In International Shipping News 26/07/2016
Source: Dvids
The U.S. Coast Guard’s Marine Inspection Detachment (MIDET) in Singapore recently gained new leadership. As a former enlisted coast guardsman, Lt. Cmdr. Trevor Parra took over the reins of the detachment as its Supervisor, June 24, 2016.
With supervision of eight staff members, Parra and his team are responsible for commercial shipping inspections of U.S. flagged vessels and the implementation of the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code for the entire South East Asia region. He and his team liaise with the countries of Bangladesh, Sri Lanka, Maldives, Philippines, Indonesia, Malaysia, Cambodia, Thailand, India, Myanmar, East Timor, Brunei, Mauritus, Seychelles, Madagascar, Comoros and Singapore.
With renewed expectation and goals and such a large area of operation, Parra looks forward to bringing his experiences to the table in leading MIDET Singapore.
“We have a very unique challenge here with our parent command being in Japan and so one of my top priories is to bring the camaraderie and synergy together in ensuring both our offices are giving the best service while maintaining the best reputation in the Asia-Pacific region,” Parra said.
A native of San Diego, Parra began his Coast Guard career in 1996 after graduating from Grossmont High School in San Diego. Now, several thousand miles away from America’s Finest City, Parra and his family look forward to seeing more of Asia.
“One of the favorite hobbies of the Parra family is travelling and so being in Singapore, being able to travel to many different countries over the next couple of years, is what we are looking forward to,” Parra added.
Parra doesn’t like sitting still for too long expressing that he and his family love outdoor activities that include swimming, biking, hiking and scuba diving to name a few. Reflecting back, some of the most important events of his life happened in 2004. That year, he earned his undergraduate degree in Business Administration from Columbia College in Missouri, was accepted to Officer Candidate School and most importantly, he got married.
Meanwhile, as MIDET Singapore’s newest Supervisor, Parra is excited to lead the way in accomplishing the U.S. Coast Guard’s authorities and responsibilities with regards to inspecting merchant vessels.
According to Parra, the U.S. Coast Guard is responsible for the inspection and regulation of many commercial vessels. The purpose of the inspection process is to ensure that a vessel has a suitable structure, proper equipment, and accommodations. Additionally, there are numerous international resolutions in force pertaining to vessel safety and status, which apply primarily to commercial vessels that that the U.S. Coast Guard must ensure are in place. These types of inspections are conducted for a ship’s annual requirement, for five-year certificate of inspection renewals, and for deep-draft ships on dry dock (twice every five years).
Lastly, according to Parra, while settling in his new position, the size and scope of the mission looks a bit daunting in terms of sharing the workload for the Asia-Pacific region with only eight members. However, he looks forward to overcoming any new challenges and obstacles that may be presented in the near future and remains confident that MIDET Singapore will meet or exceed future goals.
Source: Dvids
