THE Maritime Administration Department (MARAD) hosted a Maritime Search and Rescue Table-Top exercise on Saturday, at the Rescue Coordinating Centre in the Ports and Harbours complex where stakeholders acted out responses to given scenarios.

Participants were drawn from MARAD, the Guyana Defence Force’s (GDF) Coast Guard, Transport and Harbours Department (T&HD), Ministry of Health, Ministry of Agriculture – Fisheries Department, Guyana Trawler Owners Association, Guyana Fire Service (GFS), Guyana Police Force(GPF)- Marine Department, Guyana Civil Aviation Authority (GCAA), and the Civil Defence Commission (CDC).

Executive Director of the CDC, Col R’td Chabilall Ramsarup noted that the exercise demanded much time and good equipment. “Search and rescue is a serious operation because we take into consideration the lives of people and its two distinct operations, one is search and after found the object (vessel) then we start to look at the issue of rescuing those that require it,” he explained.

Ramsarup noted that operation time is very important and with time comes the equipment that they will have to use to make sure the response is fast and safe. He also explained that drills for these operations are very important, and must be done often with the respective personnel.

“Another important thing, drills especially as it relates to our vessels, we have to practise them very often, the fire safety drill, the man overboard drill, command and control onboard a vessel,” he added.

He noted that measures are being put in place to ensure that officers on board vessels are adequately trained so they can perform these functions.

Director of Maritime Safety, Captain John Flores noted that the exercise gave them an opportunity to get to know better the standard operating procedures of maritime search and rescue. He added that informative materials would be distributed to the agencies that participated in today’s exercise.

The Maritime Administration Department plans to have another exercise before the end of the year, but it will be a field or simulation exercise.