"We wanted to get the community to see what the Coast Guard does," said Lynn Thomas, division vice captain for the Coast Guard Auxiliary.

Thomas said since the Sept. 11 attacks, the Coast Guard is responsible for much more.

"They don't have as much interaction with boats — there's a lot of security work; they're responsible for securing the entire coast, from Maine to Florida," she said.

Demonstrations, literature on boat safety and life jacket raffles were part of the open house, now in its second year.

Carlos Del Valle, a Coast Guard member, demonstrated fire safety, touting the benefits of a fire port, a small, circular device that molds to fire extinguishers in case of an engine fire.

"We're a crisis-oriented society, unless something happens, we're not prepared for it," Del Valle said.

Engine fires on boats are responsible for at least 10 fatalities a year, he said, and the fire port, at the cost of $10, is a small price to pay for safety.

"It could save the life of everybody on the boat as well as the boat itself," he said.

The Berkeley Township Search and Rescue Unit and the Lacey Dive Team demonstrated diving patterns they use for lagoons and lakes.

Gary Smith, Lacey Dive Team chief diver, said the method most commonly used is a straight line search, where a diver is tied to a weighted line.

"Most of the time you can't see anything," Smith said.

The Lacey and Berkeley teams have work together because the townships are located next to one another, explained Don Scala, the Berkeley team assistant chief.

"We work a lot with the police departments to look for evidence that's still in the water. We've gone locally and been as far as Pennsylvania and Maryland," Scala said.

Scala said he wants members to be more aware of the potential hazards of swimming while unsupervised or in rough waters.

"Just think before you do, any time you get near the water, we don't want to have to come look for you," he said.

Next to the diving demonstration, the Coast Guard gave tours of one of its self-righting vessels, which can turn over in rough seas.

The crew is strapped in at all times, explained Paul Malizzi, MK3.

"This is our work horse. We use it for offshore cases," he said.

One of the most popular venues at the open house was The Bear Search and Rescue Foundation.

The foundation was started by Captain Scott Shields, in tribute to his golden retriever Bear, who helped lead rescue efforts at the World Trade Center. Bear died shortly after the attacks and has become the most decorated search and rescue dog in history.

Shields now makes appearances at events with Theodore, a golden who has proceeded Bear.

The foundation has many missions, including to help fund vessels for auxiliary units.

"I want people to appreciate what Coasties do every day. They're really about rescue," Shields said. "They're the best of what we've got."