The Uganda Civil Aviation Authority (UCAA) on Tuesday 27th June passed out aerodrome rescue and fire personnel on the landmark event that was presided over by the Director General Mr. Fred K. Bamwesigye at Entebbe International Airport.
The 24 graduands of which 4 are Firefighters while 20 are Marine personnel were equipped with skills for rescuing personnel or victims on water, long-distance swimming, different swim skills, rescue skills, and first aid, among others.
The training started with the fire training course on 15th August 2022 for 12 weeks and after proceeded for first aid training organized by the ARFT training office conducted by Uganda Red Cross with 25 personnel staff being nominated for this open water lifesaving course conducted by swim safe Uganda which started on 28th March to 26th June 2023 but unfortunately one by names of Emmanuel Odolot was unable to finish up due to health-related issues from the allergies he got on training as a result of chlorine.
While awarding certificates to the participants, Fred K. Bamwesigye the UCAA’s Director General urged them to put the newly acquired skills to good use to strive for excellence in everything that they do.
“You have been taken through extensive training, demonstrated unwavering discipline, and developed skills that are vital in attending to emergencies on the water. Today, we celebrate your accomplishments and welcome you into the esteemed ranks of professional Marine staff,” he said.
He also highlighted that the inclusion of the 4 Fire-fighters in the acquisition of Marine skills is part of the Authority’s strategy of ensuring multi-skilling of fire and marine staff by ensuring that they attain skills in both areas so that they can be effectively deployed to undertake either of the
missions; fighting a fire or saving the lives of people on the water.
Bamwesigye concluded by saying that the passing out of the personnel is testimony to the Authority’s commitment to training as well as imparting knowledge and therefore appreciated the instructors, Swim Safe Uganda, and the representatives of Royal Life Saving Society, who have played an important role to equip the graduands with exceptional skills.
Moses Kalanzi the Executive Director of Swim Safe Uganda (SSU) that led the instruction of open water life serving training remarked that they have managed to achieve a lot through the 60 days due to working together as a team, adding that it has been a bed of roses but by the grace of God they celebrate this achievement together as a group.
He also noted that trainees have been given equal opportunities so that they realize their true potential and get ready to face the outer world and therefore asked them to practice what they have been taught to save the lives of those drowning.
“Mistakes are to human and perfection is to God, therefore let’s all forego the past where we all went wrong and look forward to a bright future where we put to use the knowledge and skills we have acquired through the open water life-saving training,” he concluded.
Emmanuel Abujere on behalf of the graduands appreciated UCAA and Swim Safe Uganda for the wonderful training and for the freedom of suggestions where everyone was allowed to participate and to convey their experiences as well as viewpoints on this practical lifesaving course, saying that indeed it was a great learning and knowledge sharing experience that enhanced everyone’s knowledge.
As passenger traffic in and out of Entebbe International Airport continues to grow, it is pertinent that safety and security are also enhanced. In May 2023, Entebbe International Airport recorded a total of 157,209 passengers, an average of 5,071 passengers per day, and that is the highest figure recorded in a month since the advent of the COVID-19 pandemic. This traffic has been growing over the years with 1.8 million passengers recorded in 2019 (before the pandemic), 545,000 in 2020, 941,000 in 2021 and 1.57 million passengers in 2022.
Over the years, the Aerodrome Rescue and Fire-fighting Services unit at Entebbe International Airport has continued to play a pivotal role in ensuring the safety and security of the airport operations and attending to emergencies within the surrounding water bodies.
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