What Do Officers Do in the Winter?
One of the biggest questions asked of Watercraft Officers throughout the year is, “What do you do in the winter?”
Like many other outdoors professionals during winter, watercraft officers focus their attention on more indoor activities such as equipment maintenance, training, special events, presenting community programs, and teaching boater education. More than 12,000 Ohioans completed an approved boater safety education course in 2008. Many of these courses are taught by watercraft officers during the winter. The indoor time also allows officers to provide safety talks and presentations at boat shows and for community organizations such as civic groups and schools. Recently, Ohio’s newest group of watercraft officers received specialized training in becoming instructors of the Ohio Boating Education Course.
 In early December, the Division of Watercraft’s new class of Watercraft Officers got do to both. Eighteen new officers were trained to teach the 8-hour Ohio Boating Education Course (OBEC) in a 3-day train-the-trainer course called the OBEC Instructor Course, which was developed by the Division of Watercraft. OBEC is the course that meets Ohio’s boating education requirement for any boater born on or after January 1, 1982 who operates a powerboat greater than 10 horsepower, and OBEC Instructor certification is required for anyone teaching that course.
During the instructor course, the officers were trained in national boating education standards, policies and procedures and general presentation skills. They also were exposed to many different training aids that can be used to help them teach boating education. Officers prepare a short presentation that is critiqued by their fellow classmates.
On the final day of the training, the officers do the teaching. Each officer presents a 15-minute topic from the OBEC lesson plan. They are challenged to make it fun and interactive, and the constructive criticism they received the day before allows them to fine-tune their presentation skills.
Along with their Law Enforcement and Search and Rescue training, the addition of instructional training makes Ohio’s Watercraft Officers some of the most well trained and versatile officers in the state. They have a unique opportunity to teach boaters about boating laws -- such as mandatory education -- in the classroom before they have to enforce them on the water. |