AIDS VERIFICATION PROGRAM
PURPOSE OF OUR MISSION
The purpose of the Coast Guard Auxiliary Aids to Navigation mission, and its programs, is to provide support for our customers: the Coast Guard Bridge Administration and the Coast Guard Aids to Navigation active duty units and their attached reserves. The primary Auxiliary mission is the annual night verification of all Class I Private Aids (PATONs) and all Bridge Lighting and Fender Systems (Bridges) within an area of responsibility (AOR).
In a given AOR, it is common practice for the local Auxiliary division to work with the AOR Coast Guard Cutter or unit to develop secondary 'missions' or activities that are unique to that AOR. Presence of such additional activities demonstrates a healthy Team Coast Guard relationship!
ROLES AND RESPONSIBILITIES
Memorandums of Understanding at the national level between the Coast Guard and the Coast Guard Auxiliary have defined certain activities that are the responsibility of Coast Guard units but that can be performed by qualified Auxiliary resources.
At the district level, these activities are further defined via the District's operational procedure and policy statements. For example, in District Eight, the "CCGD8 Standard Operating Procedures, Chapter 22, Section 6" contains these statements as they apply to verification of private aids.
At the unit level, specific verification programs and activities are jointly developed by the local Auxiliary division and the Coast Guard Cutter that share an area of responsibility (AOR). Experience has proven that a good working relationship (and personal relationship) between the:
– Coast Guard unit (CG Cutter) Officer-in-Charge (OIC) and crew, and the
– Auxiliary Division Captain (DCP) and the Division Staff Officer - Aids to Navigation (SO-NS)
makes things happen to the satisfaction of all concerned.
Where the units and the local Auxiliarists work together year-round:
- This results in better planning and scheduling of activities:
Aid Verifier training (and "NE" training if available), Aid Verifier qualification, aid verification patrols, AOR coverage, etc.
- Needs unique to the unit and the AOR can be addressed:
Special training, running buoy lines, re-verification requests, administrative support, watch standing qualifications, land mobile support for Cutters under way – list is limited only by the imagination of the Cutter OIC, the Auxiliary DCP and Coast Guard and Coast Guard Auxiliary policies and procedures.
- Visible and measurable results are achieved:
More qualified Aid Verifier resources are available; verification reports are timely, complete and accurate; the number of private aids that have to be verified by the units (because the Auxiliary didn't verify them) is zero.
Coast Guard duty assignments are for a limited time. Auxiliary members have often lived in an area for several years. Auxiliary knowledge about the local area (places to live, churches, schools, doctors, stores, etc.) is a valuable resource and this knowledge should be offered to the unit OIC for newly arrived personnel and their families.
Remember: Experience has shown that the best Auxiliary aids to navigation programs are those that have been established for an area through the joint efforts of the local Auxiliary division elected officers / staff and the local active duty unit OIC and crew!
AID VERIFIER PROGRAM GOALS
The performance of all members of the Auxiliary Aids to Navigation Team should be focused on the following Aid Verifier program goals:
- Annual night verification of all Class I PATONs and Bridges in your AOR.
- Deliver timely, 100% defect-free (no exceptions) verification results to our customers, the Cutters (for Federal and private aids) and Bridge Administration (Saint Louis, for bridges).
- Develop high quality Auxiliary Aid Verifier resources in sufficient numbers needed to accomplish the Auxiliary aid verification mission.
- Provide the training necessary to develop and maintain qualified Auxiliary resources. Promote the Auxiliary Aids to Navigation Programs.
- Actively promote the Auxiliary Aids to Navigation and Aid Verifier programs.
- Establish mission plans and schedules working with peers (e.g., SO-OP and SO-MT) and with the active duty Coast Guard units to assure that mission goals and objectives will be met.
- Maintain strong relationships and communication between all levels (up and down) of the AN staffs, the Aid Verifiers, the Auxiliary elected officers and the appropriate Coast Guard personnel in your AOR.
- Challenge the Auxiliary Aid to Navigation (AN) staff to provide whatever support the Aid Verifiers (AVs) need to do their job.
- Execute missions safely and have fun!
THE AID VERIFIER CANDIDATE
An Auxiliarist who wishes to qualify as an Aid Verifier:
- Must have successfully completed Auxiliary Basic Qualification training including the Boating Skills and Seamanship (BS&S) Course, or the Boating Safely Course, or America"s Boating Course or have equivalent experience in order to pass the Aid Verifier Qualification Examination.
- Should have a good working understanding of the aids to navigation ("Your Highway Signs") and the "Inland Boating" BS&S lessons or equivalent.
- Is not required to be boat crew qualified.
- Is required to attend the annual Operations Workshop.
- Is required to participate as a trainee with a qualified Aid Verifier on aid verification patrols (or multi-mission safety patrols) at night, where s/he will complete at least one Bridge and one PATON Annual Night Verification Report form. (This may be a re-check of a Bridge or PATON that has already been reported on in that year.).
- Must be willing to complete TCT (Team Coordination Training) before certification.
- Complete both Incident Command System (ICS) 100 & 700 courses before certification.
Note: The Aid Verifier Class training materials assume that the trainee has the working knowledge of aids to navigation basics (characteristics, shapes, colors, etc.) and usage of charts as described in the above lessons
For more information about becoming an Aid Verifier, browse the Aid Verifier Program webpage. |
