GMDSS Departament

Courses:
Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Long Range Operator’s Certificate –GMDSS LRC

Scope:
It consists of familiarizing attendants with concepts of fundamental theoretical notions related to: marine equipment and radio and satellite systems (MMS- Maritime Mobile Service, and MSMS -Maritime Satellite Mobile Service), communication techniques in the GMDSS, radio frequencies, GMDSS functions, communication procedures etc.
The purpose of practical training is to develop skills for operation, examination and maintenance of GMDSS equipments and systems, designed and installed on pleasure boats, yachts (GMDSS A1 Area).  

This Model Course is practical and theoretical and it has been designed to meet the requirements of STCW section IV/2; it is based on the guidelines of IMO Model Course 1.25 and this course covers the training recommended in annex 3 to IMO Assembly resolution A.703 (17) – recommendation on Training of Radio Operator’s related to the General Operator’s Certificate (GOC), which satisfies the provisions of the radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
The exercises are supervised by certified instructors and are carried out using the GMDSS KMSS NORCONTROL CAPELLA simulator and the communication systems, which were installed and adapted for training the attendants.
Briefing and debriefing sessions, which analysis the attendant’s actions and decisions, precede each exercise.
The exercises are complex and they point toward the subjects taught during the course; they are interactive exercises developed by GMDSS communication network.
During applied exercises every trainee will assume different roles in the scenario of traffic and SAR exercises.

Objective

A trainee successfully completing this course and passing the prescribed examination will be enabled to efficiently operate the GMDSS equipment and to have primary responsibility for radio-communications during distress incidents. Training will also be provided in techniques to avoid the unintentional transmission of false distress alerts and the procedures to use in order to mitigate the effects of false distress alerts following unintentional transmission. The course has been designed to meet the requirements of STCW section IV/2; it is based on the guidelines of IMO Model Course 1.25 and this course covers the training recommended in annex 3 to IMO Assembly resolution A.703 (17) – recommendation on Training of Radio Operator’s related to the General Operator’s Certificate (GOC), which satisfies the provisions of the radio Regulations of the International Telecommunication Union (ITU).
NORCONTROL CAPELLA GMDSS simulator, manufactured by KONGSBERG MARITIME Norway is appreciated, recognized and recommended for training and assessment by TELENOR, Maritime Radio Division in Norway. It is designed and functions as a network of Station Instructor +10 Student Station, which operate simultaneously in real time. All communication and navigation systems, GMDSS alerting systems, including the communication procedures (distress alerting, emergency, security, general communications, SAR actions) are simulated.    
The trainee will receive all the training facilities offered by the GMDSS laboratory. 
Course prerequisite:
Register to this course is open to anyone who aims at Radio Operator’s Certificate (MMS, MSMS, GMDSS, LRC (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Long Range Operator’s Certificate –GMDSS LRC.).
Candidates must at least be a graduate of high school and have a minimum experience accomplished on boats.

Course Certificate

After successful completion of the course the trainees will receive a document, which will confirm their training on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Long Range Operator’s Certificate –GMDSS LRC.
This document is essential for admission to examination so to achieve the Radio Operator’s Certificate (MMS, MSMS, GMDSS, LRC (Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Long Range Operator’s Certificate –GMDSS LRC.), an international document issued by National Authority for Communications-NAC, after passing the examination held for this purpose by NAC.
Course structure:
Running the course is structured in three stages:

• Theoretical background;
• Carrying out practical exercises on NORCONTROL CAPELLA GMDSS simulator and real GMDSS equipments for training;
• Results analysis.

Groups may comprise a maximum of 18-20 attendants.

Instructors

Teaching sessions and hands-on GMDSS/real GMSS console simulator are developed under the guidance and supervision of instructors, who are holders of GMDSS Radio Operator’s Certificate, certified as IMO instructors and evaluators, and GMDSS - KMSS NORCONTROL CAPELLA simulator instructors, and certified by KONGSBERG company, the manufacturer of GMDSS simulator.
The teaching staff and instructors involved in trainees’ teaching and assessment are teachers of Constanta Maritime University holding Associate Professor, or Professor positions.

Trainee assessment

The assessment contains three sections and it evaluates the fulfillment of the course’s objective by every attendant:

• Assessment of theoretical knowledge (50 multiple choice questions, condition of graduation –70% correct answers);
• Assessment of acquired skills for GMDSS KMSS NORCONTROL CAPELLA simulator/real GMDSS equipment (condition of graduation –70% correct answers);
• English language test (condition of graduation –70% correct answers).

After successful completion of the course the trainees will receive a document, which will confirm their training on Global Maritime Distress and Safety System Long Range Operator’s Certificate –GMDSS LRC.