Press Releases
ABYC Honored with United States Coast Guard
Meritorious Public Service Award
February 24, 2003, Edgewater, MD: The American Boat & Yacht Council (ABYC) was recently presented with the United States Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award for ABYC's efforts in support of the Coast Guard's national boating safety program. ABYC was presented with the award during its Annual Meeting held last week in Miami, FL.
ABYC was recognized with this award because of notable services surrounding potential carbon monoxide hazards caused by generator exhaust onboard houseboats. Upon learning of the previously unrecognized open atmosphere carbon monoxide hazard caused by these generators, ABYC quickly convened a special task force of recreational boating industry experts to examine the problem and determine the range of actions that ABYC might take to eliminate or mitigate the carbon monoxide hazard.
The task force produced a program agenda spanning from improvements in educational materials to development of a technical standard for an improved generator exhaust system. Results of this task force were apportioned to the appropriate ABYC technical committees, who in view of the emergent need for safety improvements facilitated the publication of the amended standards within a six-month time frame.
ABYC also granted permission for the Coast Guard to reproduce the copyrighted exhaust system standard for free distribution to all houseboat manufacturers.
"The Coast Guard is very pleased to present this award to ABYC. ABYC's devotion to public safety is most heartily commended and is in keeping with the highest traditions of the United States Coast Guard," said Mr. Phil Cappel, Chief, Recreational Boating Product Assurance Division, who was on-hand to present the award on behalf of H.E. Johnson, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard. "Such services have assisted greatly in furthering the aims and function of the Coast Guard," added Cappel.
"We at ABYC are both extremely proud and honored to receive this prestigious award on behalf of all our members and the many industry experts who assisted us in addressing this potential safety hazard in a such timely manner," said Skip Burdon, ABYC's President and CEO. "Bringing industry together to effect positive change in
boating safety is extremely rewarding," added Burdon.
ABYC has been developing, writing and updating the safety standards for boat building and repair in the United States for nearly 50 years and is actively involved with the department of international standards as well as certification programs for marine technicians. These standards are available on CD-ROM and in printed form. Membership and general information can be requested by calling (410) 956-1050 or by visiting the ABYC Web Site at www.abycinc.org.
*Photo Caption: Mr. Phil Cappel (center), Chief, Recreational Boating Product Assurance Division, presents the United States Coast Guard Meritorious Public Service Award on behalf of H.E. Johnson, Rear Admiral, U.S. Coast Guard to the Chairman of ABYC's Board of Director, Jim Ellis (left) and Past Chairman Philip Connor (right), Wednesday, February 12, 2003.
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