The mission of the Marine Services Unit is to promote safe and responsible use of Thurston County’s waterways while providing professional law enforcement and emergency response capabilities to the boating community.

Marine Services deputies patrol using a variety of vessels, including patrol boats and personal watercraft (PWC). These different platforms allow deputies to effectively patrol the diverse marine environments found throughout Thurston County, from smaller recreational lakes to the waters of Puget Sound.

The Marine Services Unit’s primary responsibilities include:

• Marine patrol and enforcement of state boating laws
• Boating safety inspections
• Boating safety education and public outreach
• Response to boating collisions and marine emergencies
• Search, rescue, and assistance to boaters in distress
• Support for law enforcement and public safety operations occurring on or near the water
• Coordination with regional fire, rescue, and maritime partners

Marine patrol activity increases during the busy summer boating season; however, the Marine Services Unit maintains the capability to respond to emergencies on Thurston County lakes and Puget Sound throughout the year.

The Marine Services Unit continues to invest in equipment and resources that strengthen its ability to serve our community throughout the year.

As part of this effort, the Sheriff’s Office is currently repowering two Marine Services vessels. These upgrades will improve the reliability and operational capability of the vessels used to patrol and respond to incidents on Puget Sound, particularly during the colder months when weather and water conditions can create additional challenges for both boaters and first responders.

In addition to our Puget Sound vessels, the Marine Services Unit maintains two additional patrol boats and four jet skis used to patrol and respond to incidents on lakes throughout Thurston County.

Maintaining capable, reliable, and properly equipped vessels is an important part of providing a safe and effective response for boaters, waterfront communities, and our public safety partners. These investments help ensure the Marine Services Unit is prepared to respond when needed—regardless of the season.

Education and prevention are important parts of the Marine Services Unit’s mission. Deputies regularly interact with boaters to promote safe boating practices and help ensure vessels are equipped with the safety equipment required by Washington State law.

Vessel safety inspections provide boaters an opportunity to identify missing or inadequate safety equipment before an emergency occurs. The goal is to reduce preventable boating collisions, injuries, and fatalities through education, voluntary compliance, and responsible boating practices.

Whether you operate a motorized vessel, personal watercraft (PWC), kayak, canoe, stand-up paddleboard, or other recreational watercraft, it is important to understand the laws and safety requirements that apply to you. The following Washington State Parks resources provide information on boater education, required safety equipment, life jackets, and safe operation:

• Washington State Boater Education Card
• Approved Boater Education Courses
• Boating Equipment and Required Safety Equipment
• Paddlesports Safety
• Life Jacket Requirements and Safety

We encourage everyone using Thurston County’s lakes and Puget Sound to take a few minutes before getting underway to make sure they understand the applicable requirements, have the necessary safety equipment on board, and are prepared for changing weather and water conditions.

 

Marine emergencies often require resources and expertise from multiple public safety agencies. The Marine Services Unit trains and works with local fire departments, emergency medical personnel, and state and federal partners to provide a coordinated response to emergencies on Thurston County lakes and the Puget Sound.

Joint training helps ensure law enforcement officers, firefighters, rescue swimmers, medical personnel, and other specialized resources can safely and effectively operate together when responding to incidents on the water.

The Marine Services Unit also works with the United States Coast Guard and other regional partners when incidents require additional maritime, aviation, rescue, or emergency response capabilities.

These partnerships strengthen Thurston County’s ability to provide a coordinated public safety response to citizens and visitors experiencing emergencies on our lakes and the Puget Sound.

The Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Marine Services Unit is supported in part through Vessel Registration Funds (VRF) administered by Washington State Parks. These funds are generated through recreational vessel registration and help support local boating safety programs, marine law enforcement, boater education, and other services that promote safe and responsible use of Washington’s waterways.

 

 

This partnership with Washington State Parks helps provide resources necessary for the Marine Services Unit to patrol Thurston County lakes and Puget Sound, conduct boating safety and enforcement activities, and maintain marine emergency response capabilities.

For questions regarding the Thurston County Sheriff’s Office Marine Services Unit, boating safety, or marine enforcement, please contact:

Lt. Sean Chatterton at 360-786-5496 or by email at  sean.chatterton@co.thurston.wa.us