Volume 29… Number 24, June 13, 2023
STORIES COVERED
In This Issue:
- Transportation Labor Calls for “Aggressive Strategies” to Address Mariner Shortfall
- MLL Fleet Goes Full Year Without a Lost Time Incident
- International Day of the Seafarer Is June 25
- Lightering Operation To Start on Derelict Yemeni Oil Tanker
- Sign the Petition, Make the Call: AFL-CIO Unions Stand Behind Julie Su for Secretary of Labor
- Plus: Simulator Tours and a Panel Discussion at MITAGS 50th Anniversary Celebration
Mark Your Calendar:
- Membership Meeting in Honolulu Hall on Wednesday, June 14
- Membership Meeting in Newark Hall on Thursday, June 15
Attention All Mariners:
Job Opportunities:
And:
TRANSPORTATION LABOR CALLS FOR “AGGRESSIVE STRATEGIES” TO ADDRESS MARINER SHORTFALL
Transportation labor leaders meeting at a legislative summit established a series of policies to improve the safety and strength of the nation’s transportation systems and the wellbeing of the workers who build, operate, and maintain them.
The AFL-CIO Transportation Trades Department hosted the summit last month at AFL-CIO Headquarters in Washington, D.C.
One focus of the proceedings was the need for Congress and the administration to take decisive action to address the shortfall of qualified licensed and unlicensed merchant mariners.
“The US is experiencing an acute shortage of professional mariners [who are] indispensable to national security, economic security, and humanitarian response efforts,” the group noted.
“In 2017, the Maritime Administration found that the country is approximately 1,800 mariners short of what is sufficient to mobilize a drawn-out military effort exceeding 4-6 months.”
“Today, that number is much higher. With the war in Ukraine entering its second year and escalating U.S.-China tensions, the shortage of U.S. merchant mariners threatens national security.”
“A whole-of-government approach is necessary to address significant maritime industry workforce concerns in recruitment.”
Among the policies that TTD member unions pledged to advocate for this year in Washington, D.C.:
— increasing enrollment at maritime academies and other training institutions by breaking down financial barriers, including by increasing incentive payments for mariner education and training;
— subsidizing expenses for academies and schools “so costs are not shifted to the pockets of cadets and other entry-level mariners”;
— allowing licensed and unlicensed merchant mariners to receive student loan forgiveness when they enter the workforce;
— increasing fuel funding for training ships to lower attendance costs for cadets;
— increasing federal grant eligibility for union schools and other programs that bolster sealift readiness;
— helping inland mariners transition to offshore seagoing work and aiding veterans in re- employment at sea.
In addition to finding ways to boost recruitment, TTD unions called on Congress and the administration to continue to support the Jones Act, cargo preference laws, and the Maritime Security Program.
“Strong support for these vital laws and implementing policies that support mariner education will grow the US mariner pool and uplift the maritime Industry,” they said.
TTD is the largest US transportation labor federation.
It represents 37 unions, including MM&P, and millions of workers across aviation, rail, maritime, public transit, and other industries.
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MLL FLEET GOES FULL YEAR WITHOUT A LOST TIME INCIDENT
Maersk Line Limited has announced an important achievement: 12 months without a lost time incident across the entire fleet.
“More than 450 seafarers perform difficult, demanding, and dangerous work safely every day across our fleet,” the company said in a statement.
“Doing so without injury for such a long period in a workplace where even a momentary lapse of attention can result in a ‘bad day’ is impressive.”
“This is a remarkable achievement that everyone should take great pride in accomplishing.”
MLL attributes the result “largely to our seafarers’ commitment to creating an environment where everyone feels empowered to address safety concerns.”
“We have seen several instances where seafarers used their ‘stop-work’ authority, immediately fixed unsafe situations on their own, and reported near misses because there was no fear of retaliation,” said MLL Safety Manager Brian Province.
“We want to encourage more of that.”
The company noted that it is also seeing an across-the-board decrease in lesser incidents—as well as in lost time injuries.
“MM&P congratulates all the licensed deck officers, engineering officers and unlicensed personnel who operate the ships in the MLL fleet,” said MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President Tom Larkin.
