The Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre (MRCC) plays a vital role in ensuring lives are saved at sea.
Director of the MRCC, Johan Carstens, who addressed CPUT Maritime Studies students who visited the centre on 13 April 2010, said the centre is responsible for responding to all maritime emergencies in South African waters, ranging from vessel accidents to deep sea towing operations.
The purpose of the visit to the Parow-based organisation was to illustrate to students the important role the MRCC plays in the maritime industry.
Once qualified, CPUT’s Maritime Studies students will be equipped with the skills to serve on vessels as certificated Deck Officers, Chief Mates and Masters, and will need to be aware of the safety resources at their disposal.
Jared Blows, Operation Manager at the MRCC who gave the students a tour of the operations room that is manned 24 hours a day, said they respond to more than 600 distress calls a year from vessels at sea.
According to international regulations, each country is required to offer this service to vessels travelling in areas which they are responsible for. South Africa is responsible for an area of 42 million square kilometers of sea water, which stretches to the South Pole.
Blows said their main function is to coordinate rescue missions, which sees them establishing vessels exact locations and alerting their rescue team partners, such as the South African Air force and other private organisations.
Blows said in many resource missions’ aircrafts as well as vessels are used.
The excursion also included a visit to the Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) situated at the Cape Town Harbor.
Deputy class representative, Theresa Williams, said here students were able to view first hand the operations of the VTS, which is required to provide vessels with assistance when entering the harbor.
“They monitor if vessels are anchored in the right place and if they are keeping to their lanes when entering the port,” said Williams.
Lecturer, Rui dos Santos said this excursion was a vital part of the students’ learning experience.
“What was not covered in the classroom was covered during the visits to these organisations,” he said.
By Candes Keating
Photograph: Maritime Studies lecturer Rui dos Santos (left) with some of the students at the entrance of the Maritime Rescue Coordination Centre.
Written by CPUT News
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