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Life jacket kiosk goes up on Kootenai River |
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August 24, 2017 |
In a continuing effort to save lives and promote
boating safety, the Idaho Department of Parks
and Recreation boating program is
celebrating the installation of the 101st life
jacket loaner station in Idaho, recently placed
by the Kootenai river boat launch next to the
Waterways/Search and Rescue building in Boundary County.
A loaner station consists of a kiosk,
instructions on how to properly fit a life
jacket, and a variety of life jackets ranging in
size from infant to adult extra-large.
Life jackets at these loaner stations are
provided free of charge for the public for
short-term use. Stations are installed adjacent
to boat launch facilities so they are easily
accessible to the boating public.
“The life jacket loaner station program started
in Idaho in 2010 with a few stations at state
park facilities in North Idaho and has expanded
all over the state,” said Juelie Traska, boating
education safety coordinator for Idaho
Department of Parks and Recreation.
Many stations are installed with the assistance
of local partners such as a sheriff’s office,
county parks departments or federal agencies. A
few stations have also been installed at
swimming areas in partnership with the Idaho
Department of Health and Welfare and several
stations have been installed and are managed by
Idaho Power.
Traska credits the dedication of local resources
as a major driving force behind the program and
that IDPR recognizes that many agencies and
individuals are committed to injury prevention
and have embraced the program with open arms.
Traska would also like to remind the public
about Idaho’s life jacket law for children,
which requires children 14 years of age and
younger to wear a life jacket when underway in
boats 19 feet or less. This law applies to
powerboats as well as non-motorized boats like
kayaks, rafts, canoes, sailboats and stand-up
paddleboards.
The sheriff’s office partnered with the Idaho
Department of Parks and Recreation to get this
station installed in Boundary County.
According to Sheriff Kramer and Marine Deputy
Caleb Watts, boaters occasionally forget to
bring extra life jackets for friends or sometime
life jackets are lost while trailering a boat.
Having a loaner station at a popular boat ramp
on the Kootenai River allows these people to
borrow a life jacket for the day and in turn
keeps them safe while recreating on the water.
Construction of the loaner stations and purchase
of the life jackets are funded with grant money
provided to state of Idaho from the United
States Coast Guard.
For more information regarding the program
contact Juelie Traska at (208) 514-2417 or email
juelie.traska@idpr.idaho.gov, or Sheriff’s
Marine Deputy Caleb Watts at (208) 267-3151.
For more information on boating safety visit
www.boatidaho.gov. |
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