Page 30: of Marine News Magazine (December 2019)

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SAFETY

Investing in Safety for Investing in Safety for

All the right ReasonsAll the right Reasons

It’s time to upgrade to a Marine Evacuation System.

Credit: CMLF

By Derek Robinson s domestic traf? c from coast-to-coast continues to thority, completed the installation of a new MES aboard worsen, ferry operators are seeing a steady growth all three vessels in its ? eet; namely, the MV Delaware, MV

Ain passenger demand. As passenger demand grows, New Jersey, and MV Cape Henlopen. MES provides mass so does the demand for ef? ciency and hybrid technology to evacuation via in? atable life rafts and vertical chutes that are be incorporated into ? eets. But what innovations support a automatically deployed and in? ated. The MES is intended ? eet’s number one priority – safety? Will ef? ciency and the to greatly increase evacuation capacity. In fact, no other sin- latest green technologies support these critically important gle life-saving appliance has shown that it is capable of safely vessels in an emergency situation? Is the crew aware of how evacuating more than 790 people in less than 30 minutes.

much time they have to evacuate all passengers? MES is a welcome upgrade for CMLF that impacts the

Traditional ferry evacuation systems require passengers nearly one million passengers that this system transports across to be loaded onto lifeboats on deck, with the boats then the Delaware Bay annually. CMLF has never had to evacu- lowered into the water. Some other systems require pas- ate a boat in a real emergency, but the ? nancial commitment sengers to jump from the deck into the water and swim to represented by this safety enhancing investment is ample proof life rafts. All that said; it is dif? cult to imagine requiring that should such an unlikely event occur, these vessels will be elderly or disabled passengers to take this risk. more than ready. The new system, manufactured by Survitec, a

As ? eet upgrades and maintenance budgets are deter- proven worldwide provider of marine safety and survival equip- mined for 2020, it’s necessary to make a Marine Evacua- ment, makes the evacuation process faster and more ef? cient. tion System (MES) a top priority for the year. MES systems In a nutshell, passengers aboard the ferry go down an have been supplied to over 750 vessels in use worldwide to in? atable slide from the deck onto a large life raft already a diverse customer base ranging from Navies, ferry opera- waiting on the water’s surface below. CMLF is approved tors, and cruise ships. In order to secure approval and in- to evacuate up to 750 passengers within 30 minutes; how- stallation of an MES unit, there is an extensive amount of ever, with this new MES installation, virtually all of the data and planning required. Supporting that process and vessel departures would be evacuated within 15 minutes.

providing guidance on how to avoid some common mis- CMLF isn’t alone in making advancements to its MES. steps along the way, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry (CMLF) Another early adopter, the Steamship Authority in Fairhav- – at least on the domestic side of the equation – has been en, Massachusetts upgraded its MES life raft evacuation one of few early adopters of this important tool. system in 2007 and this equipment is ? tted on board every one of the ferry service’s larger boats. The new MES has the capability of evacuating 768 passengers in approximately

Notable MES Upgrades

In August 2019, the Cape May-Lewes Ferry (CMLF), 30 minutes, using triangular evacuation slides that connect to life rafts on the starboard and port sides of the ferries.

owned and operated by the Delaware River and Bay Au-

December 2019 30 MN