Our 2nd Season

After years of standing watch on the bridge at sea, the bosun had developed a sixth sense. He squinted his eyes, twisted his head and sniffed the air. He dismissed the salt and oil smells and detected a faint smell of smoke. And the two things any good Bosun is most alert for on a ship at sea are fire and water.

Sure enough the radio burst out with a call of smoke, just as the sophisticated alarm system began registering several locations with a possible fire.

“Call the fire teams and alert the captain, immediately”.

Now all the countless drills and training would be put to the test. He whispered a silent prayer as the first officer rushed to the scene to meet the fire teams….

Mercy Ships are hospitals. But you can’t forget the “ship” part. They are large ocean going vessels. And just like any ship, they must be vigilant about emergencies and ensure that crew are adequately trained to assist in an emergency. Our “Onboarding” group spent the week in both Maritime Basic Training and Red Cross First Aid and CPR. We literally donned emergency gear, “righted” a life raft, and fought fires. It was a fun week and we all learned a TON.

I have an immense respect for the officers on our ships. Several of them spent the week teaching us and their vast knowledge was humbling. A special thanks to Marcos, Rodrigo, Simon, Dan, and Charles!

And in case any of them are reading this, WE WILL ALL CHECK THE MUSTER LIST AND THE EMERGENCY FIRE/SAFETY PLAN!