Page 45: of Marine News Magazine (October 2014)

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COMMUNICATIONS mÜW=EPPTFOPTJRMNN cñW=EPPTF=UPTJTTUR bW=ÜÉ~ÇÑäìëÜÉê]~ÜÉ~Çí~åâKÅçã tÉÄW=ïïïK~ÜÉ~Çí~åâKÅçã +=`ÜÉãáÅ~ä=oÉëáëí~åí= +=oìëí=C=`çêêçëáçå=mêççÑ== +=lÇçê=cêÉÉ= +=aìê~ÄäÉ= +=`çãé~Åí== +=iáÖÜí=tÉáÖÜí qóéÉ=ff=pÉï~ÖÉ=qêÉ~íãÉåí=mä~åí=EpqmF rp=`ç~ëí=dì~êÇ=`ÉêíáÑáÉÇ ~åÇ=fjl=OMNM=^ééêçîÉÇ qÜÉ áë=ÅçåëíêìÅíÉÇ=çÑ=eÉ~îó d~ìÖÉ= ii= mçäóÉíÜÉäóåÉ= ìëáåÖ= íÜÉ= ãçëí ~Çî~åÅÉÇ= ëí~íÉJçÑJíÜÉJ~êí= êçí~íáçå~ä ãçäÇáåÖ=éêçÅÉëë=ÅêÉ~íáåÖ=~=ìåáí=íÜ~í=áëW +=içï=j~áåíÉå~åÅÉ pickup procedure of patient and fi refi ghter was agreed upon and handled, with the help of the David Clark system.

Still another recent incident involved a swimmer who had been taken out into the Gulf of Mexico off the beachfront and was unable to swim back to shore due to strong tidal fl ow and rip currents. Byrne explains, “Our Fireboat responded and upon arrival had to maneuver the rear rescue platform of the fi reboat towards the victim to retrieve her from the water.

With a crew member on the platform communicating with the fi reboat operator, the victim was safely retrieved from the water.” In this case, improved crew-to-crew communications was the key. The victim was then transported to shore during which the paramedics assessed her for injuries and communi- cated her condition to an awaiting Rescue unit.

At the end of the day, the number one feature/benefi t that

Marco Island personnel like about the system is that it has provided them with markedly improved communications and at the same time, improved incident coordination due to the ability to clearly understand direction from the Incident

Commander. Deputy Chief Chris Byrne sums it up neatly, insisting, “Safety is paramount in these operations and the

David Clark wireless system provides us with reliable con- sistent crew communications through the intercom feature.”

All of that adds up to a more confi dent, effective and safer crew. And, that – in a nutshell – is David Clark’s mission. www.marinelink.com MN 45

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