The Citizen's Action Network program within the U.S. Coast Guard is a wonderful volunteer opportunity - providing your home has a view of our waterways. From the comfort of home, members help the USCG save lives and property, prevent oil spills, and protect wildlife. Become a Citizen's Action Network member to help the U.S. Coast Guard protect your community. Your participation could also be very helpfull to Camano Island Fire & Rescue's responses to marine rescues!
Examples of Citizen's Action Network member assistance:
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Verifying or monitoring information during a SAR case; especially when the expected time for Coast Guard responders on scene is lengthy. This type of "eyes on" support is valuable when an initial report is lacking critical information, communications is lost with the initial reporting source or the reporting source moves from the location (such as cell phone reports taken from moving vehicles).
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Supporting the Aids to Navigation mission by conducting visual checks after a storm. A participant, knowing in advance the bearing of an aid from his home, could report back when called upon. Several participants in a given area could support a rough triangulation of an aid allowing for the Aton unit to better manage the priority of their response efforts.
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Responding to a call from the Coast Guard to verify a vessel's location. This could be helpful identifying positions of vessels too small for VTS tracking.
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Having the volunteer check their nearby beach for evidence of a false alarm, flare firing, oil spill impact or disabled/sick wildlife. Ideally, the Citizen's Action Network volunteers will be available when needed; but the odds of being called are great for evening, nights and weekend support.
Please visit http://www.uscg.mil/d13/can/ to learn more about the Citizen's Action Network.