Emirates International Maritime Academy (EIMA) recently held a Basic Safety Training Course for members of the General Department of Operations at Dubai Police. The five-day course included a number of modules that covered safety aspects at the sea, and fire prevention and fire fighting as well as elementary first aid.
The course, which is mandatory for anyone working onboard ships as per the International Maritime Organisation’s (IMO) requirements, helps participants acquire the basics of dealing with different emergency situations during their time at sea.
Jaafar bin Sidin, Director – EIMA, commented on the occasion by saying: “The academy’s aim, since its inception, has been to bridge the gap in maritime training within the UAE, especially mandatory courses that comply with international regulation. We look forward to introducing more of such courses in the very near future, to meet the needs of both public and private maritime-related entities.”
On his part, Major Khalifa Al Alili, Director – Disaster and Crisis Management Department at Dubai Police, highlighted the important role EIMA played in the training and development of maritime talent within UAE and said: “There has been a remarkable increase in maritime activities within the UAE, which requires us to be ready for any emergency that might arise. Having EIMA offer internationally-recognised training courses helps us improve the technical expertise of our own crews, as such training was more of a burden for us in the past due to the absence of a maritime academy on a local level. We will now be participating in such future courses that EIMA will start to offer.”
It is worth noting that the UAE’s National Transport Authority had recently awarded EIMA full accreditation of the courses and programmes it has on offer, which is a clear indication of the quality of courses and programmes on offer by EIMA and its commitment to global standards set by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). The academy has started holding its courses out of a facility within Dubai Maritime City, offering a range of topics covering maritime security, safety and the environment.
