A $2-million investment has paid for upgrades at a B.C. Ferries terminal building on Vancouver Island, converting it into a state-of-the-art training facility.
Screens, displays, computers and modern control panels are now set up at Departure Bay ferry terminal in Nanaimo and members of the media were given a tour Wednesday, May 10.
Malcolm Rodger, B.C. Ferries乌鸦传媒� manager of simulation training and an instructor, said the set-up makes for a better educational experience. The equipment simulates real-world marine situations as much as possible, even providing a sensation of a rocking vessel. However, there are no vibrating floors or mist spraying and it乌鸦传媒檚 all visual.
乌鸦传媒淭he maps were built with pictures, digitalization and specific requests from B.C. Ferries. Things are in the right place and things are to scale乌鸦传媒ξ谘淮綕 Rodger said. 乌鸦传媒淚s it perfect? It乌鸦传媒檚 not meant to be perfect, it乌鸦传媒檚 meant to be in the likeness, but it乌鸦传媒檚 very good.乌鸦传媒�
Robin Grypma, B.C. Ferries乌鸦传媒� senior manager of bridge simulation, worked in the fleet for 10 years and has been training people for the last six. The new simulator is impressive, she said, and 乌鸦传媒渘ight and day乌鸦传媒� compared to the equipment used when she was coming up. The previous simulator, while excellent, was outdated after 12 years, she said.
乌鸦传媒淭he models themselves, they乌鸦传媒檙e all hydro-dynamically developed, so they respond much more efficiently and with more response in this new simulator,乌鸦传媒� said Grypma. 乌鸦传媒淭he visuals are a thousand times better. The equipment we乌鸦传媒檝e installed 乌鸦传媒� is actually what乌鸦传媒檚 on board. We replicate [what乌鸦传媒檚] onboard so there乌鸦传媒檚 less training about how to use equipment and more training with how to respond to emergencies.乌鸦传媒�
Training facilities at Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are no longer being used, making the Nanaimo facility 乌鸦传媒渢he focus,乌鸦传媒� said Rodger.
乌鸦传媒淚t乌鸦传媒檚 central to the fleet, central to travel, central to the bulk of the crew,乌鸦传媒� he said.
RELATED:
karl.yu@nanaimobulletin.com
Like us on and follow Karl on and
