DFDS CRUISE TO SAFETY WITH SOUTH TYNESIDE COLLEGE

South Tyneside College's Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) has established a unique training relationship with DFDS Seaways.

South Tyneside College's Marine Safety Training Centre (MSTC) has established a unique training relationship with DFDS Seaways.

The Danish cruise ferry operator, which operates a regular service from the Tyne, approached the College (STC) in October regarding fire fighting training. Crew members were required to undertake breathing apparatus exercises in a smoke and fire environment.

Following a visit to MSTC by Jesper Olsen, the chief officer of the flagship Queen of Scandinavia, a programme of four half-day training sessions was organised. In a reciprocal agreement, it was agreed that fire safety instructors, who are employed by STC at its site in Wapping Street, South Shields, would be invited to sail with DFDS Seaways on a cruise to Amsterdam.

Ian Cullen, director of the Marine Safety Training Centre, is delighted with the arrangement. He said: "This is an excellent example of the public and private sectors working together for mutual benefit. We were able to provide DFDS Seaways with specialised training and they, in return, have provided our fire officers with invaluable experience of marine fire safety in an authentic marine environment."

The STC officers, who all work on secondment from Tyne & Wear Fire Brigade, learned fire safety procedures on the ship, as well as applying their own experience to the fire fighting arrangements used on board. They were able to advise, where necessary, on ways in which emergency exercises might be improved.

To date, three groups of DFDS Seaways employees have undergone training in the MSTC smoke chamber and two firemen have sailed aboard the Queen of Scandinavia, with four more scheduled to go in the very near future.

Chief Officer Olsen said: "The safety and security of our passengers is our priority and we have been delighted with the refresher course which we undertook with South Tyneside College. It is also a great opportunity for us to welcome the fire safety instructors on board and let them see how we work."

It is hoped that this mutual staff development exercise will give other STC staff members the opportunity to update their sea-going experience. The agreement may also extend to the development of more formal training courses for the crews of other vessels in the DFDS Seaways fleet.

ENDS

A JPEG photograph of the MSTC fire training exercise is available by contacting Rob Lawson at robl@robson-brown.co.uk