# NMERPAC Meetings **URL:** \ **Category:** Professional Mariner Forum\ **Created:** [June 22, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876 "2024-06-22T20:09:04Z")\ **Posts on this page:** 5\ **Page:** 1
**Author:** ![freighterman1](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/freighterman1/32/11176_2.png) [@freighterman1](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/freighterman1)\ **Post date:** [June 22, 2024, 8:09pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876/1 "2024-06-22T20:09:04Z")
@jdcavo made an announcement about a NMERPAC meeting in another thread. For those people who don’t read that thread I thought I would mention it again here. His post is below. My two cents: These are powerful meetings. I attended the last one a couple of months ago in Edmonds WA, after being alerted by him (thanks again). I gotta say I was impressed. Basically it’s a meeting attended by mariners, NMC / USCG officials , and training school administrators/teachers. Specific topics are brought up having to do with licensing, and the public gives their two cents as to how to improve the system. Example: at the meeting I attended a mariner brought up the idea of equivocating a 1600 ton master license with a 3rd mates. There was debate among the public attendees. At the end it was decided to formally propose the change to the NMC, top members of which were in the same room. Now, here’s the thing. There were roughly a dozen public attendees in the room. A small group. Yet this one mariner made a proposal which could be a huge change to license regs. And all because he showed up. And also because he wasn’t there to just bitch, but had his plan and facts ready to go. The same guy also brought up the issue of license issuance delays. The NMC took some hot questions on the subject. But the mariners also gave some good concrete suggestions which may be adopted. The proposals in the side-sessions are given to a civilian board, formed mostly of training school admin types as well as a few active mariners. They do the formal interchange with the USCG. But the USCG is right in the room. Want to talk face to face with the guys that run NMC? Go to a meeting. My main takeaway was this: I have never seen a public meeting like that, where one mariner off the dock can set in motion potentially huge changes, all because they showed up. > [@What KP Should Be](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/what-kp-should-be/69863/44): > > NMERPAC meetings are open to the public. There is a virtual meeting on Tuesday June 25 and Wednesday June 26. The meeting is to identify and make recommendations on “gaps” in the STCW. The STCW is currently undergoing a periodic comprehensive review to identify changes. It is likely there will be amendments to the STCW following this review. > > The following is from the Chair of NMERPAC: > _ **In short, NMERPAC needs YOU to come with suggestions on how to revise and improve the STCW**. Please note the importance of this task and how imperative it is for us to have thorough, thoughtful input from industry. Year after year, NMERPAC hears comments about how difficult the STCW is for US mariners and how confused training providers are- **this is your chance to provide input and directly affect what the Coast Guard hears as concerns with this topic**. The comprehensive review of the STCW Convention and Code is a tremendous undertaking, but it will only be made better with input from those of us who work with it every day. Come with your concerns and comments ready to discuss, consider having them written in case you want to drop them into the chat for verbatim consideration. As Chair of NMERPAC, I ask all of my colleagues in the industry to consider attending this meeting to ensure the Coast Guard will have the information they need from us as they represent the United States in the review of the STCW at IMO._ > > Information on how to register for next week’s meeting is in [this announcement](https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/announcements/2024/nmerpac_stcw_intersessional_mtg_052324.pdf?ver=iInySKXFyOCOjjTQI_Bklg%3d%3d×tamp=1716494469934) on the NMC web page. If you want to attend, you need to register NOW as the meeting is only a few days away. ---
**Author:** ![Capt\_Phoenix](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/capt_phoenix/32/281_2.png) [@Capt\_Phoenix](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Capt_Phoenix)\ **Post date:** [June 25, 2024, 9:30am UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876/2 "2024-06-25T09:30:46Z")
Maybe someone who is able to attend one could suggest they go back to printing both GRT and GT on the national license and printing all tonnage and trade restrictions on the STCW endorsements. It’s confusing enough as it is to intentionally NOT print certain key information. > [@C/M STCW Upgrade](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/c-m-stcw-upgrade/69904/19): > > One would think that if there’s no limit printed beside it then there’s no limit but they’re kinda weird about printing the limits. Your OICNW has no tonnage limit (2M Unlimited) but your Master does. > > Despite that, you’re always restricted to your national license. Example, with a Master OSV 10,000 GT license, by the STCW Master endorsement, there’s no tonnage limit or trade restriction to OSV printed beside it. Personally, I think that’s a mistake and that they should print the tonnage and “restricted to offshore supply vessels” on it. > > I think they’re fucking up by not printing everything on both sides. Print the GRT and GT both on the national side (how else can you be “restricted to your national license” if the equivalent GT isn’t also printed there) and print any GT and trade restrictions on the STCW side. ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 2:25pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876/3 "2024-08-08T14:25:10Z")
NMERPAC’s members’ terms are expiring and new members are being solicited: > **[nmerpac\_vacancies\_announcement\_080824.pdf](https://www.dco.uscg.mil/Portals/9/NMC/pdfs/announcements/2024/nmerpac_vacancies_announcement_080824.pdf?ver=mIuuXYrVhcKW27DP5n9tWg%3d%3d×tamp=1723123462102)** > > 141.09 KB NMERPAC members each represent a statutorily designated constituency. NMERPAC is seeking to fill the following member seats: ○ One credentialed deck officer who represents merchant marine deck officers who shall be: (1) endorsed for an inland or river route of limited or unlimited tonnage; (2) endorsed as Master of Towing Vessels; and (3) to the extent practicable, shall represent labor. ○ Two credentialed engineering officers, of which: (1) one shall be endorsed as Chief Engineer of unlimited horsepower; (1) one shall be endorsed either as Chief Engineer of limited horsepower or Designated Duty Engineer and to the extent practicable, (1) one shall represent management. ○ One credentialed rating, endorsed as able bodied seaman; ○ Three Marine educators who represent other maritime training institutions (other than academies), of which one may also represent the small vessel industry; ○ Two individuals who represent shipping companies employed in ship operation management; and, ○ Two individuals who represent the general public. Application details are in the linked annouincement. ---
**Author:** ![Tugboater203](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/tugboater203/32/14108_2.png) [@Tugboater203](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/Tugboater203)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:02pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876/4 "2024-08-08T15:02:35Z")
How long do they serve for ? ---
**Author:** ![jdcavo](https://sea2.discourse-cdn.com/flex016/user_avatar/forum.gcaptain.com/jdcavo/32/108_2.png) [@jdcavo](https://forum.gcaptain.com/u/jdcavo)\ **Post date:** [August 8, 2024, 3:18pm UTC](https://forum.gcaptain.com/t/nmerpac-meetings/69876/5 "2024-08-08T15:18:29Z")
It’s in the Federal Register notice that the announcement has a link to. Reading that is part of the screening process.