GIFTED

We've come a long way baby...

When I was a little girl I wanted to be a cowboy.
Then I wanted to be a spaceman.
Then I wanted to be a horse.

I had a crush on a boy in elementary school and he had a dirtbike. I knew then that the joy and freedom he had was something I didn't want. I needed it!

Everything changed when I smelled the exhaust from his bike. I remembered my grandpa's race cars, they seemed so big and beyond me, but this little dirtbike I could ride that myself.

I got a paper route. I saved my money to make a mini bike out of a lawn mower.

Life was not a great experience for me at home, in fact it was awful, but it taught me to persevere, and that was the cornerstone of understanding along with my sisters death and illness, all these elements barked loudly at my psyche. 'You don't know what will happen', understanding this I did not want to waste oxygen.

DREAM BIG

When I was a little girl I dreamed big. That did not mean my dreams would be realized.

I wanted a dirt bike, I wanted a Stingray with a banana seat so I could go jump boxes and the creek in Carmel where I grew up.

I wanted to be a police officer, but I was told that was not possible, because it was not.

I wanted to be a fireman, but I was told that was not possible, because it was not.

I wanted to join the military at the age of 14 and go to the Vietnam war and fight like men, but I that was not possible.

Up until the age of 28 these were not jobs I could subscribe to.

But the Jet Ski came along.

THANKFUL

The Jet Ski was the first motorized vehicle that allowed women in our generation to be competitive along with men. This motor sport revolutionized across the board a wide open door to women. Many took that invitation and opened it without caution but few have followed like those pioneers, those courageous young women who pulled throttle and created a big wake.

Notable women like Brenda Burns (Chambers) who as a young girl raced with her mother and her sister continuing onward and became a World and National Champion, and an inspiration to generations of today. Pay close attention to her story. Respect is earned and she is a person of renown in our sport to research.

I would come to a race and there would be 100 women waiting to get to the start line. They had to race motos. They had to go to a Last Chance Qualifier (LCQ) and only a handful would make it to the main event. It was tough, competitive and happening.

Know our female competitive history. Do your homework. You will thrive off the inspiration of your legacy holders. You may also discover the legacy you will contribute on your own efforts.

Men were my mentors as a child. There were no females in my scope that were doing anything outstanding at speed.

My grandfather was a great inspiration with his car racing and mechanical skills. His imprint is inspirational. My mother
was a tough cookie and her grit personified the 'can do' spirit in me.

30 years later, women are not taking that wide open door as I imagined they would from when I awoke. I believed there would be a flood, a tsunami of opportunity, but only a trickle is witnessed considering there are 7 billion people on Earth and at least .001% would qualify.

If you are a woman reading this your predecessors handed you the baton in the 1980's. Its 2018 and women are stepping back further than forging ahead. Are you the one to bring it all back? Will you be the one to galvanize a community and inspire the pursuit of excellence?

The Jet Ski Fever is still here, its held by a few of our pioneers, like myself, like Brenda. You know who you are. We love you all and you are held dear and close.

We train very few females worldwide in our K38 water rescue courses. I wonder at this phenomenon. Is it a target personality that gives themselves permission? Do women not want to do the hard work? Is the work load too heavy or dirty? Is the chaos uncomfortable? Yes, well it is and I do enjoy that discomfort myself, is part of the delivery package.

Remaining a little unreasonable has distinct advantages for a mariner. It means that your creative spirit can become a driving force, a major contributor to the greater good.

We women have a big house to manage of course, its a blend of stressors but through them we learn advantages: our beloveds, children, and career. Risk is something we are good at, analytics is our best friend, we can think at speed and juggle the juggernaut. Our male counterparts can take notes to benefit from to enhance their own operability.

Our physical strength is a bit not as level but we can learn leverage techniques. I am enthusiastic about training women, but being female is not an excuse, and we can enjoy an outstanding career.

Are you ready? We've had that door open waiting for you to enter. The room is very big and there are a lot of empty chairs.

Give yourself permission.

Contact your local marine unit or volunteer group and begin a pathway of purpose.

You will discover so much more than that Rules of the Road, the conditions and the terrors, you will discover the scope of your own determined spirit in the depths of the big wide open. Ask me how I know?

Your friend always.

Shawn

Have any questions? Join the Rescue Water Craft Association
and discover what your community is doing to modernize standards, safety and reduce liability!

Content Creator – Shawn Alladio cares most about her community and the culture surrounding the safety of event service providers and Rescue Water Craft operators, working hard and dedicated towards protecting their reputation, distributing safety information and continuing to train these amazing individuals to the highest standards of care.

