Alaska Marine Safety

Education Association

 
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AMSEA'S mission:

Reduce injury and death in the marine and freshwater environment through education and training provided by a network of qualified marine safety instructors.


See AMSEA's calendar of upcoming courses and events
(Updated Daily!)


NEWS AND UPCOMING EVENTS:

 

September 1, 2010

Marine Safety Instructor Training On Tap For Sitka, Alaska

AMSEA's next session of Marine Safety Instructor Training (MSIT) will take place in Sitka, Alaska beginning September 14 and running through September 20. This is a premier train-the-trainer course designed to train individuals to effectively teach cold water survival procedures, marine safety equipment and onboard safety drills.

The Marine Safety Instructor Training sessions are designed for persons wanting to teach cold-water safety and survival in a variety of settings – for private businesses or government agencies, for recreational boaters, in schools, etc.

Learn more about the upcoming course in in Sitka here.

August 10, 2010

A MESSAGE FOR AMSEA-TRAINED MARINE SAFETY INSTRUCTORS:

Several false MAYDAYs have been given out during training, which resulted in Search And Rescue aircraft being launched. Therefore, we request that all instructors use the following guidelines during training to prevent false alarms that can divert SAR resources from real emergencies, potential fines and risk to rescuers.

1.     Never, ever use any kind of operational radio to give a Mayday message for practice - period! VHF, CB, SSB, walkie talkies, "family radios", radios used by construction contractors, any radio which broadcasts on public frequencies will, and have resulted in false messages of distress. Even radios which have a short range of 100 or 200 yards have resulted in USCG SAR helicopter launches.  A live radio should simply never be activated to practice emergency calls. AMSEA will not be responsible for instructors who cannot follow this basic procedure.

2.     When using "dead" radios, the instructor should ensure that the power to the radio is deactivated and secure. This can be done by removing the battery pack from a handheld radio, turning a radio off at the breaker panel or, even better, just giving the student a microphone with a disconnected cord. Even speaking into a fist with a thumb for the "mic" will suffice. If using a supposedly "dead" microphone, the instructor should monitor the radio to make sure it has not accidentally been repowered. A simplified "lock out/tag out" practice should be used so someone does not accidentally activate the power source.

3.     When giving practice demo Maydays, a statement that "this is just a drill" or words which signify that this is not a real emergency, will help prevent a SAR from being initiated if there is still a problem and is a good practice.

4.     Children present special concerns. It is acknowledged that teaching children how to use a radio to ask for help can potentially be a valuable exercise. However children have also been known to "practice" distress calling on operational radios and the frequency of this happening has been documented to occur more often after such training has occurred. Since children cannot be expected to follow directions as well as adults, often lack good judgment and are often unable to contemplate the consequences of their actions, AMSEA instructors are encouraged to use their best judgment when training children and to keep these points in mind. 
 
Feel free to contact me if you have any questions or have any ideas on how to minimize this risk.

Sincerely,
 
Jerry Dzugan
Director

 

Updated August 10, 2010

AMSEA video covers - VHS

FREE Marine Safety Videos!

A couple hundred copies of our AMSEA-produced videos, on a variety of marine safety topics, are availalble FREE for the asking. We'll even pay shipping to anywhere in the U.S.

So, what's the catch? They are all VHS format.

The following titles are still available:

  • Beating the Odds in Spanish
  • It Could Have Been Prevented
  • A Matter of Survival
  • Rescues at Sea
  • Rescues at Sea in Spanish
  • When Seconds Count

Please visit the AMSEA store to read about the content of many of these videos. We have a lot of copies of some titles, and only a few copies of others. All are available on a first come, first served basis. We will ship both single copies or larger quantities.

To request VHS tapes or for more information, contact AMSEA's Gear manager by email or by phone at 907-747-3287.

 

July 14, 2010

Download the Summer 2010 Issue of Marine Safety Update

Cover of Summer 2010 Marine Safety Update Find articles on the following topics and much more in AMSEA's latest newsletter:

  • AMSEA Celebrates It's 25th Anniversary!
  • Change In PFD Requirements Suggested
  • Lockout/Tagout On Commercial Fishing Vessels
  • How To Repair An Immersion Suit
  • Rural Alaskans Surveyed About Boating Safety
  • Lessons Learned From the Sinking of the F/V Katmai

Get your copy here:

Marine Safety Update – Summer 2010 Adobe PDF icon 1.1 MB

 

July 8, 2010

DROWNING IN ALASKA: Article Highlights Progress and Persistent Problems

A recent article in the International Journal of Circumpolar Health discusses a study that evaluates and describes the current problem of drowning in Alaska, measures changes in the rates since earlier studies have been done and compares occupational and non-occupational drowning characteristics. The study looks at drowning fatality data collected from death certificates, law-enforcement reports
and news articles from 2000 through 2006.

