FSM FISHERIES AND MARITIME INSTITUTE COLLEGE OF MICRONESIA-FSM
P.O. Box 1056Yap, FM 96943
Phone: (691)350-5244 Fax: (691)350-5245 Email: mewarmai@comfsm.fm
August 9, 2006
COURSE ON GLOBAL MARITIME DISTRESS AND SAFETY SYSTEM
Two courses on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) were simultaneously conducted at the FSM Fisheries and Maritime Institute (FMI) from July 11 to 22, 2006, by the Secretariat of the Pacific Community Regional Maritime Program on behalf of the Government of the Federated States of Micronesia as a part of the upgrading of seafarers in the FSM. The GMDSS is the newer system of alerting and rescuing of people at sea, using the latest development in satellite communication technology, and took on from the older system of alerting, which used the Morse Code.
The courses were conducted by Captain Tomasi Kete of the Regional Maritime Program under the auspices of the Secretariat of the Pacific Community, and for existing seafarers and the FMI students in the Navigation program. Personnel from the Caroline Voyager and Micro Spirit were the only seafarers involved in the training besides the instructors’ trainees who assist our instructors in teaching, and the FMI students in the Navigation program who are currently taking the Class 5 Master course.
The following personnel were in Yap at FMI taking the GMDSS course on General Operators Certificate:
- Callistus Yarofaitig, Second Officer, Caroline Voyager
- Alvin Sinem, Instructors’ Trainee, FMI
- Peter Ytimai, Crew, Micro Spirit
- James W. Tatogmai, Chief Officer, Micro Spirit
- Paul P. Haleyalpiy, Third Officer, Micro Spirit
- Vincent Ochalmai, Second Officer, Micro Spirit (at FMI, upgrading course)
- Samson Hasiuglur, Instructors’ Trainee, FMI
These others took the GMDSS Restricted Operators Certificate Course:
- Mila Ruan Falmngar, Class 5 Master student, FMI
- Arthur Sango, Class 5 Marine Engineering student, FMI
- Sission Yeligemai, Class 5 Master student, FMI
- Harvin Hetiback, Class 5 Master student, FMI
- Roland Halichilmal, Class 5 Master student, FMI
- Juliano Yarofaitig,, Bosun, Micro Spirit (at FMI taking upgrading course)
The GMDSS General Operators Course is targeting those seafarers who work on ships engaged on international routes while the Restricted Operators Course is for those who work on ships engaged on coastal voyages. All the thirteen people taking the courses passed them respectively. Although FMI will issue a certificate of training to each of these people, the FSM Government will have to issue the appropriate certificate for them so that from the point of competency, these individual could serve under their appropriate certificates.
Because of the need for a full-fledged instructor in GMDSS course at FMI, Captain Benjamin James, the FMI lead instructor in GMDSS, assisted Captain Kete in organizing the courses, with special assistance from Tioti B. Teburea, another FMI navigation instructor who is a national of Kiribati. Between the three of them, the courses in GMDSS GOC and ROC were very successful. Furthermore, the training equipment at FMI used in the GMDSS training were very much like those the instructor is very familiar with.
We certainly would like to thank Secretariat of the Pacific Community for funding the instructor for the courses to conduct them on Yap at FMI for the benefit of FSM seafarers. These courses are conducted every five years to keep every seafarer up to speed with technology as they apply to safety, so that from the point of maritime safety every seafarer is certified accordingly.
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