(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 otherappropriate 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.

(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.

SOURCE: Added by P.L. 35-087:1 (June 26, 2020) as 10 Guam Code Ann. § 72110, renumbered by the Compiler pursuant to authority granted by
1 Guam Code Ann. § 1606.

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ARTICLE 2
PARK PROTECTION SECTION