Citizen's Action Network

America's Waterway Watch

Numbers you should know

  Fire, Police or Rescue call:

To report terrorist activity call:

800-424-8802
or 
202-267-2675

Any incident related to suspicious activity, terrorism, and possible terrorist activity requires telephonic notification to the National Response Center.

This would include bombings, bomb threats, suspicious letters or packages, and incidents related to the intentional release of chemical, biological or radioactive agents.  Our watch standers are trained to ask specific questions for such reports and will immediately pass the information to the proper agencies for response.

To learn how to prepare:

 
Our Canadian Partners

Important web links to know

Citizen's Action Network - www.uscg.mil/d13/can/ 

USCG Website -www.uscg.mil |  USCG Auxiliary -  www.d13cgaux.com

DHS preparedness website - www.ready.gov

To learn more, contact d13.can@uscg.mil or download our application brochure mail to:

Commander (de)
United States Coast Guard
915 Second Ave, RM 3584
Seattle, WA 98174

For Questions on Citizen’s Action Network please call 206-220-7237.

Recent Seattle King5 TV News Coverage of the program (right click and download to view news clip)

Observer Guidebook

Beach Safety - be safe in the surf (right click to download) 93mb .wmv

Volunteer for the U.S. Coast Guard

Citizen’s Action Network

“AKA Northwest Watch” 

Examples of Coast Guard equipment in action in Puget Sound

Become a Citizen’s Action Network member and help the U.S. Coast Guard save lives and property, prevent oil spills, and protect wildlife, all from the comfort of home.

The Northwest has an extensive amount of waterways and communities to protect.  The U.S. Coast Guard needs dependable and proactive volunteers to aid in keeping our waters safe and clean.

This program allows residents living near waterways to become associated with the Coast Guard and help conduct its missions.

The Coast Guard will call on Citizen’s Action Network members to help investigate cases such as rescue missions and pollution incidents, which puts volunteers right in the heart of the action.

The only requirements for participating are having access to a phone and a marine view from your home.

Current CAN Members in Puget Sound, Oregon Coast and Columbia River - Click on Photo for high resolution image

Red indicates Canadian Partners, Blue - US Coast Guard Auxiliary Members, Green - Citizen Partners, Black - Business Partners

Examples of C.A.N. member assistance:

1. Verifying or monitoring information during a SAR case; especially when the expected time for Coast Guard responders on scene is lengthy.  This type of “eyes on” support is valuable when an initial report is lacking critical information, communications is lost with the initial reporting source or the reporting source moves from the location (such as cell phone reports taken from moving vehicles).

2. Supporting the Aids to Navigation mission by conducting visual checks after a storm. A participant, knowing in advance the bearing of an aid from his home, could report back when called upon. Several participants in a given area could support a rough triangulation of an aid allowing for the Aton unit to better manage the priority of their response efforts.

3. Responding to a call from the Coast Guard to verify a vessel’s location. This could be helpful identifying positions of vessels too small for VTS tracking.

4. Having the volunteer check their nearby beach for evidence of a false alarm, flare firing, oil spill impact or disabled/sick wildlife.  Ideally, the Citizen’s Action Network volunteers will be available when needed; but the odds of being called are great for evening, nights and weekend support. 

The complexity of the Thirteenth District's waterways coupled with its limited search and rescue resources make the Citizen’s Action Network highly valuable program.

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