Abu Dhabi Ports Company (ADPC), has recently been accredited by the National Transport Authority (NTA) to conduct IALA model courses for Vessel Traffic Services (VTS) operators at its dedicated training center.
By receiving this accreditation, the ADPC Training Center is the first maritime educational institute in the Gulf Region to offer the highest internationally accredited training courses for VTS personnel.
“Being accredited to teach IALA training courses is a further example of our best practices”, says Mohammed Juma Al Shamisi, Acting CEO, ADPC. “As a developer, manager and operator of ports, we want to guarantee safety at sea, and operating the VTS system in line with international maritime standards is of utmost importance.”
Six VTS operators now successfully completed the first conducted IALA model course V-103/1 which was held over the period of three weeks at ADPC’s state-of-the-art training facilities in Musaffah.
The course was led by Captain Alan G Liversedge, a specialist in Vessel Traffic Services with more than 20 years of experience in the maritime industry. It emphasized on global, standardized VTS communication procedures and their legal framework. Besides a theoretical part, the course consisted of practical exercises covering various sea traffic scenarios staged by cutting edge VTS simulators.
The VTS system is installed in control towers at ports all over the world, organizing the marine traffic. It collects traffic data via various monitoring and communication systems, such as radar, close-circuit television (CCTV), or radiotelephony. The collected data is compiled and integrated into one operator working environment, helping the operator to identify, follow and organize the vessels at sea.
ADPC’s newly accredited VTS model courses follow IALA standards. IALA – the International Association of Aid-to-Navigation and Light House Authorities – is an 80 member country organization that represents navigation interests worldwide and promotes the implementation of standardized and globally recognized practices.