Changes at Guernsey Harbours invest in modernisation

It's important that we provide clarification on some of the areas referred to by your correspondents.

Changes at Guernsey Harbours have been made with the sole objective of modernising working practices and making improvements so that we can safely deliver essential services around the clock as efficiently and cost-effectively as possible.

We strongly disagree with the suggestion that the Guernsey coastguard service will be 'severely damaged' by the creation of the JESSC. In fact, the new system is more resilient than what was previously in place.

For example, currently there is a single operator on duty between 11pm and 6am, covering both the coastguard call monitoring and the port control function, who can very quickly become overwhelmed by having simultaneously to deploy rescue services and communicate with multiple parties – the casualty, lifeboat crew members and other vessels in the area. Within the JESSC there will be at least four people at any one time to assist with the call handling function through the 'buddy buddy system'. We have assessed call volumes and it is very unlikely that the service will become overwhelmed.

In relation to call handling processes, while the pre-set, menu-driven response to calls works well with members of the public who may be reporting sighting of a flare, for example, we have recognised that this does not work as effectively when dealing with VHF (marine radio) distress calls. We have reviewed this process accordingly and will be using the same decision-support information currently used by call handlers based at the harbour.

Captain Gill referred to 500 calls being received by coastguard staff in 2013. Records actually indicate during that year 236 incidents were handled by Guernsey Harbours, of which only 60 were categorised as search and rescue incidents. In 2014, there were 350 calls handled by Guernsey Harbours, of which 117 were categorised as SAR incidents. There are not sufficient calls across the emergency services to warrant independent control rooms.

It is incorrect to state that the coastguard responder at the JESSC will be required to monitor all other blue light radio communications. A dedicated responder will focus solely on coastguard matters.

The Joint Emergency Services Control Centre also provides the option to relocate, in the event of an extended search and rescue operation, to a separate dedicated room at the police station, away from the other activity in the JESSC.

High-calibre training is being given to JESSC responders, which is logged within a career development plan. In the event of any weak areas, additional targeted training is given to build experience in just the same way that we would have trained a new recruit to the old system.

There has been a suggestion that the French authorities will notice the changes and lobby HM Coastguard to assume responsibility for safety in Guernsey waters. We don't believe there is any reason why the French should notice any change in service delivery. The responsibility for search and rescue in our waters lies with Guernsey in close coordination with the Maritime Coast Guard Agency in the UK, which has been made aware of the new arrangements, which are appropriate given our scaled requirements.

On the question of visibility, there are a number of prominent examples of where a coastguard control does not have a view over its main risk area, including the UK, which has a joint national control room inland at Fareham responsible for the entire UK coastline. The UK has opted for this solution because search and rescue does not need line of sight. In Spain, the coastguard is located in Madrid. Tim Parker, an experienced SAR consultant and trainer with 25 years' experience and who audited our existing coastguard service, has stated 'that modern technology negates the need to have eyes-on visuals of the SAR area'. The use of technology, rather than line of sight, is being used by coastguards around the world, including HM Coastguard in the UK.

In regard to the reporting line of the harbour master, the corporate structure at Guernsey Harbours is aligned with the way in which ports are managed throughout the world, where the separation of operational and commercial responsibilities within port management is common practice.

The harbour master previously reported to the chief officer of the Public Services Department who, similarly to the harbour director, is not from a maritime background so, in this sense, the structure remains the same. It is important to be clear that the harbour master continues to hold the same statutory responsibilities as previous harbour masters, including search and rescue and coastguard. The current harbour master – a highly experienced captain with significant experience commanding commercial vessels internationally and in our waters – is entirely comfortable with the move to a JESCC; there has been no attempt to force this change upon him, nor could one force such a change, given the harbour master's statutory responsibilities, nor would anyone want to. Your readers may be assured to hear our harbour master would never be swayed to increase risk or operate unsafely.

The comments about the management structure are exaggerated. There is no finance director, nor a leisure director, rather a leisure manager. Indeed the number of full-time staff has fallen from 2013 to 2014. In terms of ongoing staffing levels, these will be tailored to ensure the most efficient and effective manning in order to deliver services.

It is true that the assistant harbour masters, historically known as dock masters, operated a shift system which provided longer hours of cover at the harbour, with resource spread more thinly over those hours.

However, it was decided that there was no value in watching selective vessels berthing, as used to happen, and the move to regular working hours has not resulted in any dip in operational capability. In fact, an assistant harbour master was present when the Condor Liberation struck the quay and was unable to take any action to prevent this – the presence of an assistant harbour master does not guarantee incident-free berthing.

Guernsey's harbour is manned around the clock by a number of port operational staff, including port control, marina attendants, ramp operators and harbour attendants. Standard operating procedures are in place which are followed and have proven to be effective. There is a duty officer responsible for the harbour on a 24-hour basis every day of the year and the procedures allow for the duty officer to be called if circumstances require.

Both capacity and health and safety were factors in relocating the cruise liner tendering operation, with a forecast 130,000 passengers coming ashore in 2015, which means that tenders are no longer interacting with heavy commercial vessels in the other part of the harbour. This huge and rapid increase in passenger numbers has not been experienced by previous harbour management. While there is no effective port marine safety code in operation at present, the new management team have already identified this gap and an additional resource has been hired to develop this over the next 12 to 18 months, after which even stronger operational safety management will be in place.

Your correspondents suggest that checks for incoming oil and gas tankers at St Sampson's have been restricted. This is not the case.

In respect of the maintenance of quay sides, slipways, cranes, pontoons, electrical and water supplies, there is a planned maintenance rolling programme.The New Jetty cross-berth pontoon, which was mentioned, is checked and surveyed by our divers, most recently this winter, and will be removed and repaired as required in the interest of more cost-effective and efficient maintenance programmes.

There is a need to improve how assets are monitored and managed. Historically, there has not been a comprehensive asset management and monitoring programme and we have experienced gradual decline across all areas of the harbour. Improvements in this area will assist in ensuring the lowest cost over the lifetime of an asset and achieving the best value for money.

Thank you for the opportunity to address these points.

SARAH MCGREEVY,

Harbour director.