Our Work
Our Afloat Capabilities
Flotilla 56 maintains 24/7/365 response capabilities. At least one vessel is ready for launching year-round. Coxswains and crew members have undergone rigorous training and evaluation according to Coast Guard-defined standards and have been certified by active-duty Coast Guard officers. They have mastered towing, person-in-water recovery techniques, and water search patterns; are trained in basic first aid; and educated in the Incident Command System (ICS). During routine patrols, they actively look for boaters in need of assistance and can provide rapid transport of medical patients to waiting EMS personnel at any Beaver Lake marina. They also routinely notify the Army Corps of Engineers and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission of hazards in the water or along the shoreline.
Our Ashore Responsibilities
Recreational Boating Safety is Job #1 for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and that means Flotilla 56’s members invest even more time off the water than on it. They teach state-mandated boating classes for the general public, provide no-cost/no-penalty Vessel Safety Checks, and distribute boating safety information via visits to local retailers and our Facebook page, “USCG Aux Flotilla 56 – NW Arkansas.” The flotilla is committed to supporting the Arkansas Canoe Club and local water safety foundations to reach novice kayakers and canoeists with life-saving knowledge. It also seeks to cooperate with local environmental foundations in fulfilment of the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission. Flotilla members spend many hours studying and training independently to hone their personal knowledge and skills.
Flotilla 56 maintains 24/7/365 response capabilities. At least one vessel is ready for launching year-round. Coxswains and crew members have undergone rigorous training and evaluation according to Coast Guard-defined standards and have been certified by active-duty Coast Guard officers. They have mastered towing, person-in-water recovery techniques, and water search patterns; are trained in basic first aid; and educated in the Incident Command System (ICS). During routine patrols, they actively look for boaters in need of assistance and can provide rapid transport of medical patients to waiting EMS personnel at any Beaver Lake marina. They also routinely notify the Army Corps of Engineers and Arkansas Game and Fish Commission of hazards in the water or along the shoreline.
Our Ashore Responsibilities
Recreational Boating Safety is Job #1 for the Coast Guard Auxiliary, and that means Flotilla 56’s members invest even more time off the water than on it. They teach state-mandated boating classes for the general public, provide no-cost/no-penalty Vessel Safety Checks, and distribute boating safety information via visits to local retailers and our Facebook page, “USCG Aux Flotilla 56 – NW Arkansas.” The flotilla is committed to supporting the Arkansas Canoe Club and local water safety foundations to reach novice kayakers and canoeists with life-saving knowledge. It also seeks to cooperate with local environmental foundations in fulfilment of the Coast Guard’s marine safety mission. Flotilla members spend many hours studying and training independently to hone their personal knowledge and skills.