-
Founded in 1986, Coast Guard Auxiliary Flotilla 5-6 (“Flotilla 56”) has represented the United States Coast Guard on Beaver Lake and in Northwest Arkansas for 30 years. Its primary mission is to promote recreational boating safety by conducting lake patrols, carrying out search-and-rescue missions, presenting state-mandated boating classes, offering no-cost/no-penalty vessel safety checks, and distributing boating safety information to the public.
-
-
In 2015, Flotilla 56 members worked more than 2,200 man-hours in service to the local community and the Coast Guard. Nearly 700 of these hours came while underway on Beaver Lake, where boat crews assisted 34 people. Flotilla 56 uses six vessels to maintain a routine presence during peak recreational boating times and has the ability to respond to emergencies 24/7/365.
-
-
To have us dispatched in an emergency, call the Coast Guard at 1-866-777-2784 or Dial 911.
-
-
Flotilla 56 is a unit of the 8th Coast Guard District, Western Rivers Region. “The Guardians of the Western Rivers” cover more territory than any other district in the Coast Guard Auxiliary. The district stretches from Wyoming to the Mississippi River and from the Canadian border into southern Louisiana. In many locations in this area, Auxiliarists are the only Coast Guard representatives and, thus, are an essential element of the Coast Guard’s total force. In addition to performing boating safety missions, individual Auxiliarists qualified in nearly two-dozen specialties may also augment active-duty Coast Guard units.
Auxiliary membership is open to individuals age 17 and up. Flotilla 56 meets at 7:00 p.m. on the second Thursday of each month inside the Beaver Lake Aviation building at the Rogers Municipal Airport.
EMERGENCY CONTACT
To reach the Coast Guard Auxiliary in an emergency on Beaver Lake, call Coast Guard Sector Lower Mississippi River at 1-866-777-2784 or Dial 911.
-
ABOUT THE COAST GUARD AUXILIARY
-
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary is the uniformed, all-volunteer component of the United States Coast Guard. The Auxiliary was created by an Act of Congress in 1939, and has grown to over 32,000 members who daily support the Coast Guard in all its non-military, and non-law-enforcement missions. We have members and units in all 50 states, Puerto Rico, the Virgin Islands, American Samoa, and Guam.
-
Auxiliary members conduct safety patrols on local waterways, assist in search and rescue, teach boating safety classes, conduct free vessel safety checks for the public, provide boating safety literature to dealers, and perform many other activities related to recreational boating safety.
The Coast Guard considers the Auxiliary its primary resource for recreational boating safety outreach and prevention (see the message "From the Commandant"), and each Coast Guard district around the nation has established a senior officer and staff to provide tight liaison and coordination between the active-duty Coast Guard and the various Auxiliary units in that district.
And in many inland portions of the country, where the majority of U.S. recreational boating occurs on lakes and rivers, the Auxiliary is the sole Coast Guard presence!
-
The Auxiliary is about more than recreational boating safety, though. We regularly serve alongside our active-duty shipmates serving as communications watchstanders, uninspected passenger vessel inspectors, training resources for air and sea operations, numerous duties related to environmental protection and homeland security, and even as chefs! In fact, there are nearly two dozen "qualifications" open to Auxiliarists willing to put in the time and training. Collectively, Auxiliarists volunteer over 4.5 million hours per year and complete nearly 500,000 missions – a true force multiplier for the Coast Guard!
-
Membership in the Auxiliary is open to persons 17 years of age and older. We are organized into 16 districts nationwide, comprised of 171 divisions with approximately 980 flotillas. No matter where you live, there is a flotilla near you. Find the unit nearest your Zip Code by clicking on "Units" at the top of this page. And for dozens of reasons why you should join, visit "Recruiting". You will not be sorry!
- PLEASE LEARN MORE ABOUT US BY EXPLORING OUR SITE. IT'S FOR EVERYONE!
