Page 16: of Marine News Magazine (August 2013)
Salvage & Response
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OP/EDto new developments as the process matures and strengthens. MAURICIO GARRIDO ON SALVORS ? T HE NEXT GENERATION It is an unfortunate but accurate assumption that marine casualties will continue to occur. For this reason, one could surmise that a ready-to-respond professional salvage capabil- ity should be a priority for property owners and underwrit- ers as well as an expectation of the public in general. Such capability, however, can only be supported by putting it to work and ensuring that adequate compensation under fair terms is given the service provider not only to allow for re- investment in equipment, but more importantly, in people. Unfortunately, underwriters, the ? nancial end-users of our services, tend to focus on the immediate quarterly bot- tom line of premium collected versus claims paid. This chronic tendency often leads to an underestimation of the job at hand and the hiring of alternative cheaper? options which in the long run could result in a degradation of the professional salvage capability. The challenges faced by U.S.-based salvors are not just limited to client misperception, aggressive competition, and lack of work. Those passionate enough to stay in the industry must learn to accept the incongruent model of operating a business which demands speculative invest- ment in the hopes of a job which cannot be forecasted. It is interesting to note that while global unemployment has recently escalated to alarming levels, the salvage industry has been able to maintain its strength levels. So while reten- tion within the industry may not be a problem, recruitment of new young talent may indeed prove to be the real chal- lenge facing U.S.-based salvors as they strive to formulate long term self-preservation. The ideal Salvage Master must be a generalist with an adaptable mindset that allows for constant specialized out-of-the-box thinking. On the job training is a must and the individual must be prepared to live aboard a virtual rollercoaster with an ever changing route where family life will sometimes necessarily take a back seat. The salvage industry as a whole must focus on a long term strategy to create a steady supply of young personnel. Such strategy must be comprehensive enough to entice future professionals to try it out? and determine if they enjoy the adrenaline rush and long days surrounding a casualty. A recruitment strategy to support the sustainability of our beloved industry is likely to fail if it is not based upon a cam- paign to increase the visibility of our industry at the house- hold level. It is time to let Americas mainstream learn about all the good things salvors bring to life in order to attract those who aspire to be professional maritime problem solvers. COLUMNTim Beaver began diving commer- cially in 1977. As president of Global Diving & Salvage, Inc. from 1988 to 2009 He managed both marine op- erations and company business. Mr. Beaver is currently CEO of the compa- ny. Global Diving has been a member of the Association of Diving Contrac- tors since 1984 and Mr. Beaver spent many years on the Board of Directors and was a member of the ADCI ex-ecutive committee tasked with gener- ating the 6th Ed. ADCI Consensus Standards. He also is on the Advisory Board of the Historical Diving So- ciety. Mr. Beaver is president of the American Salvage Association. Paul Hankins has over 30 years ex- perience in the marine industry af- ter graduating from the U.S. Naval Academy in 1981 with a Bachelors of Science in Naval Architecture and from George Washington University in 1991 with a Masters degree in Environmental Management. He has held positions with the Navy Super- visor of Salvage and as president of the joint venture Donjon-SMIT, one of the ? ve SMFF Resource Provider networks, from 2005 to 2011. He is currently Vice President for Salvage Operations for Donjon Marine and serves as Vice President of the Ameri- can Salvage Association. Mauricio M. Garrido is President of T&T Salvage LLC. He received a Bachelor of Engineering degree in Na- val Architecture, as well as a Marine Engineers license from SUNY Mari- time College in 1984. His experience includes tours with the Military Sea- lift Command and the NTSB as Na- val Architect and Marine Engineer. He is the Immediate Past President and Executive Committee member of the ASA, a member of the SNAME Safety & Environmental Commit- tee, the International Association of Emergency Managers (IAEM), and the Pan-American Institute of Naval Engineering (IPIN). August 201316 MNMN August2013 Layout 1-17.indd 167/23/2013 7:45:20 PM