ITEM TITLE:
Proclamation - National Safe Boating Week & Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day
SUBMITTED BY: Jeremy Talbott, Ports & Harbors Director
FISCAL NOTES:
Expenditure Required: N/A
Unencumbered Balance: N/A
Funding Source: N/A
RECOMMENDATION:
Approve.
SUMMARY STATEMENT:
A proclamation recognizing National Safe Boating Week (May 18-24, 2025) and Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day (May 16, 2025), emphasizing boating safety and life jacket use across the country, specifically in Valdez, Alaska.
National Safe Boating Week is a national awareness campaign held annually the week before Memorial Day to encourage responsible boating behavior and reduce water-related injuries and fatalities. In Alaska-where boating is both a necessity and a way of life-the risks associated with cold water immersion, remote locations, and rapidly changing weather conditions make boating safety an even greater concern.
The City of Valdez plays an active role in promoting boating safety and waterway stewardship through the efforts of the Ports & Harbors Department and in coordination with local, state, and federal partners. This proclamation encourages public awareness of boating hazards and reinforces the importance of wearing life jackets while recreating-whether near glaciers in paddle craft, halibut fishing in Prince William Sound, rafting glacial streams, or dip netting on the Copper River.
The proclamation also highlights Wear Your Life Jacket at Work Day on May 16, 2025, a national initiative of the National Safe Boating Council that encourages individuals to wear life jackets in the workplace, share photos on social media, and promote life jacket wearability and effectiveness in a fun, educational way.