The article was written by written by Hilary Strayer of the Alaska Native Tribal Health Consortium, Deborah Hull-Jilly of the State of Alaska Department of Health and Social Services, Injury Prevention and Emergency Medical Services, and Jennifer Lincoln and Devin Lucas of the National Institute for Occupational Safety and Health, Alaska Pacific Regional Office.

Download an abstract or the full text of the article.

 

July 2, 2010

HAPPY INDEPENDENCE DAY: Boat Safely This Holiday Weekend

4th July Boating Family
USCG photo

As thousands of boaters celebrate the nation's birthday on the water, please remember to watch the weather, celebrate responsibly, understand the hazards of boating under the influence of alcohol and do not use safety flares as fireworks.

Members of the boating public are encouraged to always wear a life jacket, have a working VHF-FM radio and electronic position indicating radio beacon (EPIRB) on board and let someone know where they plan to be boating. These simple things could save your life or the life of your passengers and increase the effectiveness of Coast Guard response in the event of an emergency.

Monitor the weather forecast and be aware of surrounding conditions that can change quickly, especially during the summer months. The National Weather Service broadcasts marine weather forecasts regularly on VHF marine radio and on the NWS website.

Be aware of the dangers of drinking and boating. Along with decreasing the operator's ability to make good judgments, alcohol consumption also negatively affects the ability of the passengers to respond in the case of an emergency on the water. The effects of the sun, wind, waves and a boat's motion in the water add to an operator's impairment. Intoxicated boaters can face both federal and state charges with penalties of up to one year in prison and $100,000 in fines.

Each year during this time, the Coast Guard receives and responds to numerous calls of boaters firing emergency flares from their vessels. While the possession of flares on your vessel is required, flares should only be fired to indicate distress. With the increase of maritime traffic, the firing of a flare in a non-emergency situation could result in a delayed response to a legitimate maritime emergency. Firing a flare when not experiencing an actual emergency could also result in a felony, punishable by up to six years in prison, $250,000 in fines and reimbursement of all costs that the Coast Guard incurs as a result of the false distress. Flares are NOT holiday fireworks!

Have a wonderful time on the water this holiday weekend, but please remember to boat responsibly!

 

June 17, 2010

Join AMSEA on Facebook!

 

May 4, 2010

Spring 2010 Issue of Marine Safety Update Newsletter Available For Download

Cover of AMSEA's Spring 2010 Newsletter

Find articles on the following topics and much more in AMSEA's latest newsletter:

  • NIOSH Studies U.S. Fishing Fatalities: The Mid and South Atlantic Coast
  • Oil Stoves Pose Fire Hazard
  • Are Immersion Suits Enough?
  • PFDs That Are Wearable While Working
  • AMSEA-Trained Instructors Now Number Over 1,000
  • Safety Alert: DCS-Equipped VHF Radios
  • AMSEA's New Rural Water Safety Initiative

Download your copy here: Marine Safety Update – Spring 2010 Adobe PDF icon880 KB

 

updated May 19, 2010

Your Immersion Suit - brochure New Brochure Available For Download or Purchase

Your Immersion Suit:
How To Maintain It, Leak-test It, Repair It

Adobe PDF icon - 2010, 180 KB

This two-sided, 8.5" by 14" brochure provides a quick guide to keeping neoprene immersion suits performing optimally between inspections and repairs at an authorized repair facility.

It outlines regular inspection and maintenance, how to test for leaks, and do-it-yourself repairs for small leaks.

Download a digital copy here or visit the AMSEA Store to order printed copies.

 


Become An AMSEA Member For 2010!

AMSEA membership can help make a difference in your life and the lives of others who work or play on the water. Your support is what makes AMSEA's work possible.

2010 membership premium

Membership is not only an important source of direct funding; it is an indication to the agencies and foundations that also help finance AMSEA that what we do is important.

We invite you to join or renew your membership in AMSEA for 2010 now so that we can continue to offer quality boating and cold-water safety training and educational materials.

And, if you join at the $100 level or greater, we'll send you the great thank-you gift pictured here!

Learn more and download a 2010 membership form here.

 

 

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