“This achievement is the result of their professionalism, their competence, and their commitment to their shipmates’ wellbeing.”
“There is nothing more important than the health and safety of our seafarers,” said MLL Vice President of Labor and Marine Safety Standards Ed Hanley.
“Creating a culture that values safety feedback irrespective of rank and experience improves the lives of all seafarers and is the right thing to do.”
“This long-term trend is a testament to all employees, from the deck plates to the board room, who prioritize safe operations at MLL.”
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INTERNATIONAL DAY OF THE SEAFARER IS JUNE 25
The International Maritime Organization has announced that for 2023, the Day of the Seafarer will focus on seafarers’ contributions to protecting the marine environment, in line with the World Maritime theme of “MARPOL at 50–Our commitment goes on.”
IMO Secretary-General Kitack Lim has recorded a video message about the importance of the day.
As part of the campaign, the IMO is asking seafarers to share a picture of the marine environment using the hashtag #OceansWorthProtecting.
“Be creative,” the IMO suggests on its Day of the Seafarer webpage.
“You can share the equipment that is used to protect the environment, any special training you received, and tell us about your role in protecting the marine environment while onboard your ship.”
The wider public can take part in the campaign by sharing photos of the marine environment using the hashtag #OceansWorthProtecting.
As in previous years, the campaign will be centered on social media so seafarers and the public can join in on any of IMO’s social media platforms: Twitter, Facebook, Instagram and LinkedIn.
The Day of the Seafarer was established in a resolution adopted by the 2010 Diplomatic Conference in Manila to adopt the revised STCW Convention.
Its purpose is to recognize the unique contributions made by seafarers all over the world to international seaborne trade, the world economy, and civil society.
The resolution “encourages governments, shipping organizations, companies, shipowners and all other parties concerned to duly and appropriately promote the Day of the Seafarer and take action to celebrate it meaningfully.”
The Day of the Seafarer is recognized by the United Nations as an observance day.
The UN designates specific days, weeks, years, and decades as occasions to mark events or topics in order to promote, through awareness and action, the objectives of the organization.
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LIGHTERING OPERATION TO START ON DERELICT YEMENI OIL TANKER
Salvors will begin removing more than 1.1 million barrels of oil from FSO SAFER, an oil storage and offloading vessel moored in the Red Sea north of the Yemeni city of Al Hudaydah, now that insurance coverage for the ship-to-ship transfer has been secured.
“Insurance became a critical element of enabling this salvage operation to proceed,” Achim Steiner, an administrator of the United National Development Program, told the press on Monday.
“Without it, the mission could not go forward.”
UN officials have been warning for years that the vessel could rupture or explode, causing a spill four times larger than the EXXON VALDEZ in 1989.
The decaying tanker is anchored about five nautical miles off the coast of Yemen.
It has been left exposed to humidity and corrosion with little or no maintenance since the civil war began in 2015.
The ventilation system has reportedly not been operational since 2017. Seawater has entered the engine compartment, causing damage to pipes.
Rust has covered parts of the tanker and the inert gas that prevents the tanks from gathering inflammable gases has leaked out.
A team of about 40 salvage experts aboard a technical support ship, NDEAVOR, arrived at the site on May 31.
UN video shows the condition of the vessel when the team arrived.
The UN conducted a fundraising drive, including a crowdfunding campaign via Go Fund Me, to raise the $129 million needed to remove the oil and transfer it to a replacement tanker, the NAUTICA, which set sail from China in early April.
The actual transfer of the oil is expected to take 19 days.
During the final phase, which will require an additional 17 days, the salvage team will use a mobile spray tank cleaning machine. The residuals and dirty water will also be transferred to the NAUTICA.
The entire operation is expected to take seven weeks to complete. Under the UN plan, the FSO SAFER will be sold for green recycling.
The UN is continuing the fundraising because the oil belongs to the rebels and cannot be used to pay the costs of the operation.
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AFL-CIO UNIONS STAND BEHIND JULIE SU FOR SECRETARY OF LABOR
Corporate special interests are spending big to block the confirmation of Julie Su for secretary of labor.
