Barco2006-07-12 10:17:34
Barco, Fabricom GTI and Tein Telecom celebrate inauguration of Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center in Ostend, Belgium
Barco, Fabricom GTI and Tein Telecom are proud to announce that the new Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center (MRCC) in Ostend has officially been inaugurated. The MRCC, which is now fully operational, is the first registration point for accidents at sea along the Belgian coast. The center was commissioned by the Shipping Assistance Division of the Flemish Government and was realized within budget and forecasted planning by a multi-disciplinary consortium of the three above-mentioned companies. The official opening ceremony was attended by Kris Peeters, Flemish Minister for Public Works, Energy, the Environment and Nature, and Renaat Landuyt, Federal Minister of Transport and the North Sea.
"The start-up of the new MRCC in Ostend is a joyful event,� said Antoine Descamps, Head of the Shipping Assistance Division. "Thanks to the state-of-the-art technology that is supporting the traffic monitoring department, the North Sea will become a lot safer. The way that the consortium worked together with the Flemish Shipping Division to complete the MRCC project has shown to be a true model of collaboration.�
The MRCC project was realized in 16 months and the center came to live operations on 1 June 2006. The consortium of Barco, Fabricom GTI and Tein Telecom carried out the entire 4.2 million Euro project, including program management, design, implementation, installation, training, support and maintenance. The consortium was led by Barco, which delivered the integrated operational applications as well as the visualization part, including a display wall for the MRCC's crisis room. Fabricom GTI was responsible for the installation works of the Vessel Traffic System, including a stylish mast on top of the MRCC building, as well as for the hydro-meteo system and the automated signalization for the port management control. Tein Telecom installed the complete IT network and realized the voice communication platform, which allows the MRCC operators to communicate with the vessels at sea and with internal and external partners for incident monitoring.
Advanced technology for a safer North Sea
The MRCC Ostend features a Vessel Traffic Monitoring application integrated with an Incident Management system and Search and Rescue functionalities to ensure safety and to coordinate rescue actions at sea. The MRCC in Ostend is the central check point for incidents at sea, including persons and vessels in need, accidents and oil pollution. The new center, equipped with the latest monitoring and communication technology, will play a very important role in maintaining the safety and environmental friendliness of Belgium's coastal waters and in providing the best possible response and accommodation in case of an incident.
The MRCC is equipped with a complete operator room with five custom-made consoles and a chart table. This operator room is manned 24/7 by at least two operators. Apart from the operator room, a high-end crisis room with an additional console and large-screen display has been set up. This crisis room enables collaborative decision-making by a team of participants without disturbing the work of the operators in the adjacent room. Finally, all equipment, including PCs and displays, is driven and administered from a state-of-the-art server room with redundant installations.
The MRCC in an international context
The MRCC acts as information and communication hub. As such, it is collecting information from different input sources, such as radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracks and hydro-meteo information. This data is again being dispatched to various clients, including SafeSeaNet, a European Platform for Maritime Data Exchange.
In the framework of the European Safety@Sea project, which aims at improving maritime safety in the North Sea region, the MRCC Ostend system architecture will be used internationally as a platform for the demonstration of new methodologies and technologies. For example, it will be able to demonstrate the exchange of AIS information between all countries of the North Sea and the use of decision-making tools for the organization of rescue actions in the vicinity of a windfarm area.
Barco, Fabricom GTI and Tein Telecom are proud to announce that the new Maritime Rescue and Coordination Center (MRCC) in Ostend has officially been inaugurated. The MRCC, which is now fully operational, is the first registration point for accidents at sea along the Belgian coast. The center was commissioned by the Shipping Assistance Division of the Flemish Government and was realized within budget and forecasted planning by a multi-disciplinary consortium of the three above-mentioned companies. The official opening ceremony was attended by Kris Peeters, Flemish Minister for Public Works, Energy, the Environment and Nature, and Renaat Landuyt, Federal Minister of Transport and the North Sea.
"The start-up of the new MRCC in Ostend is a joyful event,� said Antoine Descamps, Head of the Shipping Assistance Division. "Thanks to the state-of-the-art technology that is supporting the traffic monitoring department, the North Sea will become a lot safer. The way that the consortium worked together with the Flemish Shipping Division to complete the MRCC project has shown to be a true model of collaboration.�
The MRCC project was realized in 16 months and the center came to live operations on 1 June 2006. The consortium of Barco, Fabricom GTI and Tein Telecom carried out the entire 4.2 million Euro project, including program management, design, implementation, installation, training, support and maintenance. The consortium was led by Barco, which delivered the integrated operational applications as well as the visualization part, including a display wall for the MRCC's crisis room. Fabricom GTI was responsible for the installation works of the Vessel Traffic System, including a stylish mast on top of the MRCC building, as well as for the hydro-meteo system and the automated signalization for the port management control. Tein Telecom installed the complete IT network and realized the voice communication platform, which allows the MRCC operators to communicate with the vessels at sea and with internal and external partners for incident monitoring.
Advanced technology for a safer North Sea
The MRCC Ostend features a Vessel Traffic Monitoring application integrated with an Incident Management system and Search and Rescue functionalities to ensure safety and to coordinate rescue actions at sea. The MRCC in Ostend is the central check point for incidents at sea, including persons and vessels in need, accidents and oil pollution. The new center, equipped with the latest monitoring and communication technology, will play a very important role in maintaining the safety and environmental friendliness of Belgium's coastal waters and in providing the best possible response and accommodation in case of an incident.
The MRCC is equipped with a complete operator room with five custom-made consoles and a chart table. This operator room is manned 24/7 by at least two operators. Apart from the operator room, a high-end crisis room with an additional console and large-screen display has been set up. This crisis room enables collaborative decision-making by a team of participants without disturbing the work of the operators in the adjacent room. Finally, all equipment, including PCs and displays, is driven and administered from a state-of-the-art server room with redundant installations.
The MRCC in an international context
The MRCC acts as information and communication hub. As such, it is collecting information from different input sources, such as radar, Automatic Identification System (AIS) tracks and hydro-meteo information. This data is again being dispatched to various clients, including SafeSeaNet, a European Platform for Maritime Data Exchange.
In the framework of the European Safety@Sea project, which aims at improving maritime safety in the North Sea region, the MRCC Ostend system architecture will be used internationally as a platform for the demonstration of new methodologies and technologies. For example, it will be able to demonstrate the exchange of AIS information between all countries of the North Sea and the use of decision-making tools for the organization of rescue actions in the vicinity of a windfarm area.
For more information contact:
Noordlaan 5, Industriezone
Kuurne
B-8520
Belgium
Tel: +32 56 368 211
Fax: +32 56 368 251
