8334-R3_ML&P_LSLA_2023_SummerNewsletter_Web

Safety Patrol From Sharon

The Patrol Boat , with our experienced crew of newly appointed Captain Steve Sayian, along with John and Mary Bernier, Jeff Viola, Dale Brunell, Katie Martin, Dave Cole, Peter Bailey and Bud Minott will be out on the water most days this summer. You might even catch an occasional glimpse of Roger LeBlanc! Years back when we had the Cumberland County Deputies on board, they did the enforcement and citation writing. But now that we have the Maine Warden patrolling separately, we are all about public relations and education. Our primary role is to observe boating behavior and educate when we see a rule infraction, to promote the association, to provide life preservers or whistles, assistance when needed, and to be a constant reminder that safety matters. We will be at the Public Boat Launch on Saturday, Sunday and holiday mornings to meet and greet newcomers, day trippers and renters. We will remind them the lake is patrolled by State of Maine Game Wardens and we will advise them on how to have a safe and citation free day. If we can, we will remind them to check registration, fishing licenses, the number of life preservers and other things that they may not know about. It can be a very expensive day if they don’t! We will also distribute The Welcome to Little Sebago pamphlet which has everything they need to know to have a great day on the lake. It has the important telephone numbers for them to call in an emergency or to report an incident. We will also be closely monitoring all of the private islands to be sure there is no trespassing and nesting sites to protect our beloved loons. The State of Maine Game Wardens will be on the lake most every Saturday and Sunday and also during the week of the fourth of July. Our lake is getting busier and more crowded each year and having them on the water seems to keep most of us in check and on our best behavior. Last year they were here 23 days and put in 155 hours on the water for us. They checked a total of 824 water crafts. During these checks 30 summonses were issued and 35 warnings for violations of state laws. Most were for not enough personal floatation devices and or registration violations. A few other notable interactions were for trespassing issues on islands,

The summer of 2023 is fast approaching and the Lake Associations Board of Directors are diligently gearing up to do our part to make sure that it is a safe one. The Safety Patrol Program has evolved over the years to a point that this year for the first time ever, we are not expanding or changing anything. The statistics show that it is working extremely well to minimize accidents and keep us all safe. It is important to understand that this is not a policing program. The key elements of the program are Education, The Patrol Boat, The Wardens and The Predetermined Emergency Exit points around the lake. The Education piece is in my opinion the most important. Each year more and more Mainers are taking the National Association of Safe Boating Law Class than ever before. By end of year 2021, over 12,000 of us had completed the course. We encourage all of you to take a Boating Law class, regardless of your age or experience level. The Maine Legislature passed a bill that will become effective in 2024 which will require all boat operators born before 1999 to take a class and become certified. The numbers are going up each year and it is my opinion and the legislatures that education is playing a huge role in reducing accidents. Cumulative Students Completing NA SBLA Approved Courses

15,000

10,000

5,000

Please look for more information on line at https:// www.maine.gov/ifw/programs-resources/educational programs/safety-courses/boating-safety.html. If you cannot find a course, call the regional safety coordinator at 207-287-5220. We will cover the cost of any supporting member of our association who chooses to take any of these classes. 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015 2016 2017 2018 2019 2020 2021

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