Members of the Paul Hall Center for Maritime Training and Education’s (PHC) deep sea and inland advisory board recently worked through a packed agenda during the board's 38th annual meeting.Board members converged on the school’s Piney Point, Md.-based campus from Oct. 24-25 to exchange ideas and discuss issues that will impact future training requirements in various segments of the maritime industry. They also focused on the possible techniques through which that training will be delivered in view of the fairly constant changes which are taking place in the industry with respect to regulations, laws and equipment.
SIU President Michael Sacco welcomed the meeting participants and encouraged them to take advantage of the storehouse of information and opportunities that would be presented during the conference. He described the gathering as an opportunity for SIU-contracted companies to take a look at what the school currently is teaching, scrutinize curriculum contents and methods of presentation and then make recommendations on any needed changes that ultimately would translate into better service to the companies.
“If you need a special program for your company to meet its requirements, let the school know,” he said. “The school will be able to sit down with you and work something out that will be fair and equitable to you and to the people who are on your boats.”
Commenting on the constant changes to regulations that govern the maritime industry, Sacco emphasized the critical importance of knowing not only what these regulations are but also the ability for one to interpret them correctly. He noted that in addition to the board members, other meeting participants included representatives from the U.S. Maritime Administration, U.S. Military Sealift Command and U.S. Coast Guard.
The SIU president also recognized the PHC staff and commended staff members for the job they have done over the years in helping fulfill the training needs of the maritime industry in general and the operators specifically. “There is a great staff here and I’m proud of what this staff has done putting programs together to meet your needs and the industry’s needs,” he said. “They have done a wonderful job addressing the needs of operators while complying with the regulations of government agencies.”
Focusing on the future, Sacco told those present that the SIU and its affiliated school would continue to be trailblazers and models for the maritime industry.
SIU Executive Vice President Augie Tellez discussed the meeting’s agenda and goals. He noted that the maritime industry as a whole is undergoing a period of change. To keep pace with that change, Tellez said, we have to be prepared to take bold actions based on sound and well thought out solutions. “Our industry is in transition,” he said. “And I think the theme of this meeting is how we as a group meet and deal with that transition.”
John Mason, director, ASTI, and J.C. Wiegman, PHC director of training, jointly provided meeting participants with an update on the school. Several guest speakers addressed the board. Those making presentations in their respective areas were: Bill Eglinton, SIU advisor, “IMO and U.S. Coast Guard Advisory Committee Updates;” U.S. Coast Guard Capt. David Stalfort, “National Maritime Center Reorganization;” Kyrm Hickman, director of training, MSC, “MSC Courses: Helo Fire Fighting;” and Cole Cosgrove, general manager, Crowley, “TWIC Update.” SIU Secretary-Treasurer David Heindel and Bart Rogers, PHC manpower director, headed a panel discussion on “Seafarers Manpower Information Systems.”
Meeting participants took part in three subcommittee workshops during which a series of ideas were exchanged, explored and recommended for further examination. These three workshops and their respective subcommittee facilitators were: Culinary Subcommittee—SIU Vice President Contracts George Tricker, and John Hetmanski and John Dobson, PHC Vocational Staff; Towboat Scholarship Subcommittee: Wiegman, David Shultz and Stacey Harris of the PHC Vocational Staff; and Engineering Subcommittee—Mason.
In addition to SIU officials, advisory board meeting participants included representatives from some 35 SIU-contracted deep sea, Great Lakes and inland companies and the aforementioned agencies. In a related development, MSC approved the “Shipboard Helicopter Fire Fighting Team Member” course currently offered at the Paul Hall Center. It is believed that the school is the first private institution to receive MSC accreditation for helo fire fighting training.
Kyrm Hickman presented the command’s official certificate of approval to Tellez and Wiegman during the advisory board meeting. The course, a one-day curriculum, is intended primarily for merchant mariners (including CIVMARS) sailing aboard military support ships—particularly vessels equipped with flight decks. Like most other courses at the Paul Hall Center, this one emphasizes hands-on training. It also features classroom instruction on a variety of topics including fire chemistry, flight quarters organization, personal protection equipment, helicopter types and firefighting tactics. The course also addresses practical exercises on combating engine fires, cargo fires and more.
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