9-1-1

Being at sea, in case of an emergency, when you dial 9-1-1, the 9-1-1 team is ME!! Well, not only me, but also my fellow crew members. There is the Medical team, Fire team, Lifeboat team, Pollution in the ocean team, Man Overboard team (this team is damn near wore out!) and Damage to the ship team.

Every Saturday at 4 p.m., I and about 60 other crew members have to help passengers practice a lifeboat/evacuation drill (PAX Drill). Each crew member and passenger is assigned a station and we go through the motions of putting on our lifejackets and point to where we’d board the lifeboat. Very similar to the airline’s “In Case of an Emergency” demonstration.

This all sounds well and good, except for the fact, I can’t find my way around this goddamned ship and passengers are relying on me to help them navigate their way to their safety station!!! Now, I ask you, how is that gonna work in case of a real emergency? It ain’t!! I pray to the powers that be, we never have a real emergency in my next 3 months at sea...I'm gonna have to dial 9-1-1!