Watco Offers Water Rescue Training Watco operates marine terminals and ports on the
“Others in the industry were having man-overboard
shores of America’s waterways, lakes, and coasts.
issues, and a couple had lost people. So, in true
Moving freight by barge and vessel is one of the
Watco fashion, terminal managers got together,
most economical and efficient means to do so, but
looked at the regulations, and discussed what we
it comes with an additional safety hazard: water.
could do to ensure that didn’t happen to our team,”
That’s why the Watco Terminal & Ports Operations
Sharitt said.
and Safety teams collaborated to ensure our marine terminals have both the water rescue boats and the training needed to operate these vessels.
Under current regulations, terminals are not required to have a rescue boat on-site. “We said, ‘That doesn’t mean we can’t go above and beyond
From conception to implementation, it takes time
to protect our team, or to assist in case a customer
to formalize any water training program. Safety
or contractor does go in (to the water),’” said Sharitt.
Manager Tim Sharitt was a marine terminal manager
“We started putting it all together, got approval for
in Alabama when he helped introduce rescue
the rescue boats, and then realized we didn’t have
water training program to Watco. He along with
training to use them.”
other leaders met to discuss the need for rescue capabilities and training. 8 The Dispatch | December 2021
Sharitt’s previous experience helped solve for this. As a former first responder, he performed water
