FAQs
Q. Do I have to attend an Information Evening?
A. Yes. If you would like an operational role as vessel crew, this is an opportunity for you to hear about our unit and to understand exactly what the role entails and what the commitment is.
Q. Are there any specific requirements to join?
A. For Operational Crew there are no formal experience or skills requirements, but there are some physical requirements. You must be physically fit, with good vision (glasses/lenses allowed), good hearing, and the balance and agility to be climbing on and off moving vessels with ease. To take our Sea Survival course you are required to be able to swim 50m and you must not have red/green colour blindness. Non-operational specialist roles are more skill specific and there are no formal requirements. All Marine Rescue roles will require a NSW Police check.
Q. What skills are you looking for?
A. Our crew come from many different walks of life. We have people who are, or have been professional skippers, but we also have people who come to us with limited or no boating experience but bring unique life experiences and skills. What is more important is that our new members are great team players with enthusiasm, commitment and a drive to live our values in providing an essential service to the public. Non operational specialist skills are described on the previous pages.
Q. Do you accept everyone who applies?
A. While we would like to accept everyone, we are sometimes unable to offer everyone a membership for a variety of reasons. Therefore our 1:1 face to face interviews gives both you and the unit clarity on what is required of you before we offer a membership.
Q. Do I get a formal qualification?
A. Yes. On completion of all the training, and after approximately 6 -9 months on a watch refining your skills, you will take an Operational Assessment. On successful completion you will attain the MAR10318 Certificate I in Maritime Operations (General Purpose Hand Near Coastal). There are then opportunities to progress further to Leading Crew and Coxswain.
Q. What does the Crew training involve?
A. We start with an induction evening at the Broken Bay base followed by 5 evening training sessions, run weekly at our base. This takes you through completion of our Learner Activity Workbook covering a range of topics relevant to becoming a Crew Member. During that time, you also attend a series of specific training courses. First Aid and Advanced Resuscitation are run on a weekend, as are Sea Survival and Fight Fires. We usually run the SROCP Radio Licence course over 3 evenings, and finally conduct a Boat Licence Theory course and exam for any new members that do not already have one. After that you will be allocated to one of our 5 watches where over the subsequent months you will progress through a skills log. This is where you work on specific tasks and a senior watch member endorses you on that skill.