1. What is the purpose of the North American Safe Boating Campaign? The North American Safe Boating Campaign began in 1957 and has developed throughout the years into a large scale, international campaign. What began as a small, grassroots outreach program has evolved into a targeted media effort, stretching across the United States and into Canada. Working with partner organizations such as the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators and the Canadian Safe Boating Council, the North American Safe Boating Campaign aims at spreading a message of boating safety, encourages boater education, and helps to save lives. The campaign produces a variety of safe boating information intended to enhance and supplement the individual campaigns that take place through groups, associations and organizations across the United States and Canada during National Safe Boating Week.
2. When is National Safe Boating Week? Many people will often call or write emails asking when National Safe Boating Week is scheduled. There is an easy way to tell each year when National Safe Boating Week will be so you can begin to plan your events. NSBW is scheduled each year as the first full week before Memorial Day weekend. For 2008 those dates are May 17 – May 23, 2008.
3. Why aren’t the campaign materials available year round? The National Safe Boating Council (NSBC) runs the North American Safe Boating Campaign through a grant they receive from the United States Coast Guard. Each year by September most of the campaign supplies for the year must be replenished, the campaign is re-organized, and the NSBC must reapply for the grant that allows them to run the campaign. The time from September to March, when the materials are not typically sent out, are spent organizing, reordering, and planning for next year so that we are able to supply you with the safe boating materials that you need.
4. Why are the boating safety materials limited to a maximum quantity that can be ordered? We have a limited number of materials that are printed due to cost and storage, and a large number of organizations that request items from our campaign. In order to be fair to all organizations that request materials we must limit the supply of items going to each organization.
5. Why am I not receiving a campaign kit this year? When planning for the campaign the NSBC met with representatives from many of the organizations that use the campaign and it was decided that producing the campaign kits was not the best use of our limited funds. Instead, you will be receiving a campaign mailer giving you information and directions on how to order all of your campaign resources from the website. Everything you will need for your campaign will once again be placed online at www.safeboatingcampaign.com. There, you will be able to order your resources through our online order form, or you can print out the order form and fax it in to NSBC Headquarters as you have in years past. The information that was previously sent in the kit will still be available online, including updated accident statistics, order forms, etc. We feel this change will allow us to serve you better, by freeing up a portion of the budget to dedicate in support of your local efforts and outreach which will in turn strengthen the overall campaign efforts and save lives.
6. How can I order online? The 2007 order forms will be available online. You have the choice of either printing out the order form from the PDF file available and faxing in your order, or you may order your materials through the web site by filling out the order form and sending your information to our fulfillment house.
7. How quickly will I receive my items? All campaign items should be shipped out within a few days. You should receive your items within 7 to 14 business days from the time your completed order is received. Please place your orders in advance to avoid rush jobs and additional shipping charges.
8. Will I have to pay extra for shipping costs? Most of the items priced on the order form include shipping costs as long as the items are being shipping within the continental United States. Organizations that need items shipped outside the U.S. will incur additional shipping charges. Also, any items that need to be shipped priority mail will result in additional shipping charges. Please read your order form carefully to determine shipping costs.
9. Why can I only obtain my evaluation form online? Since we work off of a limited budget, printing extra materials adds time, costs and weight to the materials that we send out each year. By downloading your form off the campaign web site we are attempting to use our resources to the best of our ability to provide you with the resources that you need.
10. How can I get involved in promoting safe boating? There are many ways you can become involved in the North American Safe Boating Campaign. Download safe boating material to pass out at a local boat show or event. Encourage people who boat frequently to wear the proper life jacket and take a safe boating course. Look on our posted events page to view other local boating events that you may be able to participate in. Read our media guide and learn about ways to get your boating safety press releases or public service announcements attention from the media. Finally, one of the most important ways you can become involved in safe boating is to practice it! Always wear the proper life jacket, take a safe boating course, and be alert and aware while on the water. Remember safe boating saves lives!
11. What is the theme of the 2008 North American Safe Boating Campaign? We've focused our theme on the phrase "Wear It!" With its emphasis on life jacket wear. This is a variation on the highly-sucessful campaign theme of the past several years. The logo has been revised to reflect this emphasis.
12. Why hasn’t your theme changed from years past? Our theme has remained the same in order to brand our message and logo. We feel that by reinforcing the same message, it will become a more accepted and recognizable part of boating safety that people will associate with the North American Safe Boating Campaign.
13. I noticed the logo is a little different–why has it changed?
The old NSBC logo made life jackets look too bulky. Today, life jackets are more comfortable and smaller than what you may be used to. We wanted our new logo to reflect this, but we didn't want to change it drastically. The slight change shows a more well-represented logo, but it is also recognizable as the "Wear It!" logo.
14. Many of the forms on the web site require Adobe Acrobat reader in order to download and print. How do I get this program? If you do not have Adobe Acrobat reader you may find it difficult to access many of the forms that are available on our site. This is a free program used to read and print documents that are in a PDF format. To obtain a free copy of this reader you may go to the web site http://www.adobe.com/products/acrobat/readstep2.html. Here there will be detailed instructions on how to download and install Adobe Acrobat.
15. Where can I receive information about my state's regulations on life jacket wear? To receive information about your state's laws and regulations on life jackets and boating, contact your state's Boating Law administrator. You can look up your state at http://www.nasbla.org/, call headquarters at (859) 225-9487, or e-mail at info@nasbla.org.
Campaign administration - National Safe Boating Council • site design - Within Reach Inc.