HAPPY BIRTHDAY RWCA

BIRTHDAY NEWS

Our Founder wanted to find a unique way to support lifesaving through Facebook online donations. The goal was to raise funds and bring the community together at the Rescue Water Craft Association. What is the RWCA?

We are partners in water safety, not competitors. We are elite in our determination and seek like-minded ethical professionals and lay persons who understand and are willing to go the distance no matter how uncomfortable the adversity, how daring the storm or long the night.

Our core values are based on the acronym: S.E.E.
• Safety
• Education
• Enforcement

CONTRIBUTORS

We hold ourselves accountable to our knowledge and are responsible in our actions. Our vision was to revolutionize lifesaving and ensure a culture of safety exists with personal pursuits in our community worldwide. Now is the time to unify our community and broaden capabilities by driving change and influencing the next generation.

The Vision: Donations are helpful and connecting our culture internationally can bring people to our new non-profit in a variety of ways. You can volunteer or simply share stories, each is a gift to itself.

“It's not about my life but the life of those who need proper training. I am not asking anyone to delve into donating because you know me, love me or hate me, but if you have a regard for helping out others and would not mind a tax deduction for your donation (USA), that's a nice thought.

Even so, if not, please like and join the page and I would sure appreciate your support of the Rescue Water Craft Association. My hope is to save lives through education that matters and not cause harm. I was born on the 21st, I think of my mother and my siblings and their children and marvel that another day arrives for me, for us and hope we all enjoy another gifted day.

We are contributors because we care, it's not about money, your support is good enough for me and I care with you.” Says founder Shawn Alladio.

UNITED

As of June 20, 2018 the Facebook fundraiser has generated $1,465.00 USD

Facebook fundraising ended on June 21.

100% of the proceeds go directly towards funding the following programs:

1. Junior Boater Program
2. THIN LINE-benefiting Veteran, Law Enforcement and First Responder families

To join or make a donation to the RWCA please visit Rescue Water Craft Association

PARTNERS IN WATER SAFETY

1. Craig Zulian, Australia (K38 Australia)
2. John W. Youings, Australia (Wake of Fame Inductee)
3. Patty Coston Webb, USA (Great Human Being)
4. Norbert Wysocki, Poland (Rescue Water Craft Operator)
5. James Worrall, Australia (Rescue Water Craft Operator)
6. Gerald Davies, Australia (Jet Rescue Sleds)
7. Mat Lanigan, USA (Water Safety Advocate)
8. Bob Pratt, USA (Great Lakes Surf Rescue Project)
9. Kevin Collins, USA (Great Human Being)
10. Amy Green, USA (Professional PWC Racer, Wake of Fame Award recipient, friend)
11. Ocean Priselac (Animal rescuer, waterwoman, friend)
12. Mario Vittone (Former USCG Rescue Swimmer, advocate for water safety)

Thank you all!

Yours in Water Safety!

Have any questions? Join the Rescue Water Craft Association
and discover what your community is doing to modernize standards, safety and reduce liability!

Content Creator – Shawn Alladio cares most about her community and the culture surrounding the safety of event service providers and Rescue Water Craft operators, working hard and dedicated towards protecting their reputation, distributing safety information and continuing to train these amazing individuals to the highest standards of care.

HELMET LINER

Helmet Liners Help

Why a helmet liner? Because of colder temperatures, keeping hair out of your eyes or as a distraction or if you do not have a properly fitted helmet or your helmet is aging (is it time to retire it?).

What is a proper fitted helmet? Well, it’s simple. Water rescue helmets are made with a mold, one mold, heads are not. Skulls are all different types! Adjustments may be needed as its impossible to find a perfect fit for every skull type.

Plus it helps for bald folks or to manage scalp contact to the inner guts of a helmet.

CRANIAL TYPES

1. Caucasoid-Long and Narrow
2. Mongoloid-Shorter and Broader
3. Negroid-Long Front to Back

We can cite the use of the terms brachyfacial, mesofacial and dolichofacial, which form part of a cranial index terminology used to describe facial types.(1) This is done often for orthodontic work.

Skull

SAFE AND SANE

Have you ever seen a custom molded helmet? Well sort of! The manufacturers focus on the interior structure of the helmet. The interior padding varies. Some models you can replace or add additional pads to take up the voids or to prevent the ‘bucket effect’.
For me my ear protection is a double edge sword. I need to hear (no ear covering), but I need to protect my ear canal (ear covering). So I choose to wear either a balaclava or a cap. Sometimes these are neoprene and sometimes lycra or cotton.

