Fishing Vessel Training Program Continues to Grow

Alyeska Pipeline’s Ship Escort Response Vessel System (SERVS) Fishing Vessel Marine Oil Spill Response Training Program continues to grow. The unique three-day training program is receiving high marks from participating fishermen in seven South Central communities who act as response leaders to the Valdez Marine Terminal and Trans Alaska Crude Oil Shippers, should a spill occur.

Every year the training program personnel conduct training sessions for more than 1,000 fishing vessel crewmembers in Valdez, Cordova, Chenega, Whittier, Seward, Homer and Kodiak. There are currently more than 350 vessels under contract. In the event of an on-water incident, the crews of these vessels have been trained to respond.

“This program is truly an asset to the protection of Alaska’s resources,” Rod Hoffman, Alyeska Pipeline Compliance and Preparedness Manager said.

The training program is conducted under a unique alliance with federal and state Occupational Safety and Health Adminstration (OSHA), Tatitlek Chenega Chugach (TCC), a joint venture of three Alaska Native Corporations including Tatitlek Corporation, Chenega Corporation and Chugach Alaska Corporation, Prince William Sound Community College (PWSCC), seven Alaska communities, and SERVS.

The three-day training includes classroom instruction at PWSCC, hands-on experience, Hazardous Waste Operations and Emergency Response (HAZWOPER) training, and on-water exercises. Topics covered include incident command systems, response strategies and tactics, rigging for safety, site characterization, and the use of gas meters to determine air quality for spill site characterization in a response. Personnel are also trained in equipment familiarization and operation for booms, skimmers, personal protective equipment, mini barges, and field first aid. On-water exercises include training with a near-shore response barge and landing craft.

This training is a core element of the critical fishing vessel program that is part of the Alyeska/SERVS’s spill response for the Port of Valdez and Prince William Sound. The fishing vessel program allows SERVS to incorporate critical local knowledge, talent and resources in response preparedness. The program is managed by SERVS professional Response Coordinator staff. In addition it employs local personnel as fishing vessel administrators in each of these communities to administer and coordinate the program. Fishermen get paid to participate in response training and exercises.

“Despite the significant decline in the commercial fishing vessel industry in Alaska, SERVS has been able to keep and recruit new vessels to the program,” Hoffman said.