| Help Us Help You: Mark Your Paddlecraft and other small watercraft.
As the 2026 boating season gets underway, the Marine Incident Response Team is partnering with the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary East Moriches Flotilla 014-18-06 to promote the use of waterproof “If Found - Contact” stickers for kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, and other small watercraft.
Each year kayaks, paddleboards, canoes, and similar vessels are found drifting unattended on local waterways. When this happens, emergency responders cannot assume the vessel is simply lost property. Until proven otherwise it must be treated as a possible person in the water.
That response can involve Coast Guard crews, police aviation and marine units, fire department marine units, and other emergency resources searching for someone who may not actually be missing.
A simple sticker can make a major difference.
The “If Found - Contact” sticker allows the owner to place contact information directly on the vessel. If the craft breaks loose from a dock, floats away from shore, or is found adrift, responders may be able to quickly contact the owner and determine whether someone is actually missing or whether the vessel simply drifted away.
This helps:
• Save valuable search time
• Reduce unnecessary risk to responders
• Return lost property faster
• Keep emergency resources available for true emergencies
• Give families peace of mind
Waterproof “If Found - Contact” stickers are available through the Marine Incident Response Team and the U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary.
Stickers will be carried aboard Marine Incident Response Team vessels, including marine units from:
Mastic Beach Fire Department, Mastic Fire Department, Center Moriches Fire Department, East Moriches Fire Department, Eastport Fire Department, and Westhampton Beach Fire Department.
The U.S. Coast Guard Auxiliary will also assist with distributing stickers and promoting the program throughout the local boating community.
If you see one of our Marine Incident Response Team vessels at a public event, marina, dock, training activity, or while operating on the water, feel free to ask us for a sticker.
Boaters, kayakers, paddleboarders, and waterfront residents may also request a sticker by contacting the Center Moriches Firehouse via e-mail at: Stickers@centermorichesfd.com
Before heading out on the water, take a few minutes to mark your equipment. That small step may prevent an unnecessary search, help responders make faster decisions, and ensure emergency resources are available when they are truly needed.
It may be just a sticker, but it can save hours of searching, thousands of dollars in resources, and possibly even a life. |