I like this one for the summer:

Mission Enduracool Cooling Helmet Liner, $13.00 USD

Specs:
• Body: 92% Polyester/8% Spandex; Mesh: 100% Polyester
• When wet, cools instantly
• UPF 45 protection from the sun
• Chemical-free, wearable cooling in and out of the helmet; one size
• Wicks away sweat from the head
• Regulates evaporation to help cool
• Logo style and packaging may vary

Check them out:

Mission Helmet Liners

Reference:
Science of Skulls

Content Creator - June 20, 2018
Shawn Alladio cares most about her community and the culture surrounding the safety of event service providers and Rescue Water Craft operators, working hard and dedicated towards protecting their reputation, distributing safety information and continuing to train these amazing individuals to the highest standards of care.

Got SPOT?

SPOT X 2-Way Satellite Messenger

SPOT X 2-Way Satellite Messenger

Well, its costly, but then how much are we worth? $249.00 USD

There is also an annual subscription plan so you can double that if you add insurance and a few other items.

What they say: Stay connected with friends and get found fast in an emergency with the SPOT X 2-way satellite messenger. Send and receive texts to and from any cell number and communicate directly with rescuers.

BATTERIES
Rechargeable lithium polymer

DIMENSIONS
6.5 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches

WEIGHT
7 ounces

Spot On

Technical specs

Best Use Multisport
GPS/Satellite Detectable Yes
Average Battery Life 240 hrs. (10 min. tracking intervals)
Battery Type Lithium Ion
Batteries Rechargeable lithium polymer
Messaging Capability 2-Way Messaging
SOS Function Yes
Device Integration None
Location Accuracy 3 meters
Compass Yes
Altimeter No
Waterproof Yes
Water-Resistance Rating IPX7
Dimensions 6.5 x 2.9 x 0.9 inches
Weight 7 ounces
Color: Orange/black

SAFE AND SANE

Features
• 2-way satellite messaging keeps you in touch with family and friends from virtually anywhere in the world, even outside of cell range (satellite subscription sold separately)
• Provides direct communication with search and rescue services in case of an emergency
• Send an SOS to the 24/7 Search & Rescue center, message back and forth about the nature of your emergency and receive confirmation when help is on the way
• Select from 2, 5, 10, 30 or 60 min. tracking intervals to let family and friends follow your progress with SPOT's easy-to-use Google Maps interface
• Check in with the push of a button to quickly and easily let everyone on your list know you're OK
• Link to your Facebook and Twitter accounts to keep your social media contacts in the know wherever you go
• Built-in compass and programmable waypoints help you navigate
Imported.

Don't forget this!
An additional SPOT Service Plan is required for operation. Visit vendor website to shop satellite subscription plans and additional services

We have been using SPOT locator beams and tracking devices for years, in fact we have over 14 items and it becomes very expensive

We consider this a second insurance policy.

How much would a funeral cost, how much would a rescue cost, and the questions go on and on and that is how we level out the investment annual costs vs. the reality of rescue and becoming a statistic.

I would also encourage you to consider looking at the Delorem inReach devices, as they had these type of two way sat communication devices first, we also enjoy using their products.

Content Creator - June 20, 2018
Shawn Alladio cares most about her community and the culture surrounding the safety of event service providers and Rescue Water Craft operators, working hard and dedicated towards protecting their reputation, distributing safety information and continuing to train these amazing individuals to the highest standards of care.

Earth’s Atmospheric Layers

Let’s get to know Earth a little better! Earth’s atmospheric layers are one of our direct relationship values for our work regarding weather. Earth’s atmosphere can be divided (called atmospheric stratification) into 5 main layers. We are reliant on weather for survival, work and safety.

We study the atmospheric changes, climate and volcanic and earthquake activity that may lead to tsunami. Let’s take a few moments to understand better the planet we live on.

Excluding the exosphere, the atmosphere has 4 primary layers:

1. Troposphere
2. Stratosphere
3. Mesosphere
4. Thermosphere

The atmosphere of Earth is the layer of gases, commonly known as air, that surrounds the planet Earth and is retained by Earth’s gravity. The atmosphere of Earth protects life on Earth by creating pressure allowing for liquid water to exist on the Earth’s surface, absorbing ultraviolet solar radiation, warming the surface through heat retention (greenhouse effect), and reducing temperature extremes between day and night (the diurnal temperature variation).

By volume, dry air contains 78.09% nitrogen, 20.95% oxygen, 0.93% argon, 0.04% carbon dioxide, and small amounts of other gases. Air also contains a variable amount of water vapor, on average around 1% at sea level, and 0.4% over the entire atmosphere. Air content and atmospheric pressure vary at different layers, and air suitable for use in photosynthesis by terrestrial plants and breathing of terrestrial animals is found only in Earth’s troposphere and in artificial atmospheres.

