A
FIRST IN INDIA
IMO
OPRC MODEL TRAINING
COURSE-LEVEL 2
FOR
SUPERVISORS/ON-SCENE
COMMANDERS
The
International Maritime
Organization has
developed as part
of the Oil Pollution
Preparedness, Response
and Co-operation
Convention, 1990
(OPRC), three courses
to train First Responders,
Supervisors/On-Scene
Commanders and Senior
Managers/Administrators
to respond to marine
oil spills.
The Indian Coast
Guard being the
Central Coordinating
Authority for responding
to oil spills affecting
the maritime zones
of India has been
undertaking IMO
level – I
training to the
personnel belonging
to various ports
and oil handling
companies for the
past 10 years.
Need
was now felt that
the Coast Guard
should coordinate
IMO Level-2 course
for Supervisors
and On Scene Commanders.
For
coordinating the
level _II course,
the Coast Guard
made a tie-up with
the AMET University
Chennai to conduct
the IMO Level-II
course at their
premises and staff
resourced from the
University, Coast
Guard, and the Industry.
The course forms
the cornerstone
for the conduct
and management of
an effective response
to a marine oil
spill, and hence,
an effective national
response capability.
Personnel
from ports and oil
handling companies,
involved in oil
pollution response,
were the participants
to this IMO OPRC
Model Training Course
- Level 2, Supervisors/On-Scene
Commanders held
at AMET University,
Chennai from 20-24
Jul 2009 .
There were 25 participants
on this oil spill
response course,
which will now be
held regularly at
AMET University.
The objective of
the course is to
train members of
an oil spill response
team organization
to effectively respond
to an oil spill
through the deployment
of equipment and
resources at the
local level. The
course focus, therefore,
is on the operational
management and tactics
involved in responding
to oil spills. These
procedures represent
the critical delivery
element of any national
contingency plan.
The course is 5
full days in length
composed of lectures,
group assignments
and exercises This
is an excellent
opportunity for
personnel to learn
about the oil spill
response supervision
and take decisions
at local level for
coordinating tier-I
level response.
Also, as response
officials from various
ports and oil handling
agencies are participating
, the response personnel
will be able to
gain a better insight
into the attitudes
and actions of industry
and the public from
the various course
instructors. The
entry requirement
for the course is
that the personnel
nominated should
be at least a middle
level manager and
has undergone Coast
Guard Level- I course
earlier or has sufficient
experience in Pollution
Response Operations.
The course administration
is also managed
by the AMET University
Chennai, a centre
of excellence for
Higher Education
and Research in
the maritime, marine
and allied fields
. The AMET University
is located in Uthandi
in the ECR road
and the University
has all facilities
in their premises
to provide all round
training, that includes
a brief tanker familiarization,
simulator systems
and visit to Ports
and sensitive shoreline
areas.
The feedback of
the participants
to the first course
has been excellent
and far exceeding
their expectations.
