Muscat: The Royal Oman Police (ROP), represented by the Coast Guard Police Command, has obtained international accreditation in coordination with the Ministry of Transport, Communications, and Information Technology, which provides training and grants the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) operator certificate as well as enable them to operate search and rescue systems in boats.
The Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (GMDSS) is considered one of the systems adopted by the International Maritime Organization of the United Nations in the field of search and rescue due to maritime accidents to which ships are exposed.
The system relies on the presence of satellite services and ground stations and contains the functions of broadcasting distress calls and communications systems that enhance search and rescue services.
Colonel Abdulaziz bin Mohammed al Jabri, Assistant Commander of the Coast Guard Police, said that this accreditation enables the Royal Oman Police to provide specialized training programs for operators of the Global Distress System as per maritime safety procedures and protocols and communication equipment and devices used in rescuing ships. He confirmed that this accreditation complements the work of the marine simulator that was provided to the Coast Guard Police Command, and given the development projects it has witnessed and the acquisition of boats with the latest marine specifications, workers must be qualified and their capabilities developed, including boat captains, to work on its systems.
He explained that the acquisition of the marine simulator and obtaining international accreditation allow for the provision of efficient outputs capable of keeping pace with the latest developments and global international standards for distress.
He added that training on the marine simulator and the Global Maritime Distress and Safety System is being conducted at the Coast Guard Police Command following the standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification, and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW), and the International Convention for the Safety of Life at Sea ( SOLAS). The marine simulator provides an environment that simulates reality through virtual exposure to various potential risks in various climatic conditions, day and night sailing operations, exposure to marine accidents, management of the work team in the command room, training in applying the law to prevent maritime collisions, the mechanism of entry and exit from seaports, and operating communications systems. Marine and use of navigational devices, maritime search and rescue (SAR) operations, and training in sea navigation in general.
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