Joint News Release from PWSRCAC & CIRCAC
February 8, 2017
Registration now open for the Marine Firefighting Symposium
Training to take place in Homer, May 2017
Registration has now opened for the Marine Firefighting Symposium for Land-Based Firefighters on May 12-14, 2017, in Homer, Alaska. The event is hosted by Prince William Sound Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council and Cook Inlet Regional Citizens’ Advisory Council. This three-day conference is an industry recognized effort to provide the best available marine firefighting information and practices to shore-based firefighters, using both classroom and field experiences.
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Registration forms are also being sent to every fire department in Alaska, and both councils encourage all departments to send their members. Those interested in attending can also request a form through PWSRCAC by contacting Nelli Vanderburg at 907.834.5030 or nelli.vanderburg@pwsrcac.org.
Shipboard fires can occur in any coastal community and at any time. Depending on location and severity, marine firefighting efforts can require not only a local response, but a regional effort as well. Through the enhanced training offered at the symposium, firefighters in coastal communities can be better prepared to respond safely and effectively to marine fire incidents.
The primary focus of the symposium is to raise awareness and increase safety in the event of a shipboard fire related to the oil tankers and other vessels associated with the transportation of oil in Prince William Sound and Cook Inlet. Some of the topics to be covered during the symposium will include interpretation of ship fire plans, firefighter coordination with ship’s crew, basics of vessel stability, ship awareness, vessel familiarization, coordination of private and public responses, politics of a marine incident, an update on implementation of U.S. Coast Guard salvage and marine firefighting regulations and an introduction to oil shipping. Numerous hands-on and field activities will allow community firefighters to work with marine industry salvage and firefighting contractors.
We are pleased to have a nationally renowned training cadre made up of John Lewis, John Taylor, Don Ryan and Ron Raschio, led by Jeff Johnson. Several of these instructors provided input and material for the land-based shipboard firefighting manual produced by the International Fire Service Training Association. Firefighters and industry participants consistently provide positive comments on the events. We are pleased to be able to offer this training at no cost.
Please contact Alan Sorum (907.255.3217, alan.sorum@pwsrcac.org) or visit the PWSRCAC website at http://www.pwsrcac.org/programs/maritime/marine-firefighting for more information and updates concerning the event.
