Guam § 77133 - Rip Current and Hiking Safety Awareness Program

§ 77133. Rip Current and Hiking Safety Awareness Program

and Outreach Plan.

(a) The Department of Parks and Recreation shall, subject to

the availability of funds, prepare and implement a public safety

awareness program, which may include general public safety

awareness materials, to educate swimmers, hikers, visitors, and

the general public on the hazards of rip currents and hiking. Such

public safety awareness program shall include, but not be limited

to:

(1) information about the risks of swimming and

hiking in hazardous conditions;

(2) methods for staying informed about weather

conditions;

(3) areas that regularly pose hiking and rip current

threats;

(4) information about how to identify, avoid, and

survive hiking and rip current threats;

(5) information about safety rules and guidelines, and

how to read safety signage posted at public beaches and

hiking trails;

(6) how to report drownings and missing persons; and

(7) information on available emergency services.

General public safety awareness materials may include pamphlets,

brochures, posters, advertisements in mass media, and any other

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appropriate media. Such public safety awareness programs and

materials shall be evaluated periodically to ensure their

effectiveness and information accuracy.

(b) The Department of Parks and Recreation shall, subject to

the availability of funds, prepare and transmit an outreach plan on

rip current and hiking safety awareness to I Liheslaturan Guåhan

no later than ninety (90) calendar days from the enactment of this

Act. The outreach plan shall:

(1) identify swimming hazards at beaches, rivers and

waterfalls, and hiking hazards along hiking trails;

(2) identify areas with strong rip currents and areas

prone to flash floods, especially near trails with rivers and

waterfalls, and areas with hazardous hiking conditions;

(3) identify or create safety guidelines to be placed on

signage at beaches with strong rip currents and at major

hiking trailheads, especially for hiking trails including rivers,

caves, cliffs, and waterfalls;

(4) identify local, regional, or national funding or grant

opportunities for the program, and identify other programs

with like objectives that may be sources of information,

funding, or networking;

(5) recommend any other means to create awareness

and understanding of hazardous conditions and to avoid or

mitigate hazardous conditions, including the creation of

improved environmental conditions such as planting along

major hiking trails, which may help to mitigate erosion; and

(6) include a plan of action to implement the public

safety awareness program.

(c) The Guam Fire Department, the Guam Department of

Agriculture, the Guam Visitors Bureau, and the Bureau of

Statistics and Plans shall, subject to the availability of funds,

provide technical assistance and technical support as is feasible to

the Department of Parks and Recreation in the creation and

implementation of the safety awareness program and outreach

plan as required by this Section.

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(d) The Department of Parks and Recreation is also

encouraged to solicit the assistance of federal partners, such as the

National Weather Service, Joint Region Marianas, and the U.S.

Coast Guard, in the identification of hazards and the technical

evaluation of hazard responses.