“Julie Su has distinguished herself as a principled fighter for the basic rights of every worker,” says AFL-CIO President Liz Shuler.
“There’s no one more dedicated and qualified to defend the fundamental rights of working people.”
Su is a civil rights attorney who was previously the head of California’s labor department.
Throughout her career, she has worked to defend workers’ rights and expand opportunities for advancement, especially through workforce training programs.
The daughter of an immigrant mother who arrived on a cargo ship, Su said she believes “in the transformative power of America,” noting that a union job gave her parents a path to the middle class.
But corporate CEOs and giant multinationals are fighting to block her path to confirmation.
The law firm Littler, which describes itself as “excel[ling] in union avoidance,” signed an open letter against Su, along with countless other special interests.
Luckily, union members are coming together to support her.
More than 16,000 have signed the AFL-CIO petition calling on Congress to confirm her as labor secretary.
Will you help us keep up the pressure?
Su is an incredibly qualified candidate—and just the person workers need as our country experiences this incredible groundswell of labor organizing.
Please call and ask your senators to confirm Julie Su when her nomination comes up for a vote in a few weeks.
Masters, Mates & Pilots is one of the 60 affiliates of the AFL-CIO, the democratic, voluntary federation of national and international labor unions that represents 12.5 million working people.
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SIMULATOR TOURS AND A PANEL DISCUSSION AT MITAGS 50TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATION
MITAGS is celebrating 50 years as a state-of-the-art maritime training facility.
Last week, friends, alumni, conference guests, and campus visitors marked the occasion with a reception, an open house, and a panel discussion.
Participants in the panel included: William Doyle, executive director for the Port of Baltimore; Anthony Fisher, deputy administrator of the Great Lakes St. Lawrence Seaway Development Corp.; and Rear Adm. Simon Hardern of the United Kingdom’s Hydrographic Office.
Among the speakers at the reception was MM&P President Don Marcus, who emphasized the fact that the school is the product of a collectively bargained, employer–union trust agreement.
“It is a non-profit institution,” he noted, “by and for union members to enhance their professional skills, safety, and employment opportunities.”
“It is testament to the priority placed both by our membership and our employers on the essential need for maritime training.”
To read his remarks in their entirety and find out more about MITAGS, go to https://bridgedeck.org/news/.
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MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN HONOLULU HALL ON WEDNESDAY, JUNE 14
There will be a membership meeting in the Honolulu Hall on Wednesday, June 14, following 1000 job call.
All Offshore members and applicants are encouraged to attend the meeting.
The hall is located at:
521 Ala Moana Blvd., Ste 254
Honolulu, HI 96813
The phone number is: 808-523-8183.
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MEMBERSHIP MEETING IN NEWARK HALL ON THURSDAY, JUNE 15
MM&P Atlantic Ports Vice President Tom Larkin has scheduled an Offshore membership meeting in the MM&P Newark Union Hall on Thursday, June 15, at 1100.
MM&P International President Don Marcus and Secretary Treasurer Don Josberger will participate in the meeting.
All Offshore members are encouraged to attend. Please call or email the hall for a head count.
The Newark Hall is located at:
570 Broad Street, Suite 701
Newark, NJ 07102
The phone number is 201-963-1900
WELL-PAYING JOBS OFFERING PERMANENT EMPLOYMENT ARE AVAILABLE WITH MM&P ON THE GREAT LAKES AND IN COASTAL WATERS!
The MM&P United Inland Group has jobs available with Grand River Navigation, Weeks Marine, Cetacean Marine, and Key Lakes.
At Grand River Navigation on the Great Lakes, there are:
— licensed deck jobs for those with Great Lakes pilotage;
— jobs for open water mates with a Towing Officer Assessment Record (TOAR);
— licensed engineering jobs.
At Cetacean Marine, there are licensed and unlicensed engineering jobs.
At Weeks Marine, there are licensed and unlicensed engineering jobs aboard their growing fleet of dredges.
Cross-shipping rights for Offshore applicants/members are available for licensed personnel, with sea time and points counting towards upgrading Offshore membership.
