ERL/Law Valve of Texas crafts training aid to San Jacinto College Maritime

The San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center received a new tank barge training trailer for its incumbent and credit students thanks to ERL Commercial Marine (ERL)/Law Valve of Texas.

"Training aids such as this provide a low-risk environment for current and future mariners alike to increase their knowledge of mission critical marine equipment," said Craig Theiler, general manager, ERL/Law Valve of Texas. "Pair this with the quality of instruction San Jac provides, and we are able to make significant progress towards our collective goal of providing a skilled maritime workforce to help strengthen the economy and make the maritime industry a safer place to work."

The training barge trailer features functional high-level and overfill alarms with cutaways allowing students enrolled in the tank barge and tank ship courses to experience hands-on training in a safe environment. Students can also observe pressure/vacuum valves and an expansion truck with cutaways to display, a gauge tree, reach rods, gate valve, and rising stick gauges.

"We have incorporated the ERL/Law Valve barge trailer into our United States Coast Guard (USCG) approved tankerman courses," said Amy Arrowood, director, credit program, maritime technology and training center. "This allows students to become familiar with actual equipment they will be using once they begin the next level of their maritime career as a licensed tankerman."

ERL/Law Valve of Texas currently crafts hundreds of products on over 10,000 compartments for nearly 300 different customers, providing safe and reliable products to most inland and blue water barges. The company continues to develop new products that benefit not only each individual customer, but to the industry overall including educational partners like San Jacinto College.

"All of us at ERL, especially the skilled craftsman that built this training platform, want to thank San Jacinto College for giving us the opportunity to work with them on this tank barge training trailer," said Todd Marshall, Vice-President, ERL/Law Valve of Texas. "We value all educators; especially ones like those at San Jacinto College that train our mariners with hands-on, real life working equipment."

The Maritime Technology and Training Center, located on the Houston Ship Channel'sBayport Turning Basin offers more that 72 USCG-approved maritime courses and a full range of non-credit courses for professional mariners. The facility also houses three full mission bridge simulators, a marine engineering lab, fire field with modular fire trainer, and two navigation labs.

"We value our partnership with ERL/Law Valve and are so excited to have received the new training tank barge trailer," said John Stauffer, associate vice chancellor, maritime technology and training center. "This training aid allows us to provide the vital hands-on training our students need to ensure they possess the necessary skills and knowledge to successfully and safely work on tank barges."

To learn more about the San Jacinto College Maritime Technology and Training Center, visit sanjac.edu/programs/areas-of-study/manufacturing/maritime/ or to learn more about ERL Commercial Marine/Law Valve of Texas visit erlinc.com.