03/04/2026
Instructor Spotlight!
Curt Farrell is the instructor we are proud to highlight this month. He does amazing work and has been a tremendous asset to the AMSEA instructor team.
Curt began teaching in the early 2000s after retiring from a 20‑year career in the Coast Guard. At the time, there were very few Drill Conductors available, and with the only instructor in Oregon preparing to retire, he stepped in to help fill the gap. What started as a practical need quickly became something he truly enjoyed. He still remembers the moment it became meaningful on a deeper level, when a student told him, “Your class saved my life.” From then on, he was all in.
He especially enjoys teaching damage control and stability. The DC trainer brings out a sense of fun for everyone involved, and the stability demo is one of his favorite parts of the job. He loves watching the light bulbs come on as students connect the dots.
Curt hopes that once fishermen are back on the grounds, they remember to think like survivors. In a casualty situation, he wants them to reach into the survival tool bag built during training and use the skills he and the AMSEA team have worked hard to give them.
