AEDC to host boating safety class

  • Published
  • By Shawn Jacobs
  • AEDC/PA
ARNOLD AIR FORCE BASE, Tenn. --  Tennessee law requires everyone born after Jan. 1, 1989, to pass a boating safety class presented by the Tennessee Wildlife Resources Agency (TWRA) before operating a vessel on state waterways.

Thanks to the Arnold Police Department (APD), area residents can take that course May 14 at Arnold Engineering Development Center's (AEDC) Gossick Leadership Center. The course will begin at 9 a.m. and last about six hours. Participants must pass an exam at the conclusion of the course.

"It's an opportunity for the base and local area communities to get their young operators qualified to operate a boat," Lt. Charles Cook, APD Training officer and resource protection program manager, said. "You can register on TWRA's website [www.tn.gov/twra/boatmain.html] and it's open to anybody from the geographical area."

Interested individuals must be at least 11 years old and may also register by calling (615) 387-6013 or e-mailing Debbie.powell@tn.gov. The only cost involved is a $10 Type 600 exam permit from the TWRA, which must be brought to the class.

"Our officers go through TWRA certification every year and providing this operators class was something that TWRA showed interest in," Cook said. "We thought it would be a good thing for the base and the surrounding community."

Lt. Buck Young, APD's combat arms training manager, helps coordinate the boat patrols on Woods Reservoir and said he is definitely in favor of the class being held on base.

"Yes, it's a proactive measure, I think, on our part to try to get it out here to the masses to where everybody can have take advantage of it," he said.

Young said the boat patrol has been ongoing for several years and is a key part of the police department's mission.

"The boat patrol's primary purpose is to make sure that there are no unsafe acts out there on the water and the security of the base as well," he said. "We run it basically from Memorial Day to Labor Day, and it's predominantly a safety-type issue. We want our base and community natural resource users to feel as safe and secure on the water as they do on any other part of Arnold Air Force Base.

"We want to make sure there are no reckless boaters on the water causing anybody else any issues. We have our officers out there patrolling, being proactive, and if they see an incident citations will be issued. They do conduct random safety inspections to see if the boat has enough life preservers for everyone on board; they will also check (if applicable) to see if operators have had the safety course."

It is clear that Arnold Police and the TWRA hope such safety classes will reduce the likelihood of mishaps, violations and the citations that result from them.