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. Ferriessa国际传媒� 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 itsa国际传媒檚 all visual.
sa国际传媒淭he maps were built with pictures, digitalization and specific requests from B.C. Ferries. Things are in the right place and things are to scalesa国际传媒a国际传媒� Rodger said. sa国际传媒淚s it perfect? Itsa国际传媒檚 not meant to be perfect, itsa国际传媒檚 meant to be in the likeness, but itsa国际传媒檚 very good.sa国际传媒�
Robin Grypma, B.C. Ferriessa国际传媒� 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 sa国际传媒渘ight and daysa国际传媒� compared to the equipment used when she was coming up. The previous simulator, while excellent, was outdated after 12 years, she said.
sa国际传媒淭he models themselves, theysa国际传媒檙e all hydro-dynamically developed, so they respond much more efficiently and with more response in this new simulator,sa国际传媒� said Grypma. sa国际传媒淭he visuals are a thousand times better. The equipment wesa国际传媒檝e installed sa国际传媒� is actually whatsa国际传媒檚 on board. We replicate [whatsa国际传媒檚] onboard so theresa国际传媒檚 less training about how to use equipment and more training with how to respond to emergencies.sa国际传媒�
Training facilities at Tsawwassen and Swartz Bay are no longer being used, making the Nanaimo facility sa国际传媒渢he focus,sa国际传媒� said Rodger.
sa国际传媒淚tsa国际传媒檚 central to the fleet, central to travel, central to the bulk of the crew,sa国际传媒� he said.
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