Former REC chief blasts the NMC

From workboat:

April 9, 2013By J.K. Cassady III, Retired Chief, REC Baltimore

When you can no longer support your employer’s policies and its conduct towards some of its customers [mariners], it’s time to retire and move on. That is what I have done after 20 years as the chief of the U.S. Coast Guard Baltimore Regional Exam Center (REC).

Since the Coast Guard’s National Maritime Center (NMC) in West Virginia became operational (in 2007), too often mariners have found that the decisions made by those at the NMC has hurt their careers and livelihoods. The RECs in the NMC’s original vision statement were to be advocates for the mariner, which I attempted to do many times when I found that they were being harmed by the incorrect decisions being made by the contractual/new GS evaluators at NMC. I questioned and complained so many times about bad evaluations that I was directed by my supervisors to only concern myself with making sure all the “i’s and t’s” were dotted and crossed on the applications and not to contact the NMC evaluators because I was upsetting them.

I was told not to assist the mariner but to refer them to the NMC hot line if they had questions about their applications. This is not in my DNA so I told the mariner how to get corrective action if possible by asking for reconsideration. If they were not successful there, then I told them to appeal to Coast Guard headquarters, taking the final decision away from the NMC.

A little secret that the NMC doesn’t want mariners to know about appeals is that in the past, 67 percent of the appeals made to Coast Guard headquarters have come back in favor of the mariner and against the decision made by NMC.

One other thing: Mariners, make sure you make copies of every document you submit because some evaluators have a way of conveniently saying they never received them with your application.

Is there contact information? I would like to personally thank him for stating what many of us already, sadly, know first hand.

I’ve been issued four little red books in the past two years. The first time they screwed it up when I upgraded and they had to issue a second one. Then at renewal time the same thing happened.

All of that after they decided I was originally not eligible to upgrade. That was because the NMC failed to include time from four sea service letters in their calculations. Two that had been previously in their file (with copies included with the application,) and two more that were submitted with the application.

Yes, I submit paperwork electronically so there is a copy on my computer to readily email to them when they claim the paperwork wasn’t there. Took two appeals to get that letter to test.

Interesting that 67% of the appeals that go up to USCG headquarters are in the applicant’s favor. That is a very good barometer of how they are doing.

I’ve lived outside Washington for 16 years and kept my file in Boston. I think it’s now OK to have it moved to Baltimore.

Weren’t the files all moved to WV?

the system sucks. I recently, well in the last year, submitted to do a minor upgrade in one category, and renew the whole thing. Luckily for them they spotted a major issue and told me that the 600 or whatever days i submitted “was not sufficient sea-time for a 1600-ton master’s credential. please submit an additional 800 some days for consideration.” …despite having a few thousand on file and a 1600-ton license already…

had a few other small issues but they were remedied fairly quickly when i actually got someone to speak to. their letters requiring “more information” are written so poorly half the people who end up with them have no idea what to do.

What gets me is the online application status check. They will post an update saying a letter with additional requirements has been sent. Why not tell me what the additional requirements are? 3 weeks later no letter. So I call and have them resend it. At least on the phone they are helpful and have been able to answer all questions well enough. I recommend calling after every email to ensure they are on track.

My friend just upgraded to a DDE and the NMC gave him [B]RFPNW no restrictions[/B] too!!! He is an Engineer and gave no evidence of ever being on the bridge. He is making sure they remove it.

[QUOTE=DeckApe;105196]Weren’t the files all moved to WV?[/QUOTE]

They are sent to NMC with your application, I’m not sure what happens after your application is closed. NMC has limited file space.

I was beiong overly general. You still need to apply through an REC, and on my last renewal, the first since NMC went to WV, I sent it to Boston.

Wouldn’t it be faster and make a lot more sense to file all the applications with the NMC?

Sending applications to the REC merely creates unnecessary delays and risk of error.

I asked them how many sea days they awarded me and the reply was send in a signed “records request”. They can’t tell me over the phone???

I sent them a records request. Over 250 pages came about a month later. A lot of the same stuff was there in triplicate.

Thank you Mr Cassady for your dedication and loyalty to us Mariners who are having to deal with this new breed of people.In my case I have been trying to get approval to test for my Chief Mate/Master Unlimited License and sent my 53 assessments + all relevant documents to them November 2012 and finally just yesterday April 16, 2013 I was approved to test but not before I had to use a consultant out of Boston Mr Andy Hammond who kept pushing and prodding these people to accept all of my sea time and signed off assessments using Foreign Flagged Masters (not USCG Masters) as I was previously believed to be the case. I have worked overseas only on foreign flagged vessels with foreign crews for about 12 years. Mr Hammond also had to send them a letter (asking for reconsideration) on my behalf and without him I doubt I would have been approved at all. His next step was the appeals process as he has been down this road before and knows exactly what he is talking about so I would highly recommend him for anyone who gets stumped by these people and can’t get their documents in order. The post you have here is definitely spot on and once again thanks for going public with this issue…

[QUOTE=tobagorum;105917]Thank you Mr Cassady for your dedication and loyalty to us Mariners who are having to deal with this new breed of people.In my case I have been trying to get approval to test for my Chief Mate/Master Unlimited License and sent my 53 assessments + all relevant documents to them November 2012 and finally just yesterday April 16, 2013 I was approved to test but not before I had to use a consultant out of Boston Mr Andy Hammond who kept pushing and prodding these people to accept all of my sea time and signed off assessments using Foreign Flagged Masters (not USCG Masters) as I was previously believed to be the case. I have worked overseas only on foreign flagged vessels with foreign crews for about 12 years. Mr Hammond also had to send them a letter (asking for reconsideration) on my behalf and without him I doubt I would have been approved at all. His next step was the appeals process as he has been down this road before and knows exactly what he is talking about so I would highly recommend him for anyone who gets stumped by these people and can’t get their documents in order. The post you have here is definitely spot on and once again thanks for going public with this issue…[/QUOTE]

Mariners who represent themselves on appeals have about the same success rate as the professional consultants,“pro se” mariners’ success might even be a little higher.

The NMC evaluators simply didn’t understand my last renewal for CE.

I just took exams they requested because it seemed easier and faster than arguing with them.