PHOTO COURTESY: NOAA
WELLFLEET – Another series of popular and effective safety trainings for commercial fishermen is being conducted by Fishing Partnership Support Services this week.
Safety and Survival Training will be held on Thursday, Oct. 25, 9:00 a.m. to 5:00 p.m., at the Wellfleet Harbor Town Pier, 255 Commercial St. Drill Conductor Training will be held at the same location on the next day, Friday, Oct. 26, during the same hours. There is no charge for either program and lunch is provided both days.
Fishermen need to have taken the Safety and Survival Training within the previous 12 months to qualify for the training.
A team of certified marine safety instructors will lead both programs, covering overboard procedures, onboard firefighting, emergency communications, flood and pump operation, survival suits, life raft deployment and boarding, helicopter hoist procedures, and basic first aid.
Drill Conductor Training prepares and certifies fishermen to conduct emergency drills at sea, as federal regulations require monthly drills on commercial fishing boats operating beyond the U.S. boundary line. Emergency situations addressed in this training include: man overboard, fire, damage control, and abandon ship. There will be an emergency procedures class in the morning and practice drills aboard a docked vessel in the afternoon.
“It is not unusual for us to hear later from a fisherman we have trained, who tells us how it helped him deal successfully with an emergency at sea,” said Ed Dennehy, a retired Coast Guard captain who serves as director of safety training for Fishing Partnership Support Services. “This training, we know, has saved lives and prevented serious injuries.”
Walk-ins are welcome on the day of each program, but pre-registration is strongly recommended. Fishermen may register online by going to www.fishingpartnership.org.
By TIM DUNN, CapeCod.com News Center
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