Students graduate in search and rescue

Maltese, Israeli, Bulgarian and Ukranian students who took part in a training programme at the AFM Search and Rescue (SAR) Training Centre in Safi have been presented with graduation certificates, the US embassy said.

Chargé d’Affaires Jason Davis praised the AFM’s SAR Training Centre, which he said offered a “unique training opportunity -- not only for its comprehensive curriculum and state-of-the-art technology, but also for the camaraderie it creates.” The relationships established between participants from different countries, he said, would contribute to “making our seas safe and secure for commerce and recreation.”

The AFM’s Search and Rescue Training Centre is modelled on the United States Coast Guard’s own SAR School, which is widely regarded as the world’s premier source for SAR training. US Coast Guard (USCG) methodology and International Aeronautical and Maritime SAR manual standards shape the training programmes. The SAR Training Centre was created with assistance from the US.Embassy in Malta, and course instructors have been trained at the US Coast Guard’s National SAR School in Yorktown, Virginia.

Since 2006, the SAR Training Centre has opened its doors to other countries seeking its specialised four-week training.

In partnership with the United States Coast Guard, the AFM now offers three courses per year to maritime officers from all over the world. Funding for the training is provided by the US, and to date more than 50 students, from African, Middle Eastern, and European countries, have been fully trained at the centre. The US provides financial and administrative assistance, allowing some of the foreign students to attend the SAR Training Centre on full scholarship.

More than 80 AFM personnel, some of whom now maintain a constant SAR watch at the AFM Rescue Coordination Centre, have also been trained at the centre.