The Observer, July 2006
Alyeska Viewpoint: Vessel system practices continuous improvement
By MIKE MEADORS
Since its inception seventeen years ago, the Ship Escort/Response Vessel System has maintained a steady course toward the goal of being the best prevention and response organization possible. While establishment of an organization such as SERVS might have been revolutionary in 1989, SERVS has since settled down into a more evolutionary process of constantly seeking ways to improve. SERVS is not the same organization it was; it is significantly better.
In the beginning, the focus was on establishing the ship escort system and open-water response capabilities under the “Interim Operating Agreement.” This agreement was replaced with the more robust Prince William Sound Contingency Plan later in 1989. Our equipment, organization, tactics, and plans have continued to develop into a more advanced, more effective prevention and response system. Some important examples include: on-shore response improvements in 1991, updates to the near-shore response capability and the expansion of the fishing vessel program in 1994, and improvements to wildlife response in 1995. In 1999, the prevention system was significantly enhanced with the delivery of the two Enhanced Tractor Tugs, followed in 2000 and 2001 by the delivery of the three Prevention and Response Tugs. Throughout the years, other significant improvements to our prevention and response capabilities were the introduction of ship double-hull design and construction, the Vessel Traffic System enhancements, and ice radar.
While impressive, all this technology is of little value without talented people. As the SERVS Manager, I see attracting and retaining competent employees as two of my highest priorities. It isn’t always easy; there continues to be competition for qualified emergency response personnel within the industry. Through the efforts of Alyeska; Chugach Development Corp.; Crowley; Doyon; Tatitlek, Chenega and Chugach, LLC; Prince William Sound Community College; and over 350 fishing vessel captains and their crews, SERVS is able to meet its commitments with a team of dedicated professionals. One impressive indication of this commitment was the 10,000th escort milestone achieved in December 2005.
I’m very proud to have been part of the organization for about a year now and what an amazing year it’s been. I learn something new every day. When asked what I’ve learned, I talk about the importance of the people and the equipment, as I’ve noted here. I also learned that we need to realign some parts of the organization to put the focus back on field operations and core competencies such as maintenance and training. We’re going to spend time making sure there are clear accountabilities for each position and that everyone is well trained and response-ready. None of these changes is very dramatic; they are more mid-course corrections needed to keep us on track to meet our prevention and response commitments.
In the operations organization, we have added two response coordinator roles. This provides a 24-hour on-duty response coordinator at our two primary response locations – the Valdez Marine Terminal and the crude oil tankers. This is in addition to our current 24-hour duty officers and vessel response coordinators. We believe this will enhance oversight and execution of day-to-day maintenance and training. In addition, within the SERVS maintenance arena, we have expanded the Alyeska planning and scheduling functions to be consistent with other Alyeska maintenance functions. With the compliance and preparedness team, we are realigning accountabilities and changing a position to focus on the tracking and analysis of our compliance records. This is a difficult and important challenge given the diversity and sheer number of activities that generate personnel, training, and contract documents. All of these changes are a work in progress and we will continue to look for opportunities to become more efficient.
SERVS is a recognized leader in preparedness and oil spill response run by dedicated and professional staff. We will continue to manage our commitments to safe, reliable transportation of Alaska North Slope Crude Oil and the protection of our people and the environment.
• Mike Meadors is general manager of Alyeska’s Ship Escort/Response Vessel System.