At Key Lakes, there are licensed deck jobs for those with Great Lakes pilotage.
For more information, go to the Jobs page on bridgedeck.org.
If you are interested, please contact UIG Vice President Tom Bell (tbell@bridgedeck.org or 216-776-1667) with any questions.
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OFFSHORE JOBS AVAILABLE
Chief Mate for the LMSR fleet needed now. Security clearance required.
Tanker CM also needed.
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ENGINEERING JOBS AVAILABLE OFFSHORE AND ON THE GREAT LAKES
There are openings for engineers in the MM&P Offshore fleet and the Great Lakes & Gulf Region.
For engineering jobs in the Offshore Group, contact Atlantic Ports Vice President Tom Larkin, tbell@bridgedeck.org” rel=”noopener” target=”_blank”>tbell@bridgedeck.org, or (216) 776-1667.
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MM&P HOLIDAY CLOSING SCHEDULE
MM&P Pacific Ports union halls will be closed on Monday, June 12, for King Kamehameha Day, a contract holiday.
All MM&P union halls, MM&P headquarters, the MM&P Plan Office, and the MM&P Federal Credit Union will be closed on Monday, June 19, for Emancipation Day/Juneteenth.
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MITAGS ACADEMIC NOTES
For registration contact our Admissions Department: 866.656.5568 or admissions@mitags.org
\\Classes are 5-day unless otherwise noted\\
Class dates followed by an * are full
AB – Able Seaman (5-Day): 06/05/23
AIS-1 – Automatic Identifications Systems Orientation (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
ARPA-OIC– Automated Radar Plotting Aids (4-Day): 11/13/23
AZIPOD (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRM – Bridge Resource Management (5-Day): 07/24/23, 10/09/23
BRMP –Bridge Resource Management for Pilots (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP-EMR –Bridge Resource Management for Pilots with Emergency Shiphandling – (Now also included in BRMP-Refresher) (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
BRMP-Refresher (Now including Emergency Shiphandling for Pilots) (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
BT – Basic Safety Training (5-Day): 09/10/23 (Sunday-Thursday)
BT-Revalidation (2-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years): 09/26/23, 10/16/23, 11/13/23, 12/19/23
BT-Refresher (3-day): 09/26/23, 12/18/23
CHS-OIC – Cargo Handling Basic (5-Day): 09/18/23
[CMM – Chief Mate and Master Courses]
ADVSTB-CMM – Advanced Stability (5-Day): 06/26/23, 07/24/23, 10/09/23, 12/18/23
ADVWX-CMM – Advanced Meteorology (5-Day): 06/19/23, 07/31/23, 12/11/23
CHS-CMM – Advanced Cargo Operations (10 Days): 10/16/23
CM-OPS 1 – Chief Mate Operations (5-Day): 7/10/23, 11/27/23
CM-OPS 2 Maersk – Chief Mate Operations II Maersk Specific (5-Day): 07/17/23, 12/04/23
CM-OPS 2 APL – Chief Mate Operations II APL Specific (5-Day): Not currently scheduled
ECDIS – Electronic Chart Display Information Systems (5-Day): 08/07/23, 12/11/23
LMS – Leadership and Managerial Skills (Management Level – Formerly MCL-CMM) (5-Day): 08/14/23, 11/13/23
MPP-CMM – Marine Propulsion Plants (5-Day): 10/02/23
(DCS-1 available on request – contact Admissions)
SHMGT-CMM- Ship Management (5-Day): 11/06/23
SHS-ADV-I-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 1) (5-Day): 07/10/23*, 08/14/23, 09/11/23, 10/02/23, 10/30/23 12/04/23
SHS-ADV-II-CMM – Advanced Shiphandling (week 2) (5-Day): 07/17/23*, 10/09/23, 11/06/23, 12/11/23
**SHS-ADV-I & II are now approved to include SAR-CMM assessments at MITAGS**
VPEN-CMM – Voyage Planning & Electronic Navigation (5-Day): 12/18/23
WKP-CMM – Advanced Watchkeeping (5-Day): 09/25/23
WX-HW-ATL – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Atlantic Ocean (2-day) – Not Currently Scheduled
