November 10th, 2016 — Fishing Partnership Support Services is once again bringing safety training for commercial fishermen to New Bedford.
The partnership will hold safety and survival training on Thursday, Nov. 17, 7:30 a.m. to 3:30 p.m., at the School for Marine Science and Technology at UMass Dartmouth, 706 S. Rodney French Boulevard.
The next day, Friday, Nov. 18, the partnership will offer drill conductor training at the same location from 8 a.m. to 4 p.m.
A team of certified marine safety instructors will lead both programs, which are being offered to fishermen at no cost. The Coast Guard and the Massachusetts Fishermen’s Partnership are supporting both events.
Topics to be covered during the first training include: on-board firefighting, man-overboard procedures, flooding and pump operations, flares and emergency positioning devices, survival suits, life raft equipment, helicopter hoist-and-rescue procedures and emergency aid.
Lunch will be provided to all participants, courtesy of Ocean Marine Insurance Agency. Cape VNA will offer free vaccines and health screenings during the lunch break.
The drill conductor training prepares and certifies fishermen to conduct emergency drills at sea, as federal regulations require monthly drills on commercial fishing boats operating farther than three nautical miles from shore. Emergency situations addressed in this training include: man overboard, fire, damage control and abandon ship.