1. The Coast Guard has recently announced a soon to be implemented change to its list of approved life jackets which all active duty, reservists, and many auxiliarists will have to comply with by June 1, 2009. The only life jackets that will be approved for purchase and wear in the CG Rescue & Survival Manual after the compliance date will be ones that have been dynamic strength tested to 50mph. Not all Auxiliarists will be required to comply.

2. Only auxiliary surface facilities which can exceed 35mph will be required to comply with the new minimum floatation requirement by June 1, 2009.

3. All surface facilities that do not have the capability to exceed 35mph will be unaffected and may continue to wear currently approved PFD's including the float coat.

4. All of our pierside/shore based programs will be unaffected and may continue to wear the PFD's they have now including the float coat.

5. PWC's will continue with what they have been approved to use with no changes. None of the CG 50mph dynamic tested PFD's listed in the manual are for use with PWC's.

Additional Notes - **IMPORTANT**

1. These requirements are not for the general public or for other government agencies. This is strictly an in house upping of standards to ensure our personnel are safe conducting increasingly dangerous missions utilizing more high speed assets than ever before.

2. The CG is not withdrawing approval for Inflatable Life Jackets. The Office of Boating Safety is merely removing many types it had listed in the Rescue and Survival Systems Manual as approved for purchase and wear by CG folks. It had about four inflatables listed and is now down to one. Again, this has nothing to do with the boating public or other government agencies.