Printer Friendly Page

Classrooms Upgraded in Simulator Building

July 2004

In keeping with its tradition of remaining ahead of industry demands, the Seafarers-affiliated Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education in Piney Point, Md. has made major improvements in its already excellent simulator building. Specifically, according to Assistant Director of Training J.C. Wiegman, significant upgrades recently were achieved in four classrooms which are housed in the Logan Building. These enhancements, said Wiegman, will not only intensify the quality of training that merchant mariners receive in the facility, but also augment the techniques instructors utilize to deliver their respective course materials. The showpiece of the upgrades is the facility’s electronics technician’s classroom which will be used in the junior engineer, marine electronics technician, chief electrician and marine electrician courses. The room also may be used for marine refrigeration training. “This room already was state-of-the-art throughout,” said Instructor Jay Henderson. “These recent upgrades, however, really will increase our ability to train the people coming through here.” A retired Navy Master Chief Petty Officer who sailed for three years as a Seafarer (marine electrician aboard Maersk LMSRs), Henderson will be the primary tenant in the renovated classroom. Some of the upgrades in the electronics technician’s classroom are as follows: Twelve new electronic work stations have been added. Each station is now equipped with 1-½ inch non-conducting (stone) desktops. IBM computers have been installed at each workstation. Each workstation also is now equipped with an assortment of tools for students to use should they have to fabricate a piece of equipment. Each workstation is equipped with new desks, chairs and stools. Instructors now have two computers at their disposal (one in their office area and a second at their lecture locations). Software is on order that will aid student in their equipment designs. Classroom now features an overhead projector that will show power point presentations on screen. Old carpet has been replaced by new tile. Classroom has been enlarged by eight feet. Walls have been painted; new ceiling tiles and light fixtures have been installed. “These upgrades will enable students to go directly to workstations to practice concepts they just received from instructors,” said Henderson. “This capability will be a tremendous time saver because students no longer will have to go to another room, break out tools, etc. to do various projects associated with their training.” In addition to the foregoing renovations, upgrades also have been made in three other classrooms, according to Wiegman. First, all engineering computers (used for shipboard assessments) have been moved to a centralized location in one room. Paul Hall Center Instructor Eric Malzkuhn was instrumental in effecting this change. Two additional rooms that once housed simulators have been converted into one larger, air conditioned classrooms. The same upgrades were accomplished in a room that contained diesel simulators. Under the new setup, simulators are in one room and two new rooms have been earmarked for instruction. ###