'Safety and security a top priority' - drill on board ship devised by MCA surveyors

Surveyors from the Maritime & Coastguard Agency have been overseeing a drill on board a ship in Southampton.
The exercise which was devised by the surveyors, put the crew of the MSC Preziosa through their paces watching and assessing their response to a fire-based scenario on board and involved Hampshire Fire & Rescue Service who were able to test their ability to respond to an emergency on a large cruise ship in the port of Southampton.
 As an exercise it brought together fire-fighting response, medical teams as well as coordination of the incident on the bridge and the movement of about 1,000 crewmen ashore simulating the evacuation of passengers.
Simon Graves, Assistant Director, Technical Performance said: ‘The most important thing about these exercises is the learning points that all of us can take away. As surveyors working with the Maritime & Coastguard Agency, we’re more than happy to arrange and oversee such exercises and offer advice where necessary on what steps can be taken to improve.’
Giuseppe De Maio, Vice President Deck & Safety and DPA at MSC Cruises said: “Safety and security are always our top priority and working with professional organisations such as the Hampshire Fire and Rescue Service and Maritime & Coastguard Agency offers us a great opportunity to put our plans and procedures to the test.
"We were very pleased how this invaluable exercise went and we will always look at working with maritime and rescue authorities across the globe to maintain the highest safety standards.”

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