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Welcome to the Flotilla 11-7, District 7 Web Site

Mon, 02 Jan 12   Posted by: RLIPPMANN, FSO-CS

Welcome to the official web presence of the Hudson, Florida United States Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-7!

    

MATTHEW COPELAND, FLOTILLA COMMANDER - 2022

 On November 9th, 2021, I was elected as the new Flotilla Commander for Hudson 11-7. This is humbling but a big responsibility to all in this unit. I started with the Auxiliary, Flotilla 23 in Northeast Georgia in 2013. I relocated to Hudson, Florida, joining the unit late in 2017. I have been trusted to hold Flotilla Staff Officer in Communications and worked as a team Vessel Examiner on several events. In 2019 I became interested in the Flotilla Commander position and when the opportunity came, I jumped at the chance.

Over the past 2 years, I have worked hard to better myself with online training. Including ICS-300, ICS-400, and Operational Auxiliarist (AUXOP). I enjoy training, which I believe makes me a better team member, and encourage my team members to do the same. I will be taking over from Rob Lippmann who has honorably served his two years. My plans are not to change anything but to build on them. I would like to see us back on the water and to be ready to support Sector St Petersburg. I also want to get more “ in person” training at the Hudson Flotilla and get more trainers as well. I would like to see our unit more community involved but I understand that COVID-19 and its variants will dictate how much we can do. We need to add to the membership as well. My career has been spent in Public Safety, in Law Enforcement, and Fire Fighting, and now here in Tampa Bay keeping the 911 System going for Hillsborough County.

I am honored to wear the uniform and represent the US Coast Guard, I believe in the mission that we in the Auxiliary have been tasked with. In January I will become the newest Flotilla Commander for 11-7 and plan to hit the ground running.

JOIN US NOW!

Are you interested in a rewarding volunteer activity? The Hudson Flotilla is interested in you!. The Auxiliary is the volunteer arm of the US Coast Guard. This uniformed volunteer organization offers members the same type of training the Coast Guard receives for the non-law enforcement missions of the Coast Guard.

Train to become a crew member on an Auxiliary Vessel. Train to teach public boating safety classes. Call on local marinas and marine oriented business as a program visitor. Train to prepare meals at a Coast Guard Station Galley or Coast Guard Vessel. These are just a few of the rewarding volunteer opportunities that await a new Coast Guard Auxiliary member.

We are always looking for new members, apply now - contact us by clicking HERE! 

Register for Boating Safety Class Now Available Online!

Hudson Flotilla, 11-7 is offering registration for the "About Boating Safely" course and other boating and safety courses locally! The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 11-7 Hudson, Florida offers registration online so that you can attend a local seminar near you and can study the official boating safety manual developed specifically by the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary with the help of the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA).After studying the course material and taking a boater exam, students who pass will receive their official boater education certification and boater safety ID card. This class is great for young boaters, new boaters, experienced boaters, you are guaranteed to learn something new and have fun in the process! You can be certain that the boating certification card you receive for passing the boating test will be recognized by the officers on the waterways. Attend our local classes near you! Get the Card!

To view a schedule of upcoming courses, click here: https://wow.uscgaux.info/peclass.php?unit=070-11-07

We also publish our events on EventBrite, where you can pay for the class and get registered to attend. Please visit https://www.eventbrite.com/o/hudson-flotilla-117-us-coast-guard-auxiliary-10812841746 for a list of all of our unit's upcoming courses. 

Or, check out our Facebook page and events tab by clicking here! Don't forget to "like" our page for regular updates of our Flotilla Activity!

Semper Paratus! Always Ready!

Since its creation by Congress in 1939, the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary has served as the civilian, non-military component of the Coast Guard. Today, the 33,000 volunteer men and women of the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary are active on the waterways and classrooms in over 2,000 cities and towns across the nation. Each year, Auxiliarists (folks just like you) save almost 500 lives, assist some 15,000 boaters in distress, conduct more than 150,000 courtesy safety examinations of recreational vessels, and teach over 500,000 participants in boating and water safety programs. The results of these efforts save taxpayers hundreds of millions of dollars every year.

Are you looking for adventure while serving your country and your community?

If you are looking for some adventure in your life, consider joining the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary. Wherever your interests lie, and whatever life skills you have, chances are that the Coast Guard Auxiliary can offer you an area to serve that will enrich your life in ways you may not have imagined.

The Auxiliary offers you a unique opportunity to make a real difference in your local community and across the country.

We welcome and recognize your past experience, skills and talent. We challenge you to have fun learning new skills and qualifications in company with a very special group of volunteers. The Coast Guard Auxiliary offers a number of opportunities, but the tasks can generally be divided into three service areas:

Recreational Boating Safety

One of the Auxiliary’s primary missions is recreational boating safety. This mission is accomplished by qualified members delivering Public Safety Boating Education training and classes, by providing voluntary vessel safety checks to boaters, by visiting with and educating local marine related industries, and by general outreach to the boating public through boat shows and other public venues and events.

What is a Vessel Safety Check?

It is a free check of a vessel’s equipment for compliance with federal and state safety requirements. The vessel examiners performing this service have been trained to look for some of the more common problems, which might occur in your boat or its associated safety equipment. Some of the items we check are:

  • Proper display of numbers
  • Registration/Documentation
  • Personal Flotation Devices / Life Jackets
  • Visual Distress Signals
  • Fire extinguishers
  • Ventilation
  • Backfire flame control
  • Sound producing devices
  • Navigation lights
  • State requirements
  • Overall vessel condition

If a vessel meets all of the Vessel Safety Check (VSC) requirements it is awarded a VSC decal.

Click this link to schedule your Vessel Exam:

https://wow.uscgaux.info/content.php?unit=V-DEPT&category=i-want-a-vsc

Operations and Marine Safety

For those interested in boating, the Auxiliary offers a rigorous level of hands-on training and qualification as boat-crew and coxswain. Qualified Auxiliarists perform regular safety patrol missions in their local area and support local boating activities on-the-water such as regattas, fireworks & fleet visits.

In addition, the Auxiliary works side-by-side with their active-duty USCG counterparts in many other mission areas, including environmental protection, Commercial Vessel Safety Inspections, Port Security and Planning, Licensing and Documentation, and other vital operational roles. Auxiliarists receive training virtually identical to that of their active duty and reserve counterparts.