This hands-on course will train you in the many aspects of marine enforcement operations. From the role of the Marine Enforcement Officer and day to day operations to more advanced concepts such as vessel stops and tactics, you will learn a wide range of skills for use in daily marine unit activities. You will also gain experience through vessel stop scenarios which will require you to demonstrate the knowledge you learned in the classroom and apply it to real world simulations.

Classroom time will focus on topics such as federal and state specific marine law, including carriage requirements and operations violations. You will also be introduced to more specialized duties including search and rescue operations and special event details.

Field exercises have been designed to teach you survival skills -- including handgun retention -- in the water as well as first aid, assisted rescues and responding to injuries and hypothermia. We will also teach you different methods of boat handling, with topics ranging from simple docking actions to tactical vessel stops to slow and high speed maneuvering. Both novices and experts will gain the skills and knowledge to confidently handle their vessels in any situation that might arise on the water.

Topics Include

• Role of the marine enforcement officer
  • Duties and responsibilities
  • General orders/SOP
  • Jurisdiction
  • MOUs
• Marine law
  • Authority
  • Registration/titling
  • Documented vessels
  • Hull identification numbers (HIN)
  • Vessel theft/hidden numbers
• Carriage requirements/navigational rules
  • Carriage requirements
  • Navigation lights
  • Navigation rules
• Water Rescue
  • Self-rescue/water survival
  • Assisted rescue
  • Injuries
  • Hypothermia
• Knowing your boat
  • Terminology
  • Boat classifications
  • Hull types
  • Engine types
  • Marlinspike/lines
• Tactics
  • Boating Under the Influence (BUI)
  • Boating accidents (basic preliminary investigations)
  • Special topics
• Search and rescue (SAR)
• Run-away vessels
• Disabled vessels
• Weather
• Basic Operation
  • Trailering
  • Boat maneuvering
  • Launch and recovery
  • Docking
• Boat Operation
  • Slow speed maneuvering
  • High speed maneuvering
  • Towing
• LEO inspections/scenarios
• Outfitting a patrol vessel

Audience

Sworn law enforcement personnel whose primary or secondary responsibilities include enforcement regulations of watercraft operations, officers that are new to the field, and agencies that are creating a new marine unit

This class is restricted to active law enforcement.

Course Length

40 hours

Prerequisite(s)

• You must be an active Law Enforcement Officer or trainee.
• You must be a proficient swimmer and able to actively function within the marine environment.
• Recreational boating experience is helpful but not required.

What Our Students Are Saying

• "Excellent course for beginners and experienced boaters. Instructors’ knowledge was top notch." – Ofc. B.G.
• "The whole curriculum of the class was an eye opener and showed me the limits of my current abilities.
  Excellent class." – G. G.
• “Outstanding class and instructors. A must for officers outside of FWC starting a career in marine enforcement.” – R.S.
• "Awesome course! I gained a lot of knowledge about safety violations. Instructors were great and very knowledgeable!" – Det. M.W.
• "Absolutely loved this course, and am excited to continue to a level II if offered." – Ofc. T.P.
• “Excellent course. It definitely improved my ability to safely and professionally provide marine patrol services to my community.” – AMPO A.F.
• “Hands down the best course/training I’ve had since being a law enforcement officer. Very eye-opening scenarios.
  Extremely knowledgeable instructors.” – D/S J.K.
• "This course was by far one of the best courses I have attended in my 15 years of law enforcement." – Dep. M.M.