Lifeboat Crews From 13 Countries learn From exchange experience established by the IMRF
The fourth European Lifeboat Crew Exchange attracted members from 13 countries—two more than last year—who shared their experiences on how to help reduce the number of people losing their lives in Europe's waters.
Set up by the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) and organised by the Search and Rescue (SAR) organisation KNRM from the Netherlands, the programme has several important objectives.
The first is to exchange practical experience and best practices between European Maritime Emergency Search and Rescue (MESR) organisations to support improvements in the quality of practices. The seven-day event also helps personal development, allowing volunteers to acquire skills that increase their employability in European rescue activities. It also serves as a transnational communication platform between MESR organisations, enabling the exchange of results, evaluations, and experiences. Lastly, it aims to improve the knowledge of Maritime English terminology for Lifeboat Crew members, as English is the worldwide working language in maritime organisations.
The Crew Exchange consists of simulated search and rescue exercises and training modules from the host organisation in areas such as first aid, navigation, vessel management, firefighting, capsize drills, leadership, and maritime English. A key part of the event involves visits to lifeboat stations, offering an opportunity to see how the host organisations operate on the coast.
IMRF Chief Executive, Bruce Reid, explained: “The European Lifeboat Crew Exchange programme has now become an important fixture in the calendars of maritime search and rescue volunteers across the continent."
With the backing of the European Union's Erasmus+ programme, which funded the event for the first time this year, and the initiative of Linde Jelsma of KNRM, the exchange has become a vital component of the IMRF's ambition to spread knowledge and best practices.
The volunteer crews involved collectively commit thousands of hours each year to serve their communities and keep those on the water safe. In 2014, these rescuers brought more than 25,000 people in difficulty on the water back to safety.
Project manager Linde Jelsma said: “We were again impressed by the enthusiasm, willingness to learn, and all-around expertise of the participants in this year’s event. The volunteers all tell us they leave with fresh ideas that will benefit both their organisations and fellow rescuers back home.”
Initial feedback from attendees of this year’s exchange provides greater incentive to expand this initiative, with most participants referring to the event as an experience of a lifetime. A KNRM host commented: “You became a team in one week; although you were from all over the world, you all do a magnificent job. With different boats, equipment, and budgets, but all with the same hearts and minds.”
An exchange participant from Iceland hosted in Denmark said: “What a week it has been. Now I go back home from Denmark to Iceland with laughter, lots of new things, experience, and thanks in my mind to those who made this a once-in-a-lifetime experience.”
The host organisations were the Danish Coastal Rescue Service (DaMSA), The Finnish Lifeboat Institute, the UK and Ireland's Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI), The German Maritime Search and Rescue Service (DGZRS), The Swedish Sea Society Rescue (SSRS), The Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue (NSSR), The Icelandic Association for Search and Rescue (ICE-SAR), The Netherlands Search Rescue organisation (KNRM), and France (SNSM). Additionally, crew members from Russia, Greece, Ireland, Estonia, Portugal, and Canada participated.
The skills and experiences gained will help save more lives in European waters and, through the IMRF, across the world. The IMRF brings the world's maritime search and rescue organisations together in one global and growing family, accredited at the International Maritime Organization (IMO). IMRF's member organisations share their lifesaving ideas, technologies, and experiences and freely cooperate with one another to achieve their common humanitarian goal: "Preventing the loss of life in the world’s waters."
This article was originally published on Marine & Industrial Report newspaper Vol 37 No.6 Issue last December 31,2015.