The three major constituents of Earth’s atmosphere:
1. nitrogen
2. oxygen
3. argon

Water vapor accounts for roughly 0.25% of the atmosphere by mass.

Atmospheric circulation is the large-scale movement of air through the troposphere, and the means (with ocean circulation) by which heat is distributed around Earth. The large-scale structure of the atmospheric circulation varies from year to year, but the basic structure remains fairly constant because it is determined by Earth’s rotation rate and the difference in solar radiation between the equator and poles.

Troposphere
The troposphere starts at the Earth’s surface and extends 8 to 14.5 kilometers high (5 to 9 miles). This part of the atmosphere is the most dense. Almost all weather is in this region.

Stratosphere
The stratosphere starts just above the troposphere and extends to 50 kilometers (31 miles) high. The ozone layer, which absorbs and scatters the solar ultraviolet radiation, is in this layer.

Mesosphere
The mesosphere starts just above the stratosphere and extends to 85 kilometers (53 miles) high. Meteors burn up in this layer

Thermosphere
The thermosphere starts just above the mesosphere and extends to 600 kilometers (372 miles) high. Aurora and satellites occur in this layer.

Ionosphere
The ionosphere is an abundant layer of electrons and ionized atoms and molecules that stretches from about 48 kilometers (30 miles) above the surface to the edge of space at about 965 km (600 mi), overlapping into the mesosphere and thermosphere. This dynamic region grows and shrinks based on solar conditions and divides further into the sub-regions: D, E and F; based on what wavelength of solar radiation is absorbed. The ionosphere is a critical link in the chain of Sun-Earth interactions. This region is what makes radio communications possible.

Exosphere
This is the upper limit of our atmosphere. It extends from the top of the thermosphere up to 10,000 km (6,200 mi).

Credit: NASA/Goddard

This spectacular image of sunset on the Indian Ocean was taken by astronauts aboard the International Space Station (ISS). The image presents an edge-on, or limb view, of the Earth’s atmosphere as seen from orbit. The Earth’s curvature is visible along the horizon line, or limb, that extends across the image from centre left to lower right.

Above the darkened surface of the Earth, a brilliant sequence of colours roughly denotes several layers of the atmosphere. Deep oranges and yellows appear in the troposphere, which extends from the Earth’s surface to 6–20 km high. This layer contains over 80 percent of the mass of the atmosphere and almost all of the water vapour, clouds, and precipitation. Several dark cloud layers are visible within this layer. Variations in the colours are due mainly to varying concentrations of either clouds or aerosols (airborne particles or droplets).

The pink to white region above the clouds appears to be the stratosphere; this atmospheric layer generally has little or no clouds and extends up to approximately 50 km above the Earth’s surface. Above the stratosphere, blue layers mark the upper atmosphere (including the mesosphere, thermosphere, ionosphere, and exosphere) as it gradually fades into the blackness of outer space.

The ISS was located over the southern Indian Ocean when this picture was taken, with the astronaut observer looking towards the west. Astronauts aboard the ISS see 16 sunrises and sunsets per day due to their high orbital velocity (greater than 28,000 km per hour).

The multiple chances for photography are fortunate, as at that speed each sunrise or sunset event only lasts a few seconds! Image acquired with a Nikon D3 digital camera, and is provided by the ISS Crew Earth Observations experiment and Image Science & Analysis Laboratory, Johnson Space Center.

By Kelvinsong [CC BY-SA 3.0 (https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by-sa/3.0)], from Wikimedia Commons

FATHER

Reality

Father's Day

The hardest of any edge is a sharp tone of reckoning.

Those crisp brilliant colors are born from blended union.

Nothing stands alone.

A dark compass of hurt will require the endurance of release, all to forgive, nothing to forget, so we repeat.

Your efforts carry many, your protection is life of another.

Timing

RESOLUTE

There is no scale that cannot bear this weight.

Our folly lies close, more so at our demise so our lives are demanding the audience of approval.

Thousands of repetitions hone a skill, what will it take for our hearts?

Come home, that is the goal on the backside.

Coming Home

Stay with your own kind and endure, surely nothing denied will escape time, without us, with us; each moment holds captive potential. Praise your elders and listen.

Your wise teachers, those who suffered and felt the sting of defeat, those valiant sentinels who do not interfere, honor them and listen.

Come home back to harbor, security and family.

Your ending is most important. You matter most.

Happy Father's Day from K38

Shawn Alladio – 6.17.2018

Shawn cares most about her community and the culture surrounding the safety of event service providers and Rescue Water Craft operators, working hard and dedicated towards protecting their reputation, distributing safety information and continuing to train these amazing individuals to the highest standards of care.