2007 Year In Review

The Division awarded $364,417 to 33 organizations across the state of Ohio to promote boating safety education and $544,147 to 31 local law enforcement agencies statewide to help improve safety on Ohio's waterways. More than $8.4 million was awarded to 19 projects through the Cooperative Boating Access Facility Grant. Nine Clean Vessel Act grants (pumpouts) were approved in Lake Erie counties for fiscal year 2007.

Equipment loans were awarded to the Perrysburg Township marine patrol unit in Wood County, Sandusky Police Department Marine Patrol, the Lucas County Sheriff Marine Patrol, the Summit County Sheriff Marine Patrol, the Mahoning County Sheriff Marine Patrol, and the Ross County Sheriff Marine Patrol.

Watercraft officers investigated 109 accidents, completed over 8,000 full boat inspections, and assisted 1,041 boaters in need. Officers also taught 114 OBEC courses across the state and assisted partnering agencies with 151 other boating safety education courses. And they taught a variety of hands-on boating skills to over 1200 students.

Officers made over 200 presentations and manned 94 exhibits, reaching an audience of more than 70,000 people with a boating safety message. "Wear The Gear" and "You're In Command" dominated radio and television public service message campaigns, and over 200 ramp signs were places at popular boating ramps across the state to reinforce the message of wearing a lifejacket.

In late August, heavy rains caused the Blanchard River in Hancock and Putnam Counties to overflow its banks, leaving thousands of residents in Findlay and Ottawa, Ohio stranded. Watercraft Officers rescued residents as well as provided security until waters receded.

Over 1,100 applications were received in the spring of 2007 to fill 27 Watercraft Officer positions. A 5-month screening and testing process yielded 21 men and 6 women, who were hired as Watercraft Officer Cadets. Cadets will participate in a six-month training academy that begins in January 2008.

The Division arranged and produced Confluence 2007; Ohio's Boating Conference, where 289 boating law enforcement and education professionals from across the state learned the latest ideas, training, and trends of safe boating.

East Sandusky Bay Water Trail was designated in 2007, sponsored by the City of Sandusky and Erie County Metroparks.

Registration services were expanded in 2007: The Division piloted the sale of new alternative registrations in three field offices; a computer program was in development to allow more computerization of registration sales by agents, and Internet renewals topped 10,000, the most to date. Registration personnel maintained a 3- to 5-day turnaround time for processing electronic and and mail renewals and processed over 50,000 of those renewals in 2007, another all-time high.