Alyeska supports Valdez High School's Marine Tech program

Each year, the Valdez High School holds a Marine Tech class, with significant support from SERVS. Students begin their training with survival suits in a controlled environment. At the VHS pool they practice donning the suits and entering the pool to simulate abandon ship drills.

Once the pool training is complete, they move on to a more authentic environment: the SERVS dock! At SERVS, they conduct the same emergency drill, pulling on their survival suits and jumping into the water.

This drill prepares Marine Tech participants for working in their emergency gear during a worst case scenario. They get even more in depth practice when they put on their survival suits and jump from a higher platform, the shore side of the SERVS dock.

Once in the water, the class practices their human raft technique and swim as a team. The Marine Tech classes continue onboard the Valdez Star, conducting emergency drills and reviewing the vessel’s emergency equipment for flooding, fire and abandoning ship.

With a little help from their instructor, the students move to the final phase of their training. In Shoup Bay, students don their survival suit, swim a quarter mile to shore and overnight on the beach, with only enough emergency rations to fit inside of a small coffee can.

Alyeska stands by in work boats manned by TCC and SERVS, as the kids swim to shore and return to Valdez upon completion of their over night stay.

Alyeska is proud to support this class which teaches young people how to survive an emergency situation in harsh weather conditions.