April 30 marked the conclusion of our Marine Safety Instructor Training at AVTEC in Seward, Alaska. The class was well attended and we had students from Washington, Wisconsin, and various communities around Alaska. Thank you to AVTEC for hosting the workshop and to Russ Hazlett, U.S.C.G. Commercial Fishing Vessel Examiner, District 17, Sector Anchorage, for providing the Damage Control Trainer.

Executive Director, Jerry Dzugan, and assisting instructors covered Preparation for Emergencies; Cold-Water Survival; Sea Survival, Equipment, Procedures, and Onboard Drills; Land Survival; Food and Water in Survival Situations; Cold-Water Near Drowning; and Hypothermia. They also covered topics essential for any instructor: Methods of Instruction; Cross-Cultural Communication; and Risk Assessment and Management. It was a busy six days! Check out the photos in the gallery to get a look at some of the activities.

Even with the busy schedule, Kenneth Cardwell, a student from Valdez, Alaska, found time to get married to his sweetheart, assisting instructor, Laura Schneider. Love and romance is where you find it, but that's probably the first time a couple has gotten married over the lunch break at an MSIT.

Our next Marine Safety Instructor Training workshop is in Sitka, Alaska, September 19-24, 2017. The cost is $995 and we have scholarships available for qualifying commercial fishermen. We'll teach you how to teach cold-water safety and survival skills to commercial fishermen and other mariners. And if your sweetheart comes with your to Sitka, we'll happily include directions to the courthouse!