Contact: Joanna Wilson, Public Affairs, 302-739-9902

DNREC Fish & Wildlife Enforcement hosts marine training for Delaware police agencies at Indian River Inlet 

INDIAN RIVER INLET (Aug. 5, 2011) – This week, from Aug. 1 through 5, the DNREC Division of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement Section hosted fellow marine enforcement officers from the Delaware State Police, Wilmington Police Department and the Delaware River and Bay Authority for a weeklong tactical operations course (TOC) on the Indian River Inlet.

Twenty police officers – nine Delaware Fish and Wildlife agents, six Delaware State Police officers, four Wilmington police officers and one Delaware River and Bay Authority officer – participated in the course, which included classroom training as well as hands-on training in high speed boat operations.

“The skills learned in this training can be applied in the day-to-day operation of a vessel while on routine patrol, or on a high-profile assignment such as escorting a battleship up and down the Delaware River and Bay,” said Chief James Graybeal of Fish and Wildlife Enforcement.

Provided by the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), the TOC training was funded by an approved FY2010 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) designated to provide tactical boat operations training open to all Delaware maritime law enforcement agencies.

The TOC program is part of NASBLA’s Boat Operations and Training (BOAT) Program. Though not mandatory, BOAT has established a national standard for the training, qualification, credentialing and typing of maritime law enforcement and rescue personnel for the purpose of achieving maritime interoperability at the federal, state and local levels.

“By completing this course, any BOAT-trained Delaware marine officer will be able to seamlessly work with another BOAT-trained agency or get aboard their boat and perform their duties while enhancing our ability to be a force multiplier with the United States Coast Guard on Delaware waters,” added Chief Graybeal, who is also serving as national president of NASBLA for 2011-2012.

About NASBLA: The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA), an organization comprised of state and territorial recreational boating authorities is dedicated to strengthening the ability of state and territorial boating authorities to reduce death, injury and property damage while enjoying a safe, secure and enjoyable boating environment. NASBLA addresses its mission by fostering partnerships among and between the states, the Coast Guard and others crafting model boating laws, maintaining national education and training standards.

Vol. 41, No. 206