What happens on the bridge?
Time and again, you’ll hear maritime rescuers mention ‘the bridge’. But what does this mean, where is this part of the ship and what happens there?
The bridge is located in the forward part of the bridge deck, the second highest deck on Humanity 1. It is an enclosed area that offers the nautical crew a good overview of many areas of our rescue ship and a clear view for navigating, protected from seawater and spray.
In principle, all crew members on board have access to the bridge. However, there are crew members who fulfil certain tasks on the bridge. These include the following on board the Humanity 1:
The captain is responsible for the management of the ship and the overall coordination of rescue operations.
First officers support the captain before, during and after rescue operations. They are responsible for search and rescue navigation, operating the ship and assisting in the search for maritime emergencies.
Second officers are responsible for navigation and assisting with ship management and operation. They help with the administration of the bridge, watch duties and are responsible for the radios on board.
This voluntary position is responsible for documentation and supporting the team on the bridge. The human rights observer follows what happens during the rescue, assists with communication with the authorities and supports with documenting human rights violations.
Among other things, the bridge team has to take care of the ship’s navigation. To do this, the second officer plans the route to the area of operation or to the assigned port, taking into account the weather and other ships. During the voyage, the captain, first officer and second officer alternate watch shifts. A shift lasts four hours and each person has two shifts a day. This means that the bridge is manned 24 hours a day. During this time, the position of the ship is constantly determined to ensure that the route is maintained. Technical aids such as compasses, radar equipment, charts and weather reports are available for this purpose.
In addition to navigation and administrative tasks, the bridge team also takes care of communication with the authorities. This is particularly challenging on board the Humanity 1 because the responsible rescue coordination centres (RCCs) sometimes do not respond to requests from non-governmental search and rescue vessels – behaviour that violates maritime and international law. Distress calls are also received via radio on the bridge.
As a non-governmental search and rescue organisation, it is our job to document and publicise breaches of the law at sea. These important tasks are also carried out by the team on the bridge. They record all the details of rescues, trans-shipments, illegal push- and pull-backs and other incidents, inform the authorities and share information with the head office in Berlin. We then use this first-hand information to inform the public about breaches of law, deaths and rescues in the Mediterranean.
