🔍 Key Concepts

• 46 CFR 27.209 – Drills and training on towing vessels • Purpose of regular emergency drills (fire, man overboard, etc.) • How often skills must be practiced to remain effective in a real emergency

💭 Think About

• Think about how quickly emergency-response skills can fade if they are not practiced. Would six months without practice be acceptable on a working towboat? • Compare how realistic it is, from an operations standpoint, to stop work for drills every week versus less frequently. • Ask yourself: what interval is commonly used in regulations to balance safety (frequent practice) with practicality (not disrupting operations too much)?

✅ Before You Answer

• Verify the wording in 46 CFR 27.209 about drill frequency for towing vessels. • Check whether the requirement says "at least once each ___" rather than a very specific date schedule. • Eliminate any options that seem clearly too infrequent for emergencies or too frequent to be practical on a commercial towboat.