Instruction for watchstander trainees gets underway this summer, when the train-the-trainer program is complete. The course, Telecommunications Operator Personal Qualification Standard (TCO-PQS), replaces Auxiliary Communications as the certification program for radio personnel. Members interested in boat crew training (scheduled this fall) are asked to enroll in watch stander training, since the material enhances crew knowledge and improves vessel safety.
Also this summer, Flotilla 96 will begin holding operations meetings for coxswain and crew. The meetings, which take place quarterly, are forums to discuss what is going well on the water; where there are opportunities for improvement. Additionally, there will be twenty-minute training sessions.
The first operations meeting, scheduled for June 22, includes a presentation on commands used by the Coast Guard when handling lines. Flotilla 96 would like to adopt these commands, as well as other Coast Guard practices, so safety patrols are more consistent and more effective.
Two QE exercises are tentatively scheduled for August---Monday, August 15 and Monday, August 22. Currently, eight members are planning to get certified or re-certified.
Finally, a one-hour TCT refresher course will be offered following the general meeting on Wednesday, June 15.
