Section 5 AAC 39.146 - Onboard observer briefing and debriefing(a) An onboard observer shall attend a briefing before deployment on the observer's assigned vessel. An observer shall bring to the observer's briefing all equipment that is specified, in writing, by the department.(b) An onboard observer shall immediately notify the department of the observer's departure from the assigned vessel. After departure, an observer shall return directly to the department office responsible for management of the fishery that the observer's assigned vessel participated in for a debriefing, unless the observer contacts the department for authorization to do otherwise.(c) An onboard observer shall be briefed and debriefed only at the department office responsible for management of the fishery that the observer's assigned vessel participates in, unless the department authorizes a different department office. The observer's independent contracting agent shall schedule briefings and debriefings with the department at least 48 hours in advance.(d) If an onboard observer's vessel returns to the any port for any reason, the observer shall contact the department immediately and be prepared to provide all of the observer's data and deplovment information to the department. The department may schedule a mid-trip debriefing which will allow a preliminary data check and provide the department an opportunity to resolve sampling problems or answer observer questions.(e) Trainee observers shall be fully briefed and debriefed for each individual fishery they observe prior to observing any subsequent fisheries. Observers holding a current certification with the department may be briefed and debriefed for multiple fisheries with prior authorization, at the discretion of the department.Eff. 12/26/97, Register 144; am 6/27/2014, Register 210, July 2014; am 6/21/2020, Register 234, July 2020