ONEIDA COUNTY SHERIFF BOATER SAFETY COURSES TO BEGIN FOR…

ONEIDA COUNTY SHERIFF BOATER SAFETY COURSES TO BEGIN FOR THE 2019 BOATING SEASON

Oneida County Sheriff Robert Maciol has announced the first of the 2019 dates that the Sheriff’s Marine Patrol will be offering the “New York State Boater Safety Course”.

In order to make these classes as convenient as possible for residents, they will be held in various locations throughout Oneida County. The first class will be conducted on March 23, 2019 at the Oneida County Department of Public Works conference room, 5999 Judd Road in Oriskany.

All classes begin promptly at 9:00 A.M. and because it is an 8 hour class, it is recommended that everyone bring snacks, drinks and/or a lunch. This class is limited to 20 students and additional classes will be offered at a later date if the need arises.

In New York State, you must hold a safety certificate if:

·You were born on or after May 1st1996 and you will be operating a motorboat.

·You operate a personal watercraft (PWC) and are at least 14 years of age and older

(as of 1/1/2009 you must be 14 years old to operate a PWC alone.)

·If you are less than 10 years old, you may operate a motorboat (non-PWC) only if someone

over 18 or someone between the ages of 10 and 18 who holds a safety certificate in on board with you.

To sign up for this free, eight hour class, please call the Oneida County Sheriff’s Office at 315-765-2222 and speak with Sue Goding.

To find additional class dates and locations, you can also visit the NYS Office of Parks Recreation and HistoricPreservation’s web site at www.nysparks.com/boats or call 1-800-336-2628 to get information on theU.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary & U.S. Power Squadron Boater Safety Course dates and locations.