Us Coast Guard National Maritime Center News

Captain Jeffrey P. Novotny is Commanding Officer of the U.S. Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center in Martinsburg, WV. He is responsible for all activities related to professional credentialing, training and assessments of the nation’s 215,000 merchant mariners. He graduated from the U.S. Coast Guard Academy with a degree in Mathematics and Computer Science. Prior to commanding the NMC, he was the Deputy Commander at the Coast Guard’s Deployable Operations Group. His duties included the oversight and responsibility for all personnel…

The U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center provides advice on the imapct to its missions in the wake of the Government Shutdown. This notice serves to notify the maritime industry that Government has officially shutdown. The National Maritime Center (NMC) is authorized to maintain a very small cadre of personnel to support National Security emergent issues. Maintain the Customer Service Call Center. 888-IASKNMC will be open and monitored from 0800 until 2000 Eastern Time Monday through Friday. REC and NMC phones will not be monitored. Maintain the website.

Quick Tips to save time, money, and cut through the red tape. Whether it’s ensuring you’re in compliance with the International Maritime Organization’s major revisions to the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers, or keeping up with updates to U.S. Coast Guard policy letters, navigating changes in professional mariner training requirements can be daunting. “But it doesn’t have to be,” said Capt. Guy Sorensen, president of the Virginia-based Chesapeake Marine Training Institute (CMTI).

Captain Anthony Lloyd, Commanding Officer, U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center. Captain Anthony Lloyd is the Commanding Officer of the National Maritime Center (NMC). He assumed that position in September of 2010 after serving three years as the Coast Guard’s Program Manager for marine environmental response. The nationally-focused Officer in Charge of Marine Inspection (OCMI) tasked with implementing the Coast Guard’s Mariner Credentialing Program, the NMC, and the 20 field units under Lloyd’s direct control…

Florida Maritime Training Academy has announced that they are now part of the U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center's (NMC) Maritime Training and Assessment Data Program (MTAD) that was rolled out earlier this month. "We actually had the opportunity to help the USCG with testing by signing up late last year and enter data through the Homeport. Our last STCW Basic Safety Training class of 2011 had their course completing information at the NMC before they got home after the last day of class,” said Roberto Valletta, Director of Training at Florida Maritime.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center located in Martinsburg, W.Va., launched a new service that will automatically send e-mail notifications to mariners informing them of their credential application status as it is being processed. "This new automated service will help maintain confidence among mariners that their application is being actively worked by the Coast Guard,” said Capt. David Stalfort, the commanding officer of the National Maritime Center. Mariners who provide an email address when submitting their merchant mariner credential application will receive an e-mail as their application progresses through the application process. The e-mail is automatically generated when an application and moves to the next stage of the process.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center, through Det Norske Veritas, has approved a Vessel Security Officer (VSO) Refresher Course developed by The California Maritime Academy, a part of The California State University. The course, offered through Cal Maritime’s Sponsored Projects and Extended Learning (SPEL) Department, provides a refresher curriculum for maritime security personnel and is designed to facilitate the transition to the USCG mandatory training for Vessel Security Officers. Effective July 1, 2009 licensed mariners designated as Vessel or Ship Security officers will have to have either passed an approved Vessel Security Officer course, or taken an approved VSO Refresher course and either worked in the position of a VSO or have taken a VSO course.

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) has issued Policy Letter 07-02 entitled Qualifications for a License as Mate (Pilot) on Towing Vessels. The letter provides guidance regarding persons seeking such license who began service or training before May 21, 2001 and who will complete all requirements before May 21, 2003. Source: HK Law

The U.S. Coast Guard's National Maritime Center has issued a Policy Letter entitled Qualifications for Deck and Engineering Ratings. The letter clarifies requirements relating to qualification as an able seaman or as a watchstanding qualified member of the engineering department (QMED) and either an STCW certification as a rating forming part of a navigational watch (RFPNW) or an engineering watch (RFPEW).

The US Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) issued its Mariner Licensing and Documentation Performance Report for September 2007. The report shows a steady decrease in the number of credentials undergoing processing at any given time. Credentials are now being issued within 10 to 28 days after receipt of a completed application. [Source: HK Law]

The US Coast Guard National Maritime Center (NMC) issued guidance regarding administration of examinations for certain deck and engine licenses. In order to accommodate provisions of the STCW Convention, various licensing examinations were changed effective 1 February 2002. Affected mariners already holding licenses, though, were allowed to utilize the old examination through 31 January 2007. That deadline has now been extended indefinitely. Source: HK Law

The U.S. Coast Guard National Maritime Center issued a policy letter entitled Demonstration of Competence in Visual Communications (Flashing Light)