For years, waterway users in Florida have relied on multiple sources to plan and navigate safely. Weather forecasts, local boat facilities, official warnings, waterway zones, and safety equipment requirements often required using several apps and websites. This led to uncertainty about where and when to go and how to enjoy water activities safely.
The Florida Fish and Wildlife Conservation Commission (FWC) has announced a new initiative with the National Safe Boating Council. They will pilot interactive safety content through a free mobile app called DECKEE. The app aims to keep boaters safe and informed. It provides everything needed for a day on the water, whether navigating the coastline or paddling in Key West.
Over 1 million boat owners in Florida can now access benefits and safety features in the DECKEE app. These include detailed maps, facility information, official warnings, aids to navigation, community insights, personalized equipment checklists, boating forecasts, regulations from the FWC, automatic activity logging while on the water, and live location sharing.
The FWC and the National Safe Boating Council will collaborate on integrating safety content into the DECKEE app. This will help boaters plan their activities on the water better and understand how campaigns influence boater behavior.
One campaign focuses on educating about dangerous weather conditions that contribute significantly to boating incidents. Many boaters struggle with understanding weather forecasts for their boats.
The pilot program introduces a personalized boating forecast tailored to users' watercraft and plans. This aims to give meaning to information and help users make sense of it.
“Our goal is to create a safer boating environment for everyone in Florida,” said Brian Rewinkel, FWC Boating Safety Education Coordinator. “This pilot program will measure the effectiveness of delivering safety information directly to boaters in an engaging and accessible manner. This initiative represents a significant step forward in our commitment to protecting our waterways and those who enjoy them.”
Peg Phillips, Executive Director of the National Safe Boating Council said: “Measuring the impact of boating safety outreach has always been very challenging for government agencies like the FWC that manage our nation’s waterways. With the DECKEE app pilot program we now have an accurate and scalable way to measure the influence of our strategic priorities and outreach efforts.”
Florida boaters are encouraged to explore new safety capabilities in the free DECKEE app available from Apple App Store or Google Play Store.
For more information about FWC boating safety initiatives visit MyFWC.com/boating.