Coast Guard Master Chief Peter Janusch, left, swears in Flotilla Commander Ken Range.

All of this was done with about 20 members. If the Coast Guard had to pay for these services, it would have cost them about $20 an hour, Range said.

The auxiliary, established in 1972, meets at 9 a.m. every Wednesday at the Coast Guard Station Chetco River, located at 16133 Boat Basin Rd.

“What we do is assist the Coast Guard in public education and training,” Range said. “We provide safety instruction and training that will potentially saves lives.”

The auxiliary also assists people in distress, tows boats and completes dock side inspections, which lets the Coast Guard know that the boat has been inspected for safety equipment.

“They do everything but law enforcement,” Coast Guard Operations Officer Bruce Day said. “The auxiliary is invaluable to the Coast Guard. They’re all volunteers. They do it all on their own time. They really have a huge task. They do a lot of work for volunteer time.”

It takes 90 to 120 minutes to inspect a commercial boat, and 30 to inspect a recreational boat if the owner is organized, Range said. 

Range decided to join the auxiliary about five or six years ago to continue his personal training and education in safety.

Highlights include “knowing that you’re helping people and potentially saving lives,” he said. “Life is a continued education. You learn something all the time that is maybe going to help you.”

Anybody who passes a background check can join the auxiliary, Range said. Owning a boat is not a requirement.

Mitch Danforth joined the auxiliary in 2003.

He is retired from the U.S. Navy, and is a Flotilla Operations officer for the auxiliary. 

“I had time on my hands, and I have a few of the skills from the Navy that the Coast Guard uses in operation,” Danforth said. “I like going out in the water, and enjoy doing the operations.

Danforth is involved in safety inspections, makes sure boats have the proper equipment, and teaches a few GPS and boating safety classes.

During the boating season, which typically runs from the end of March to the end of October, Danforth said, he volunteers about 10 hours a week.

For more information, contact Range at 541-469-2650.