{
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    "title" : "New Coast Guard App Streamlines Boating Safety to Maximize Summer Fun |Digital.gov",
    "description": "New Coast Guard App Streamlines Boating Safety to Maximize Summer Fun",
    "home_page_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/","feed_url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/04/new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun/index.json","item" : [
    {"title" :"New Coast Guard App Streamlines Boating Safety to Maximize Summer Fun","summary" : "Just in time for the summer season, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a brand new app to give smartphone users easy, on-demand access to critical boating safety information and resources.","date" : "2015-06-04T10:00:34-04:00","date_modified" : "2025-01-27T19:42:55-05:00","authors" : {"kdowney" : "Kevin Downey"},"topics" : {
        
            "mobile" : "Mobile",
            "software-engineering" : "Software engineering"
            },"branch" : "bc-archive-content-3",
      "filename" :"2015-06-04-new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun.md",
      
      "filepath" :"news/2015/06/2015-06-04-new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun.md",
      "filepathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/blob/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/06/2015-06-04-new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun.md",
      "editpathURL" :"https://github.com/GSA/digitalgov.gov/edit/bc-archive-content-3/content/news/2015/06/2015-06-04-new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun.md","slug" : "new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun","url" : "/preview/gsa/digitalgov.gov/bc-archive-content-3/2015/06/04/new-coast-guard-app-streamlines-boating-safety-to-maximize-summer-fun/","content" :"\u003cp\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/06/250-x-444-DHS-US-Coast-Guard-android-main-menu.jpg\"\n    alt=\"DHS US Coast Guard Android app main menu\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\nJust in time for the summer season, the U.S. Coast Guard launched a brand new app to give smartphone users easy, on-demand access to critical boating safety information and resources.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eWith this new app, called \u003ca href=\"http://www.uscg.mil/mobile/\"\u003eUnited States Coast Guard\u003c/a\u003e, users can ensure they have proper equipment, check the weather, file a float plan, and so much more.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe app also features an emergency assistance button, which calls the closest Coast Guard command center if the phone’s location services are enabled.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eDon’t miss the Coast Guard’s \u003ca href=\"https://www.facebook.com/UScoastguard/videos/10153333421857679/\"\u003eFacebook video about the app\u003c/a\u003e for details.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThis app lets users:\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cul\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eIdentify boating safety laws, requirements and resources available in each state.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eRequest a vessel safety check from the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eDetermine required safety equipment (by law) based on vessel size and type. The app also recommends additional safety equipment.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eFile a float plan with up to three friends, loved ones or other responsible parties. \u003cem\u003e(Users cannot file a float plan directly with the Coast Guard, but the app helps develop a float plan that will allow responsible parties to provide search and rescue coordinators with important information to facilitate a missing or overdue boater case.)\u003c/em\u003e\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003e\u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n  \u003cimg\n    src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/06/250-x-444-DHS-US-Coast-Guard-android-Rules-of-the-Road.jpg\"\n    alt=\"DHS US Coast Guard Android app Rules of the Road menu\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n\nReview the most commonly sought out navigational “rules of the road.”\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eAccess weather information from the closest NOAA buoy to your current location.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReport a navigational hazard to the Coast Guard, such as a buoy or marker out of place, a sunken vessel or some other obstacle obstructing safe passage of a federal waterway.\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReport pollution to the Coast Guard\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003cli\u003eReport suspicious activity to the Coast Guard\u003c/li\u003e\n\u003c/ul\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eThe app is available on Google Play for \u003ca href=\"https://play.google.com/store/apps/details?id=com.coastguard\"\u003eAndroid devices\u003c/a\u003e, and Apple’s App Store for \u003ca href=\"https://itunes.apple.com/app/id989994255\"\u003eiOS devices\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eOn a privacy note: personal information stored on the phone through this app is not sent to the Coast Guard, unless the user chooses to send it. The Coast Guard does not track a user’s location, and the app does not track a user’s location unless the app is being used. Users can easily turn their location on or off within the app’s settings button.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003ctable width=\"100%\"\u003e\n  \u003ctr\u003e\n    \u003ctd style=\"text-align: center;vertical-align: top;border-style: none\" width=\"50%\"\u003e\n      \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n        \u003cimg\n          src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/06/250-x-427-DHS-US-Coast-Guard-android-Emergency-Assistance-main-screen-location-on.jpg\"\n          alt=\"DHS US Coast Guard Android app main Emergency Assistance page with location turned on.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n\n    \u003c/td\u003e\n\u003cpre\u003e\u003ccode\u003e\u0026lt;td style=\u0026quot;text-align: center;vertical-align: top;border-style: none\u0026quot;\u0026gt;\n  \u003cdiv class=\"image\"\u003e\n        \u003cimg\n          src=\"https://s3.amazonaws.com/digitalgov/_legacy-img/2015/06/250-x-427-DHS-US-Coast-Guard-android-Report-Suspicious-Activity-location-off.jpg\"\n          alt=\"DHS US Coast Guard Android app Report Suspicious Activity with location turned off.\"/\u003e\u003c/div\u003e\n      \n\n\u0026lt;/td\u0026gt;\n\u003c/code\u003e\u003c/pre\u003e\n  \u003c/tr\u003e\n\u003c/table\u003e\n\u003cp\u003e\u003cstrong\u003eImportant note:\u003c/strong\u003e The U.S. Coast Guard app is mainly designed to provide additional boating safety resources for mobile device users. It is not a replacement for a \u003ca href=\"http://www.navcen.uscg.gov/?pageName=mtBoater\"\u003eVHF-FM marine radio\u003c/a\u003e, \u003ca href=\"http://www.epirb.com/\"\u003eEmergency Position Indicating Radio Beacon\u003c/a\u003e (EPIRB), safe boating classes and best judgment. Learn more about being a responsible boater at the  \u003ca href=\"http://www.uscgboating.org\" target=\"_blank\"\u003eofficial website of the U.S. Coast Guard’s Boating Safety Division\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n\u003cp\u003eYou can download this app and other cool mobile government apps with just a few clicks from our \u003ca href=\"http://www.usa.gov/mobileapps.shtml\"\u003eUSA.gov Federal Mobile Apps Directory\u003c/a\u003e. Federal agencies can get their apps in the directory by \u003ca href=\"https://touchpoints.app.cloud.gov/registry\"\u003eusing the Federal Mobile Products Registry\u003c/a\u003e.\u003c/p\u003e\n"}
  ]
}