Caron Parfitt will head off to Finland for marine rescue training this week. Photos: Marine Rescue NSW.
After spending years patrolling the sea off Bermagui, a Marine Rescue NSW commander is now going international to learn more skills to improve the safety of boaters at home.
Former Marine Rescue Bermagui unit commander Caron Parfitt ESM leaves for Finland this week to take part in the International Maritime Rescue Federation’s (IMRF) Women in Search and Rescue (SAR) training course.
This course only takes 16 participants and is being hosted by the Finnish Lifeboat Institution at the Bagaskar Training Centre in Inkoo.
“The exercise is a huge opportunity to learn and share ideas with women from other countries who are involved in search and rescue,” Ms Parfitt said.
“I expect there will be an enormous depth of knowledge and skill amongst the participants, many of whom represent organisations that have been saving lives on the water for generations, such as the Royal National Lifeboat Institution in the UK, who have just celebrated 200 years.
“I am looking forward to sharing newly gained knowledge and skills with other Marine Rescue NSW volunteers when I return to further develop our search-and-rescue capability.”
Ms Parfitt volunteered with Marine Rescue Bermagui for more than 11 years and was awarded the Emergency Services Medal in June 2022.
She is an operational coxswain and watch officer and recently completed a six-year tenure as unit commander at Bermagui.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell said he was sure Ms Parfitt would bring back wonderful learnings from the course in Finland to enhance their organisation.
Marine Rescue NSW Commissioner Alex Barrell with Marine Rescue’s Caron Parfitt in Canberra.
“The opportunity that Caron’s going to get is twofold. So, as I say, it’s about her taking some of our skills over there, but more importantly, bringing back those skills that are being practised globally,” he said.
“The whole mission of the International Maritime Rescue Federation is about enhancing maritime search and rescue right across the globe, and how that works in with each of those jurisdictions is really important for the safety of boaters globally.”
“For her to be able to go overseas, work with those on the international stage and showcase to them our high level of training, it’s wonderful for Caron but it’s also wonderful for us.”
The International Maritime Rescue Federation says there is a huge gender gap in the maritime sector. Women represent only 2 per cent of the world’s 1.2 million seafarers.
“Although there is currently no hard data on maritime SAR, all available anecdotal evidence suggests that the position is no different: women are greatly under-represented across maritime SAR, in both volunteer and paid positions,” IMRF says.
To address this, the federation launched its WomenInSAR initiative in June 2019, aiming to increase the representation of women in the maritime sector.
The first successful WomeninSAR training took place in 2022.
This year’s training will include several aspects of leadership on SAR vessels, including communication and mission handling as well as different tools and procedures to assist in leading the unit.
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