18th April 2017
IMRF calls for nominations for IMRF H.E.R.O Awards 2017
Client news
The International Maritime Rescue Federation is calling for nominations and entries for its H.E.R.O (Honouring Excellence in Rescue Operations) Awards 2017.
An estimated 400,000 lives are lost in the world’s waters every year, a number that would be much higher without the outstanding work done by individuals and teams in the maritime search and rescue (SAR) sector.
Too often the full story is not told, as the rescues take place beyond the horizon. There are teams of people working together to coordinate the rescues, while new technology and innovations are helping to reduce the time it takes to complete a rescue, taking the ‘search’ out of search and rescue. There are individuals who are working selflessly to make sure that those in distress can be saved and there are people who have given a lifetime of service to make the world’s waters safer.
The IMRF H.E.R.O. Awards seek to recognise some of these exceptional individuals and organisations around the world that make maritime SAR possible.
The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) is the non-governmental organization (NGO) bringing the world's maritime SAR organisations together to share knowledge and improve maritime SAR coordination and response so more people in distress on the sea can be saved.
Bruce Reid, CEO IMRF says: “The IMRF H.E.R.O awards shine a light on the outstanding work done by the paid and unpaid professionals globally who work selflessly to keep our waters safer. We want more people to understand the complexity of maritime SAR and to see the people who are working to ensure people in distress can be saved. We had some exceptional nominations last year and we know that there are people all around the world doing incredible things, making a real difference and they deserve to be recognised and applauded for the fantastic contribution they make and the people they are saving”.
There are four categories in the IMRF H.E.R.O Awards 2017;
• Individual award recognising outstanding contribution by an individual in a maritime SAR operation
• Team award, recognising outstanding contribution by a team or teams in the maritime SAR ecosystem working together to save lives, sponsored by McMurdo.
• Innovation and Technology award recognising new products and technologies developed that improve the work and success of SAR organisations.
• The Vladimir Maksimov Lifetime achievement award recognising outstanding service to SAR by an individual or organisation, sponsored by Inmarsat.
Nominations can be made online at www.imrfhero.org/nomination-form alternatively email hero@imrf.org.uk or call 0044 (0)1569 767405 for an application form. The closing date is 28 July, 2017.
The H.E.R.O. Awards 2017 recognise actions that took place, or were completed, in the period from 01 July 2016 to 30 June 2017. Any individual or organisation anywhere in the world can be nominated for a H.E.R.O Award.
All of the submissions will then be assessed by the judges and the winners announced at an awards dinner held at the RNLI, Poole in the UK and online, 2 November, 2017.
The H.E.R.O awards 2017 are supported by our sponsors McMurdo - global leader in emergency response and readiness and Inmarsat – global satellite owner and operator which provides mobile and fixed communications services to the maritime industry.
ENDS
Notes for Editors
IMRF
The International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF) brings the world's maritime search and rescue organisations together in one global and growing family. IMRF's member organisations share their lifesaving ideas, technologies and experiences and freely cooperate with one another to achieve their common humanitarian aim: "Preventing loss of life in the world's waters".
The International Maritime Rescue Federation was founded (as the International Lifeboat Federation) in 1924. In 1985 it was granted non-governmental consultative status with the International Maritime Organization (IMO) in recognition of the good work being undertaken and the growing need for an organisation to act as a global focal point for maritime search and rescue. In 2003 it was registered as an independent charity and in 2007 the organisation was renamed the International Maritime Rescue Federation (IMRF), reflecting the broader scope of modern maritime search and rescue activity.