WX-HW-IND – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Indian Ocean (2-day) – Not Currently Scheduled
WX-HW-PAC – Heavy Weather Avoidance Routing: Pacific Ocean (2-day) – 08/05/23, 12/02/23
CIW-DPA/IA – Continual Improvement Workshop: Designated Person Ashore & Internal Auditor (3-Day) ** This course is NOT covered by the MATES Program **Online: 07/12/23
CIW-SMS – Continual Improvement Workshop: Successful Safety Management (2-Day) – Online: Not Currently Scheduled
CNAV-OIC– Celestial Navigation (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
CRISIS-COMMS – Crisis Communications (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CRSMGT – Crisis Management and Human Behavior (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CDMGT – Crowd Management (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
CSE – Confined Space Entry (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
CSE-AWR – Confined Space Entry Awareness (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
DDE – Great Lakes (20-Day): Not currently scheduled
ECDIS for Pilots (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
ERM – Engine Resource Management (5-Day): 11/27/23
ADV-FF – Advanced Fire-Fighting (4-day): Not currently scheduled
FF-BADV – Fire Fighting Combined Basic & Advanced (5-Day): 09/10/2023 (Sunday-Thurday)
FF-ADV-Rev (1-day) (Must have 1 year of sea service in last 5 years) – Advanced Fire Fighting Revalidation: 09/27/23, 10/18/23, 11/15/23, 12/21/23
FF-ADV-REF (2-day) – Advanced Fire Fighting Refresher: 09/29/23, 12/16/23
FSM–Fatigue, Sleep, Medications (1-Day): Online: Not currently scheduled
GL-Pilot – Great Lakes Pilotage Familiarization (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
GMDSS – Global Maritime Distress and Safety System (10-Day): 07/17/23
HAZ – Hazardous Materials (5 day): 06/19/23, 09/11/23, 11/16/23
IEN – Integrated Electronic Navigation (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
LAP – License Advancement Program for Mate to Master (20-Day): 07/10/23, 10/16/23
LAP-Great Lakes – License Advancement Program – Great Lakes (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
LAP-ORG3rd – License Advancement Program for Original 3rd Mate, Oceans, Any-Gross-Ton License (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
LEG – Legal Aspects of Pilotage (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
LNG-TPIC (10-Day): Not currently scheduled
LNG-BADV (3 Day): Coming Soon!
LTS –Leadership and Teamworking Skills (Formerly MCL-OIC) (1-Day): Not currently scheduled
MEECE – Management of Electrical and Electronic Control Equipment (Assessments not included): 12/04/23
MED-PIC – Medical Person in Charge (10-Day): 07/10/23*, 08/21/23*, 10/02/23, 12/04/23
MED-PIC-REF– Medical Person in Charge Refresher: 08/07/23, 11/27/23
MED-PRO – Medical Care Provider: (5-Day): 07/10/23*, 08/21/23*, 09/18/23, 10/02/23
MED-DOT-DA – Dept. of Transportation Drug & Alcohol Testing (1-Day): 07/15/23, 08/26/23, 09/24/23, 10/07/23, 10/15/23, 11/18/23, 12/09/23, 12/22/23
[MSC – Military Sealift Command Courses]
MSC-CBRD-1 – Military Sealift Command Chemical, Biological, Radiological Defense Orientation (Basic) (1-Day): 08/10/23, 09/07/23, 10/26/23
MSC-DC – Military Sealift Command Damage Control (2-day): 08/11/23, 09/08/23, 10/27/23
MSC-ENVPRO (1-Day): 08/12/23, 09/09/23, 10/28/23
MSC-FF-HELO (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
MSC-SMA – Military Sealift Command Small Arms Qualifications (4-Day): 08/13/23, 09/11/23, 10/30/23
MSC-Security Watch Basic (1-Day/ 8-hour): 08/12/23, 09/09/23, 10/28/23
MSC-Security Watch Advanced (1-Day): 08/17/23, 09/10/23, 10/29/23
