Arabic Speaker - Search & Rescue Team member

Activity of SOS MEDITERRANEE on-board the rescue ship Aquarius

SOS MEDITERRANEE is an NGO with German, Italian, and French branches created in spring, 2015 with the aim of rescuing people in distress while crossing the central Mediterranean migration route between Libya and Italy. The organisation oversees operations on the water and takes part in press-communication. This job description document describes the profiles looked for to compose the Search and Rescue team, in charge of the rescues at sea. None of the sailors and officers on watch on deck or in engine are a members of this team which is recruited by SOS MEDITERRANEE. Nevertheless, the SAR team can consist sometimes partially of officers of the merchant navy, sailors, fisherman or other types of people having an experience in navigation. The SAR Team members must all have a valid Basic Safety Training Certificate STCW and a medical fitness certificate.

Activity of Aquarius

Aquarius rescues people at sea between Libya and Sicily. This ship is in time-charter contract between SOS MEDITERRANEE, in partnership with Doctors Without Borders (MSF), section Netherlands, and the armament Hempel. MSF is in charge of the emergency medical care and of the humanitarian assistance. Hempel handles the nautical management of the ship (officers, seaman and cooks).
Aquarius has been operating in this way since the end of February, 2016 and has already given assistance to 23 000 people, with a maximum of 1030 in one day.

Profiles searched

The priority is that every SAR Team member can work together, in a good team spirit of complicity and solidarity, around a common motivation which is the commitment for the people in distress at sea, whatever their origins, their routes and their intentions.

All the members of the team SAR must:

• Have a good level in English and Arabic language
• Have the spirit opened to learn and to work with diverse personalities, from different cultures and socio-professional statuses.
• Be solid and reliable, mentally and physically.
• Feel capable of working under the pressure of the vital urgency.
• Have a basic training in the first aid.
• Some minimum knowledge and skills in the maritime environment and the basic safety rules

The SAR Team is composed by:

• SAR Coordinator: S/he is responsible for the SAR mission. S/he could be a captain or an experienced manager in the rescue field.
• Deputy SAR Coordinator: S/he is in charge of the rescue equipment and the team (trainings, maintenance, spare parts, team composition, etc.). S/he is chosen in the SAR Team after 3 or 6 weeks experience on-board the Aquarius. S/he can be a young manager, comfortable with the rescue operations, the maritime field and the team management in a high risk environment.
• RIB drivers: 2 members of the SAR Team must be able to drive the RIBs in all weather and emotional conditions. SOS MEDITERRANEE is in charge of a 6m RIB with and 115hp outboard engine.
• Rescue-swimmers and professional divers: So far, SOS MEDITERRANEE doesn’t send rescuers into the water for safety reasons, but some professional and experienced rescue swimmers are required.
• Seafarers and rescuers: the rest of the SAR Team change between the RIBs, for the evacuations of the boats in distress, and the deck, for the reception of the rescued people and the deployment/recovering of all the rescue equipment. They can be marine officers, seaman, fisherman, sailors or professional rescuers (not necessarily with a big experience at sea). They must feel comfortable on the RIBs, be able to react quickly, used to working under the vertical hierarchy and able to repair different equipment on-board.

Note that journalists are often on-board the Aquarius to cover the situation in the Mediterranean Sea.