Grants

EFFECTIVELY PROSECUTING BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE CASES: ENHANCED TRAINING FOR COURTROOM  PREPARATION

As part of this grant project, NASBLA will collaborate with the National District Attorneys Association (NDAA) to develop a training module which will enhance courtroom preparation for prosecutors of boating under the influence (BUI) cases brought forth by state and local officers. NASBLA, in partnership with the NDAA, intends to bridge the gap between successful and unsuccessful prosecution of BUI by assisting prosecutors in better preparing themselves for courtroom testimony. This training, in preparation for the adjudication of BUI cases, will strengthen officers’ ability to successfully recall and communicate to a judge and jury the facts and informed opinions that resulted in the decision to arrest made by the officer. This project was awarded funding for one year.

STANDARDIZING STATE RECREATIONAL BOATING SAFETY STATUTES & REGULATIONS: NASBLA & THE STATES

NASBLA has been awarded funding to partner with and support the states, the U.S. Coast Guard and the recreational boating safety (RBS) community by fostering standardization and reciprocity among state boating safety statutes, regulations, and rules, and how they are administered and enforced. NASBLA, through the states and a well-established volunteer policy committee structure, will develop or update model state boating safety policies, standards, and best practices as well as guidance for their administration and enforcement. Through this grant project, NASBLA will facilitate hands-on coordination of state efforts and the establishment of cooperative environments, to include workshops and conferences where state officials can discuss issues, resolutions, policies, and best  practices, and improve their management of the RBS programs. This project was awarded funding for three years.

NATIONAL BOATING EDUCATION STANDARDS

The goal of the National Boating Education Standards project is to develop American National Standards for recreational boating education, providing nationwide uniformity for course developers used to cultivate safer boating behavior on the water across the nation. This project is designed to improve measurable standardization and foster reciprocity among state boating education statutes, regulations, and rules governing the boating public. This grant project was awarded funding for one year.

OPERATION DRY WATER CAMPAIGN

Grant funding will be used to deliver the Operation Dry Water (ODW) campaign. Operation Dry Water is a year-round national boating under the influence awareness and enforcement campaign with the mission of reducing the number of alcohol- and drug- related incidents and fatalities through increased recreational boater awareness and by fostering a stronger and more visible deterrent to alcohol and drug use on the water. The campaign takes place in every U.S. state and territory with participation from local, state and federal law enforcement agencies. As a result of the three-day heightened enforcement weekend, hundreds of impaired operators will be removed from the waterways and thousands of boaters will be educated about safe boating practices. This grant project was awarded funding for three years.

BOATING INCIDENT INVESTIGATION & GPS FORENSICS COURSES

NASBLA has received funding to improve the reliability of incident reporting and data collection through the effective training of law enforcement and incident investigators. NASBLA will continue to deliver Boating Incident Investigation and GPS Forensics courses. Officers calls for service to investigate boating incidents continue to rise with the increase in recreational boating activity nationwide. This emphasizes the importance and the demand for professionally trained officers’ investigators in the technical role of incident investigation across the nation. Additionally, GPS technology has continued to advance. Information that can be garnered from these devices can be extremely valuable to the impartial investigator in determining what was happening prior to, during, and after the incident. This project was awarded funding for three years.

STAGED BOATING COLLISIONS & VIDEO DOCUMENTATION

As a result of this grant, NASBLA will conduct a Staged Boating Collision project to support the delivery of the Boat Incident Investigation and Reconstruction courses. This project will design and capture through video a collision scenario likely to occur on the water in a recreational boating setting. Crashed vessels will be used for hands-on learning during the Advanced Boating Incident Investigation courses. Video documentation will also be incorporated into the course curriculum through development of teaching aides. This project was awarded funding for one year.

BOAT OCCUPANT INJURY SURVEILLANCE TIER 3: TESTING & REFINEMENT OF TECHNICAL SOLUTIONS & SURVEILLANCE  RECOMMENDATIONS

NASBLA will work to build on the ongoing development of Technical Solutions & Surveillance Recommendations through the Injury Surveillance Workgroup process. This grant project will build on the two prior tiers and commence the final tier of an initiative focused on using a public health approach to enhance boat occupant injury surveillance, prevent occupant injuries and enhance safety. Tier 3 will pilot test the recommendations and will focus on three key areas: data access, data linkages, and partnerships. This grant project was awarded funding for one year.

BOATING UNDER THE INFLUENCE DETECTION & ENFORCEMENT  TRAINING

Under funding from this grant, NASBLA will conduct a series of training courses to combat boating under the influence of alcohol (BUI) and drugs (BUI-D). NASBLA will deliver  Boating Under the Influence Train-the-Trainer courses designed for marine law enforcement officers who wish to teach other officers the BUI Course, including the seated battery of Standardized Field Sobriety Tests (SFSTs) transition. This grant project was awarded funding for three years.