Update on the wait time for NMC to issue a new ticket.
I have a deckhand who took the exam for a 100 ton ticket and passed it. He sent the completed application to REC Toledo Feb 21. They took about 3 weeks to approve it and send it on to West Virginia. Medical cert was issued pretty quick, plain vanilla physical, nuther week or so. MMC took forever. He finally rcvd it on Day 75, but only after a congressional inquiry. I get the feeling that it could have been much longer without the inquiry…
The USCG NMC is a failed agency full of incompetent people who don’t do their jobs. The whole thing needs to be shut down and licensing needs to be returned to the RECs or the local OCMIs —the way it use to be — back when licensing was a successful USCG program
When they aren’t being slammed by procrastinators who waited until the last minute to do their gap closing requirements they actually work very quickly.
I just renewed my medical certificate. I emailed the app to a REC. File size well under the size limit. Never heard a thing from them. 2 weeks later I called the number given on their web site. That is the NMC’s number. NMC said they would email the REC to see if they ever got it. Never heard back from them. So, I resubmitted to another REC. They took 7 days to simply acknowledge receipt. Another full 7 days to forward on to the the NMC. The NMC then took a full 7 days to acknowledge receipt and say it was being “screened” by medical. 5 more days to say it passed initial review and would be assigned to an actual Medical evaluator. Thankfully they were efficient, and finished processing my med cert the next day. Printing and mailing went smoothly too.
I’ll say the Medical evaluators are efficient, but most of the rest of the system sure let me down.
I do prefer how it was way back when. The old system of each rec handling everything benefited people like myself, who were fortunate enough to live driving distance from one. It was great having the ability to talk face to face to your evaluator.
I think that no matter how much it appears they are slow with certain transactions, it used to be slower before the NMC in my opinion
The Long Beach Rec had a history of always taking a long time for transactions and was always slammed. I remember old co-workers having their files stored at other recs because of that fact.
I have had a Request for Reconsideration pending at NMC for 10 months. 10 months is not a reasonable processing time; its failure to do the job. Someone should be court-marshelled for dereliction of duty.
Would that make a difference now? I keep hearing that NMC is sending out their staff to take jobs at the RECs and it looks like put them in charge or close to the top jobs. They are all going to be NMC trained staff at some point.
And about not hearing back from the RECs on things? What? I still only work with Boston and always get an email back! Mostly it’s just a form reply but that’s something. I refuse to pay some consultant when the REC is answering my calls and making things happen.
Have we ever created a thread with direct REC contacts in it? Can we? Call a human and maybe get a real response. REC Boston- call 617.223.3040 to call any of them. Nick picks up at 617.223.3050 and Meghan picks up 617.557.9086.
I wish somebody would give me the updated contact info for REC Memphis. I tried calling the numbers I had for the main line and for Dave, and got bounced to NMC.
I suppose your talking of Dave Calvert right? I live in Bartlett and have known Dave Calvert going on 17 or 18 years I think. Do you have his email? I don’t think I’ve ever actually called him ever, just used email and good 'ol fashioned face to face. It may take a few days, perhaps even a week, but he will eventually get back with you and involve the NMC as well.
Try (901) 544-3941, it might be the number to the standard Coast Guard Station as opposed to the REC, but they might be able to help.
I’ve actually had pretty smooth sailing on renewals and upgrades using the email process. And I got the gap closing stuff done a year ago and submitted before it got backed up. When I took that course, the instructor mentioned that the CG had even back then advised schools of the impending doom, so to speak (the backlog) and encouraged them to get people to get moving.
Everybody who has a problem should click the Feedback button in the upper right hand corner of the homepage for NMC and vent their spleen there. It actually puts pressure on them. Low scores on their metrics actually hurt the command so get on their and vote often. They need a wake up call and that is one of the few ways to do it. Their is no limit on how many times you review them either.
I just hit the 10 month mark on a pending application. I’m three months into trying to get a clerical error fixed – NMC sent the wrong sticker. The Evaluator told my license consultant that NMC is currently very very short handed.
The NMC is a complete failure. Its long past time to shut it down, and return all licensing functions to the RECs. The theory was that the coal miner’s daughters in West Virginia doing all the evaluations would provide more consistency than the personnel at the RECs. However, the only thing consistent about the Evaluators at the NMC is that they are completely incompetent and don’t get the job done.
I sent my package in the last Friday for a R.I.G. to Master 10000 OSV because I don’t want to get AGT. Two days to get to the evaluator in Martinsburg. It has been four days on someone’s desk since getting there.
Also they are short 37 evaluators to save money and have been for two years. Understand why their is a 9 month delay? They are hiring 5 but moving the license extension to 1 October for 2016 licenses. I am sure getting licensed guys in those positions would help and they could telecommute and keep their houses.
If I was 6 to 9 months behind on customer requests at my job, I would not be fired, I would be shot, and deservedly so.
Write your Congress person and complain! PM me, I have a form letter you can use.
I hope you aren’t in a rush. My application (submission of my GAP closure course completion) completed initial processing on June 02, 2017 and has been pending assignment to a Professional Qualifications Evaluator ever since. Here’s to hoping it is completed next week. Including today’s date, that is 36 days of waiting. Clearly not acceptable.
I remember seeing an ad a while back, the NMC looking for an engine officer…they’d be on the right track actually having mariners as evaluators. I only know what I know thru the upgrades I’ve done but I’m sure a lot of you like me have helped co-workers and friends along the way playing the consultant role.
Unless the telecommute option was there I don’t see too many ex-professional mariners becoming evaluators living in commuting distance of martinsburg, or wanting to relocate.
We need a new USCG policy: any application which is not approved, denied, or approved with conditions, within 30 days at NMC, is automatically APPROVED.
The commander at NMC and the Commandant of the Coast Guard should be court-marshaled for dereliction of duty.
The USCG has thousands of people scattered around the country doing useless make-work jobs and playing tin-soldier. Its obvious what the Commandant is doing, he is holding mariner’s credentials hostage in an effort to justify to Congress the supposed need for additional funding. This is a reckless, absurd, and intentional misallocation of resources in an effort to justify a budget increase.
I’m telling my Congressmen that the USCG does not need or deserve more funding— what it needs is a budget cut and effective new leadership.
Ctony, if I can get this GAP Closure Training thing dealt with in our favor, I can get other changes made more easily like telecommuting for evaluators among other issues. I have been working on this by myself against a team of officers and civilians for almost 9 months. It is SLOW dealing with DC for sure.
