SANIBEL EMERGENCY RESPONSE ASSISTANCE TEAM

 

 

 

When on the water, every boater has a duty to minimize the loss of life, injury, property damage or loss by rendering aid to persons or vessels in distress. The Sanibel-Captiva Sail & Power Squadron (SCSPS) is fortunate to have a group of trained volunteers ready to assist local authorities in the event of a maritime emergency.

 

After 9/11, local agencies were tasked with supporting search and rescue (SAR) efforts along with the United States Coast Guard. In 2005, the Sanibel Emergency Response Assistance Team (SERAT) was formed with the hard work of Captain Tim Barrett of the Sanibel Fire & Rescue District and James Strothers, an active member of SCSPS.

 

SERAT, a sanctioned arm of SCSPS, is tasked to render volunteer assistance to local fire departments, law enforcement and other agencies in the event of a water related emergency. Lee County boaters are fortunate – of the approximately 450 USPS squadrons nation-wide, only seven squadrons have a trained team of volunteers ready to assist local agencies with on-the-water emergencies.

 

SERAT’s duties are to provide a team of qualified and experienced boaters with knowledge of local waters who are willing to donate time and effort to assist in the event of an emergency. These may include water rescue, water search and rescue, water related patrols and help in securing an area in the event of an emergency.

 

SERAT requires that its members have more specialized skills or additional equipment than the average boater. For example, SERAT vessels are equipped with special identifying life jackets, identifying lights and flags, back-up radio communications and expanded first aid kits.

 

Additionally, the standards developed by SERAT require, depending on the level of participation, its members to complete selected advanced boating courses sponsored by USPS, CPR/First Aid training and selected modules of FEMA’s National Incident Management System.

 

All vessels used by SERAT are required to have a current Vessel Safety Check sticker as part of the program.

 

Vessel Safety Checks are also provided by SCSPS to all boaters, not just members, free of charge – just click vsc@sanibelcaptivasps.org if you would like to have your vessel safety checked.

 

Click HERE to learn more about Vessel Safety Check.

 

To learn more about SERAT or become a member, please email serat@sanibelcaptivasps.org.