MSC-Ship’s Reaction Force (3-Day): 08/18/23, 09/15/23, 11/03/23
NDMS-ENAV – Navigational Decision Making Series – Best Practice in eNav (3-Day): Not currently scheduled
NSAP-MMP – Navigational Skills Assessment Program-MM&P (2-Day): *07/31/23, *08/02/23, 11/13/23*, 11/15/23*
PSC – Personal Survival Craft (Lifeboatman) (5-Day): 09/18/23
PSC-REF – Personal Survival Craft Refresher (2-Day): 09/21/23
RFPNW – Ratings Forming Part of a Navigational Watch (3-day): Not currently scheduled
ROR-1 – Radar Observer Renewal (1-Day): Not Currently Scheduled
ROR-1N – Radar Observer Renewal Evening Classes (1-Night): Upon Request
ROU-OIC – Radar Observer Program – Unlimited: 06/19/23, 11/16/23
SAR – Search & Rescue – (Now with OIC and CMM assessments) (3-Day): 10/23/23
SHS-BAS-OIC – Basic Shiphandling: Not Currently Schedule
SHS-EMR5 – Emergency Shiphandling (5 Day): 06/19/23, 08/28/23, 10/16/23, 12/18/23
STB-OIC – Ship Construction and Basic Stability: 09/11/23
TCNAV/CO – Terrestrial Navigation and Compasses (15-Day): Not currently scheduled
TPIC – Tankerman Person in Charge: 07/10/23, 09/11/23, 11/13/23
TRAC-TUG-2 (2-Day): Not currently scheduled
TTT – ** NOT covered by the MATES Program **: Not Currently Scheduled
VPDSD – Vessel Personnel with Designated Security Duties: Not Currently Scheduled
VSO – Vessel Security Officer (3-Day): 06/26/23
WKP-OIC – Watchkeeping (Operational Level) (10-Day): 12/04/23
WX-OIC –Meteorology (Operational Level): 07/10/23
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MITAGS–WEST ACADEMIC NOTES
You can enroll online at www.mitags.org or contact our Admissions Department 866.656.5568 or admissions@mitags.org
June 2023
14th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
19-23 Basic Training (original)
26-30 Tankerman Person-In-Charge
July 2023
10-28 Terrestrial & Coastal Navigation
31-4 Radar Observer Unlimited
31-4 Basic Training
31-4 Advanced Shiphandling I
August 2023
7-10 ARPA
7-11 Advanced Shiphandling II
14-18 Advanced Stability
14-18 Basic Shiphandling
21-25 Basic Meteorology
28-31 Advanced Firefighting
28-1 Leadership & Managerial Skills
September 2023
5-6 Basic Training Revalidation
5-7 Security Officer – Vessel, Company & Facility
7th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
11-15 Medical Care Provider
11-22 Medical Person-In-Charge
18-29 GMDSS
October 2023
2-3 Basic Training Revalidation
2-6 ECDIS
4th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
9-12 Advanced Firefighting
9-13 Tankerman Person-In-Charge
16-20 Ship Construction & Basic Stability
23-27 Basic Cargo Handling & Stowage
30-1 Security Officer – Vessel, Company & Facility
30-3 Basic Training
30-10 Watchkeeping (Operational Level)
31-3 ARPA
November 2023
6-7 Basic Training Revalidation
6-10 Medical Care Provider
6-10 Leadership & Managerial Skills
13-15 Search & Rescue
16th Leadership & Teamworking Skills
17th Flashing Light Assessment
27-30 Advanced Firefighting
27-15 Celestial Navigation
December 2023
7-8 Advanced Firefighting Refresher
9-10 Basic Training Revalidation
9-11 Basic Training Refresher
11th Radar Renewal
11th Advanced Firefighting Revalidation
11-15 Basic Training
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The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly is the official electronic newsletter of the International Organization of Masters, Mates & Pilots, 700 Maritime Blvd., Suite B, Linthicum Heights, MD 21090-1953. Phone: 410-850-8700; Fax: 410-850-0973. All rights reserved. The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly©2023. Articles can be reprinted without prior permission if credit is given to The MM&P Wheelhouse Weekly.
For subscriptions, address changes or messages to the editor, send an email to communications@bridgedeck.org.