Life Jacket Loaner Station

Life Jacket Loaner Station Program

How can you help make Kentucky’s waterways safer for all to enjoy? Consider building a Life Jacket Loaner Station in partnership with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources.

Kentucky’s lakes, rivers and streams are popular destinations and receive heavy use from recreational boaters, paddlers and swimmers. Tragically, lives are lost to drowning each year and the overwhelming majority of the victims were not wearing a life jacket.

Greater access to life jackets can prevent these tragedies. You can help by becoming a donor and installing a Life Jacket Loaner Station in your area.

Steps to Get Involved

Complete the Life Jacket Loaner Station Form
Coordinate construction with the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources
Obtain building materials
Construct a station on your own or hire a contractor to build the station
Develop a plan to periodically check that the Life Jacket Loaner Station is stocked with U.S. Coast Guard-approved life jackets, supplied by Kentucky Fish and Wildlife, and is in good working order
Submit a monthly report – reporting forms are available on the Boating page - the first of the month from May-September to marcus.bowling@ky.gov. Outside of this timeframe, reports may be submitted every other month

Donor Recognition

Donor's logo will be placed beside the Kentucky Department of Fish and Wildlife Resources' logo on the front of the station's sign.
Dimensions of space reserved for the donor recognition are 13.5" x 13.5"
Dimensions of the donor sticker will be 6.5" x 4.25"

Other Details

QR code instructions will appear in English and Spanish
Scanning the QR code with a smart device camera will take the user to a webpage on the department's website. The webpage will include important boating safety information.
Material List and Estimate
Loaner Station Drawings

Story Links

White Mills Partners for Life Jacket Loaner Program - Becca Owsley The News-Enterprise

New Life Jacket Loaner Stations

Cedar Creek Lake

Girl Scout Troop installing Life Jacket Loaner Station

Lake Reba

Woman speaking in a group in front of a Life Jacket Loaner Station Woman cutting a Ribbon for the installation of the Life Jake Loaner Station

A ceremony to mark the opening of a life jacket loaner station built in memory of Emanuel “Manny” Prewitt, a 17-year-old Madison Central High School student who drowned in June, 2020 at Herrington Lake, was held June 10, 2022, at Lake Reba in Madison County. Prewitt’s mother, Kelly, and supporters of the Swim Smart Manny Prewitt Legacy led the charge to build the kiosk.