9 2 A panel of experts, including Inmarsat ’s Peter Broadhurst, discussed the findings of the Future of Maritime Safety report at Posidonia 2022 “With the Fleet Safety service, we’ve built a system that meets the regulations and then added extra features on top,” says Broadhurst. “Firstly, we asked the search and rescue community what they wanted, and they highlighted the need for good communication. So we created a server solution that allows us to connect rescue coordination centres together. For example, if an incident occurs on a vessel, the ship can choose which rescue coordination centre it sends the distress to, which would then call in a ship that’s close by to assist.” Fleet Safety also provides real-time Maritime Safety Information broadcasts, which can be downloaded even after the broadcast time and when the Maritime Safety Terminal has been turned off; for example, when in dry dock or ports where reception is compromised. “We built a platform for the maritime safety providers who send out proactive messages, warning of weather conditions, a navigation light not working or even a tsunami” says Broadhurst. “The new platform means those providers can have confidence that the message they’re sending out is being delivered. We’ve also created an application programming interface so that they can create messages themselves and then just fire them off to Inmarsat, which we then send over to our existing service and our new service, taking the hassle out of the process.” Inmarsat will also provide operators with the capability to train their crew in the use of the new system to ensure they can adapt quickly. “It’s not just about creating a new product and throwing it over the fence and saying, “there you go”,” says Broadhurst. “Everybody who is going to use the system should do so without fear and in full knowledge of what it’s supposed to do. So we created a module that will train seafarers in their general operators certificate as well as the new safety services.” Broadhurst highlights the service’s capacity to condense information in a way which ensures that it can be processed effectively by crew in their efforts to maintain safety. “There’s so much information these days for the Officer of the Watch or the Navigator to take in,” says Broadhurst. “Fleet Safety puts the control of information back in the hands of seafarers. We’ve been very selective in making sure that only relevant messages are shown urgently to crew, while other information is available if needed. This wasn’t available with the old system, and will raise the level of safety. It’s a system that’s built for the future.” CFR INTERV IEW
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