SEATTLE, Wash. (Sept. 14, 2016) – During its 57th annual meeting, held in Seattle Wash., Sept. 11-14, 2016, the National Association of State Boating Law Administrators (NASBLA) presented its Boating Safety Award to Cpl. Joshua Underwood with the St. Johns County (Fla.) Sheriff’s Office.
NASBLA first presented the Boating Safety Award in 1992. Sponsored by the National Safe Boating Council, a longtime partner of NASBLA, it is awarded to a state or local government individual who is involved in boating safety but does not serve as a boating law administrator, and who has demonstrated outstanding performance in any area of the program, including but not limited to enforcement, education, search and rescue, navigational aids, or registration and titling.
Underwood has been with the Saint Johns County Sheriff’s Office in Florida for fifteen years and came to the marine unit a few years ago, when it was still a part-time unit. Underwood took his own initiative to learn more and more about Maritime Law Enforcement going to courses on his own and through the agency, as well as becoming a marine instructor. Underwood has since taken over all training aspects of the unit and has become an advocate within the community for boating safety.
Donating his own time and money, he paid for and constructed a lifejacket loaner station in St. Augustine at one of the county’s busiest boat ramps which is still in use. He partnered with Sea Tow St. Augustine to furnish life jackets to the public at no cost through a grant.
His dedication and training efforts have taken the marine patrol unit to a fully-functional, fulltime staffed marine unit. He focuses on continuing education and training, and has logged the agency’s first boating under the influence arrest and continues to focus on the dangers of drinking and boating.
Josh’s dedication to the profession and especially to boating safety has definitely made a change in the local boating community and boaters now know him know him as “the life jacket guy.”
The National Association of State Boating Law Administrators is a national nonprofit organization that works to develop public policy for recreational boating safety. NASBLA represents the recreational boating authorities of all 50 states and the U.S. territories. NASBLA offers a variety of resources, including training, model acts, education standards and publications. Through a national network of thousands of professional educators, law enforcement officers and volunteers, the organization affects the lives of over 76 million American boaters. To learn more about how NASBLA continues to make the waterways safe, secure and enjoyable, visit http://www.nasbla.org.