Inmarsat is proud to once again sponsor the International Maritime Excellence in Rescue Operations (IMRF) Awards, which honour and reward the efforts of search and rescue (SAR) operators around the world who save lives at sea.
For a third consecutive year, we will sponsor The Vladimir Maksimov Award for Lifetime Achievement in the Maritime SAR Sector – an award named in memory of our Maritime colleague who worked tirelessly on the continuing development of the Global Maritime Distress Safety System (GMDSS) over the course of a 25-year career at Inmarsat.
The Lifetime Achievement Award recognises individuals who have dedicated themselves to maritime SAR with a proven track record of outstanding contribution and excellence in their work for a minimum of 10 years.
In 2017, Branko Rameša, Croatian Search and Rescue, MMPI, Croatia, won the award for his 37-year commitment to maritime SAR which saw him involved in more than 200 SARs. In 2016, Mohammed Drissi, Regional Coordinator for the Rabat SAR region was the recipient of the inaugural award.
The IMRF is inviting nominations for the Lifetime Achievement category – nominees must still be involved in maritime SAR during the period of 1 July 2017 to 30 June 2018. Nominations close on 31 July at 23:59 UTC.
Additional award categories include Outstanding Individual Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation; Outstanding Team Contribution to a Maritime SAR Operation and Innovation and Technology in Maritime Search and Rescue, which showcases new SAR products, technologies and techniques that can improve search and rescue operations.
The winners will be announced at an awards dinner, hosted by the Norwegian Society for Sea Rescue in Norway on 8 November.
