PMO Paula Rychtar poses with Transocean crew members aboard drill ship Discoverer Enterprise (Photo: WFO New Orleans)
(Feb. 4, 2009) - NOAA National Weather Service Port Meteorological Officer Paula Rychtar has successfully completed a rigorous and challenging water survival course. A member of the New Orleans/Baton Rouge forecast office team in Slidell, La., Rychtar is one of 16 Port Meteorological Officers (PMO) serving major seaports in the continental United States, Alaska and Hawaii. Their primary duty is to support the Voluntary Observing Ships (VOS) program and help ensure quality marine weather observations are received from participating vessels.
While most of the PMOs can accomplish their mission in port, Rychtar frequently visits offshore drilling operations in the Gulf of Mexico. The survival training was required by the British Petroleum Company and drilling contractor Transocean, which owns and operates numerous oil rigs and drilling ships in the Gulf. Her survival course took more than two days and some of the highlights included:
- Helicopter underwater egress training which required her to unhook a seat belt, remove a window and escape from an upside down, submerged helicopter simulator
- Swing rope and personnel basket transfers (a risky procedure when transferring from a crew boat to an offshore platform)
- Donning life jackets in and out of the water
- Recognizing and utilizing alternative flotation means
- Familiarization with station abandonment procedures
- A range of short and long term water survival skills
The Voluntary Observation Ship program is designed to collect and disseminate critical real-time marine weather observations; and, to help measure extreme weather events, climate variability and long-term climate changes.
Port Meteorological Officers are responsible for recruiting new vessels for the program and monitoring observations from participating vessels. They spend a lot of time visiting ships to assist deck officers with marine weather observation practices, weather codes, and observation transmission procedures; and, to calibrate weather instrumentation. They also maintain contact with ship owners and agents, port operators, shore radio stations and maritime academies to secure the cooperation of the maritime community.
According to NOAA's National Data Buoy Center, there are approximately 4,000 ships currently participating in the VOS program worldwide. It is hoped this number will increase along with the increasing recognition of the ocean's role in the global climate system and the growing importance of meteorological and oceanographic observations.
Transocean drill ship Discoverer Enterprise (Photo: Courtesy of Transocean)