Sint Maarten

Maarten Janse was born and raised in Zeeland and has a deep connection with the sea. After completing his Bachelor of Maritime Officer degree at the Maritime Institute De Ruyter (2002–2006), he began his career as a 4th officer on the cruise ships of Holland America Line. In the years that followed, he progressed to 1st officer and gained worldwide experience in ship navigation and maneuvering, delivering safety training to crew in various emergency roles, organizing emergency drills, and leading teams responsible for the maintenance of lifesaving appliances and fire detection, prevention, and firefighting systems.

In 2022, Maarten made the transition to a shore-based position, wishing to spend more time with his family while sharing his extensive hands-on experience with others. As a Senior Maritime Instructor at DRTC, he delivers training such as AFF, PST, PSCRB, FRB, ECDIS, GWO, and MCRM, as well as modules within ship management. His trainings are realistic, practice-oriented, and always linked to real-world situations. Maarten holds the certificate of competency as Master Mariner (all ships) and Firefighting Crew Member, and is a certified CAE MCRM instructor, making him a specialist in maritime incident response and teamwork.

Maarten has a strong passion for sharing knowledge. As a black belt holder in Kyokushin karate, he enthusiastically taught both youth and adults for many years. That same energy, dedication and attention to the participant characterize his approach in every training he delivers.

As a native of Limburg, he developed a passion for the sea at a young age, which led him to complete the MBO program Officer in Charge of a Navigational Watch, All Ships at Scalda College in Vlissingen. After a short period at sea, working in various ranks and on different vessels, he chose a shore-based career in search of greater stability.

Following several shore-based positions, he joined De Ruyter Training & Consultancy in February 2025 as a Maritime Instructor for both STCW and GWO training. He finds great satisfaction in seeing participants successfully complete their training and highly values the camaraderie among his colleagues.

Born and raised in Brabant (very close to Efteling), Emile spent around 18 highly adventurous and educational years as part of the military system. Qualified to operate in extended various disciplines and shaped by the rigorous “green” Methodology, he developed a keen ability to respond inventively and ad hoc to incidents under Spartan conditions, a skillset still tested in practice somewhere on the globe today.

Since 2018, he has combined this discipline with SOLAS, STCW, and hands-on maritime expertise, delivered with a touch of humor, sharing his knowledge during training sessions under the motto: “Train as you fight.” He mainly works at the DRTC site in Flushing, on-site at companies, and on board vessels (an honorary privilege!), though he started out at the Groningen-site.

As a hobbyist in MARCOM, he contributes to DRTC’s consistently strong performance (≥90%) on CBR exam results.

Key traits: No-nonsense, energetic.

With nearly 20 years of experience as a professional firefighter, Waldo brings a wealth of practical knowledge to DRTC. His career began at the fire department, where he specialized in various disciplines, including firefighting diving, hazardous materials incident response, and shipboard firefighting – a field in which he has become a highly experienced instructor.

Waldo’s passion for the profession goes beyond the fire station: in recent years he has also served as a volunteer firefighter, continuing to apply his expertise to improve safety in his region.

His maritime experience stems from an internship on board a cargo vessel in the Baltic Sea, where he gained valuable insight into life and work at sea – an experience that makes him particularly well-suited to delivering realistic and practice-oriented training in maritime fire and incident response.

With a no-nonsense mentality, a sharp eye for safety, and extensive hands-on experience, Waldo is a reliable and dedicated member of the DRTC team.

Born and raised in Zeeland, Michel de Pooter carries the sea in his heart. From a young age, his parents took him along on their sailing boat, instilling in him a deep-rooted love for the water and maritime life.

After completing his Maritime Officer training, Michel began his career as a 4th Officer with the cruise ships of Holland America Line. In the following years, he rose through the ranks to Staff Captain, gaining a wealth of experience in leadership and ship operations on board cruise vessels worldwide.

In 2025, Michel chose a new course: a shore-based position that allowed him to spend more time with his family while sharing his extensive hands-on knowledge with others. As Senior Maritime Instructor at DRTC, he delivers a variety of maritime training programs and is also regularly involved in the preparation and development of courses at the office.

Jorian Schut was born and raised in Bergen op Zoom, where he grew up surrounded by water. Through sea scouts and sailing he discovered his passion for the sea and adventure. After completing his Maritime Officer studies at HZ University of Applied Sciences in Vlissingen (2016–2020), he started his seafaring career in early 2021 as an officer on heavy lift vessels. For four years he sailed worldwide and gained extensive experience with ice navigation in the Arctic region.

In early 2024, Jorian decided to pursue a shore-based career. Having previously attended his own safety courses at DRTC, he returned with great memories of that time – this time as an Maritime instructor. Since then, he has been delivering nearly the full range of STCW training, simulation training and GWO programs at DRTC. In addition, he is actively involved in the development of new courses, ensuring the training offer remains relevant and of high quality.

His training style is hands-on, approachable and always focused on learning together. Jorian values the stories and experiences of participants, creating an environment where everyone learns from one another. For him, safety courses should never feel like a mandatory exercise, but rather like a meaningful and enjoyable experience.

With certifications such as Firefighting Crew Member (and currently training for Firefighting Commander) and practical experience in challenging maritime environments, Jorian has built a solid foundation. Looking ahead, his ambition is to further expand his role by delivering more courses, developing new programs and taking on greater leadership responsibilities within the organization.

Marcel is a true Vlissingen native, deeply connected to the fire service and to firefighting in both the industrial and maritime sectors. After completing his commercial studies, he devoted his career to sharing his knowledge and practical experience at the training center in Vlissingen, DRTC, and the Zeeland Safety Region. To achieve this, he obtained all relevant firefighting diplomas. Since 1999 (initially part-time and later full-time), he has been doing this work with great pleasure and passion. Together with his enthusiastic, skilled, and experienced colleagues, he provides courses in Basic Training/Advanced Fire Fighting as well as refresher courses in firefighting.

In addition, he regularly works on industrial sites to organize and supervise firefighting training sessions. When a client has a gap in their command officer schedule, Marcel steps in there as well. He also works on a project basis with clients to solve more complex issues.

In his free time, Marcel is active as a (core) instructor for the Zeeland Safety Region.