Training course for personnel involved in emergency towing operations
This paper presents development of and experience from a simulator based training course for personnel in Norwegian emergency response operations. As a response to governmental white papers on emergency preparedness and safety at sea in Norwegian waters, it was decided to develop a simulator based training course with focus on emergency towing operations. The first part of the paper describes work done by a group of subject matter experts appointed by the Norwegian Coastal Administration. This group assisted the Ship Manoeuvring Simulator Centre to specify the content of a three days training course for deck officers on emergency response vessels. Two test courses were run in the summer of 2006. Feedback from these courses was used to update and extend course content for the first ordinary courses that took place later that year. The second part of the paper reviews course experience and feedback from course participants. The final part of the paper describes the links between the simulator based course and the research and development activities in the R&D project Arctic Emergency Operation involving partners from France, Germany, Japan, Norway and the United Kingdom.