety officer training as provided by the United States Coast Guard, state parks, or any county or local jurisdiction whose training program is approved by state parks.

Such training must be acquired within one year of initiating a new boating safety program, and within one year for each newly assigned boating safety officer.

(4) Rules and regulations. When the county or local jurisdiction adopts ordinances governing recreational boating, the ordinances must be as restrictive, but may be more restrictive than Washington state boating laws and regulations.

(5) Enforcement. The county or local jurisdiction must:

(a) Provide:

(i) Officers with law enforcement certificates from the criminal justice training commission which authorizes such officers to enforce all boating laws and regulations or officers who have completed such other training program as may be approved by the director or designee;

(ii) A patrol schedule that ensures such officers patrol the waterways during peak recreational boating periods;

(iii) The necessary boating safety patrol equipment, including vessel(s) capable of serving the minimum requirements of this section. The patrol vessel must be properly marked and properly equipped as provided in chapter 88.02 RCW and chapter 352-60 WAC;

(b) Respond to on-water complaints, accidents, and emergencies;

(c) Enforce safety equipment, vessel operation, noise level, navigation and harbor improvements, and registration laws as specified in Title 88 RCW, and as specified in local codes or ordinances.

(6) Boating safety education and information. The county or local jurisdiction must have a boating safety education and information program as follows: Have a designated officer, trained by state parks, to coordinate the activities of boating safety education instructors, act as liaison to boating safety education organizations, and to coordinate:

(a) Boating safety presentations which may include any of the following: Presentations in primary and secondary schools, to boating organizations, and youth groups.

(b) Boating safety instruction. A public course of instruction using lessons and materials from state parks education curriculum, or other state or nationally recognized curriculum approved by state parks.

(c) Boating safety information. Distribute boating safety information and materials, including materials provided by state parks, to boating and outdoor recreation organizations, the boating public, public agencies, and the local media.

(7) Waterway marking. The county or local jurisdiction will use only those waterway markers which conform to the uniform state waterway marking system found in chapter 352-66 WAC.

(8) Boating safety inspections. The county or local jurisdiction will complete written boating safety inspections during enforcement and informational contacts when considered safe and appropriate to document boater compliance with state boating laws. State parks will provide boating safety inspection forms. A copy of the completed inspection will be submitted to state parks for statistical purposes.

(9) Reports. The county or local jurisdiction agrees to submit an annual report of activities performed through the boating safety program and to submit an annual report of all program expenditures. The county or local jurisdiction agrees to participate in statewide boating surveys coordinated by state parks.

(10) Limitations on use of funds. These funds are intended to increase education and enforcement efforts and to stimulate greater local participation in boating safety and are not to supplant existing local funds used for boating safety programs. The county or local jurisdiction agrees to deposit boat registration fees allocated by the state treasurer under RCW 88.02.040, into an account dedicated solely for boating safety purposes which include all activities or expenditures identified in this section.

Notes

Wash. Admin. Code § 352-65-040

Statutory Authority: RCW 88.12.385, 88.02.040 and 43.51.400. 98-24-012, § 352-65-040, filed 11/19/98, effective 12/20/98; 94-04-076, § 352-65-040, filed 1/31/94, effective 3/3/94. Statutory Authority: RCW 43.52.050 [43.51.050]. 90-13-008, § 352-65-040, filed 6/7/90, effective 7/7/90.