Yes my friends, this question has reared it’s ugly head once again.

“I only hold a 6 pack and I will never be going on a “Secured facility” so why do I need a TWIC”?

If you are under the impression that the TWIC does not apply to you,

YOU ARE DEAD WRONG

YES, you are required to have a TWIC 

As of this writing, the TWIC regulations have not been changed.

TWIC

Are you currently holding or are you planning to get one of these?

1. Master  25-100 gross ton license?
2. Operator of Uninspected passenger vessels (OUPV or 6-Pac) license?
3. Mate 25-200 license?
4. Master or mate of Uninspected Fishing industry vessels?
5. Master or mate of 500-1600 gross register tons license?
6. Master or mate Towing vessels?
7. Master or mate of any gross tons?
8. Designated Duty Engineer 1000 HP/4000 HP/Any HP
9. Chief or Assistant Engineer (Limited)?
10. Chief or Assistant Engineer?
11. Merchant Mariners Document (MMD/Z-card) for Ordinary Seaman?
12. Merchant Mariners Document (MMD/Z-card) for Able Seaman?
13. Merchant Mariners Document (MMD/Z-card) for Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED)?
14. Certificate of Registry for a Doctor/Nurse/Hospital Corpsman?

Any one of these require that you apply for and receive a TWIC Card.  TWIC stands for Transportation Workers Identification Card.

.    Make sure that you apply for your TWIC card on the TSA.gov website

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Well, this 70 Plus page EPIC has been in the making for the past 10 years and it finally got through all of the “work groups”, “panels”, “committees”, “doctor’s”, “nurses”, “drafter’s”, “editors”, “drafters”, “nurses”, “doctor’s”, “committees”, “panels”, “work groups” and around to the editors at least 12 more times, but dang it all HERE IT IS!  And boy is it a DOOZZZZY!

I hope your doctor’s have a degree in “Goverenmenteze”, because they are going to need it.  The interesting thing is that the physical form 719K is exactly the same and so is the 719K/E (entry level).

Now there is a section in the NVIC that is for “BMI Calculations”, “Physical Ability Guidelines”, “Medical Conditions Subject to Further Review (with an Index), a section for “Abbreviations”, “Medications”, “Hearing & Vision Standards” and the “Medical Review Process”, which I am ASS/U/MING your doctor must need to know about in order to preform the physical.

My question is, are you supposed to take this NVIC to the doctor when you go to take your physical?  If so, this should be good for meeting the “lifting” portion of these new requirements that says “Is able, without assistance, to lift at least a 40 pound (18.1kilogram) load off the ground, and to carry, push or pull the same load”.

All the doctors I know, (please do not take offense those of you who are doctors) never read the bloody form anyway.  For instance, when it says Uncorrected vision and Corrected To, they only fill out the “Corrected To” portion which means that folks like me have to either send you, the mariner, back to the doctor or we have to make the call ourselves to find out what the *)(&^*^& your Uncorrected vision is.

Believe me when I say, that little mistake, if not caught by folks like me, can and will be a show stopper for you when NMC gets hold of your application to do your evaluation.  Everything will  come to a grinding halt!  They will send you a “canned” letter that basically says “if you do not submit this information to us within 90 days from the date of this letter, your application is null and void and your application will be returned to you”(but not, of course, your application fee).

To be fair to them, I must say that they do not have the resources, the time, nor the inclination to make nice and call the doctor for you.

Be sure to go to the CG website and read NVIC 04-08, it will be to your overall benefit.

Enjoy this fine read, I am doing my best to digest all of the information in there to help you when you need it.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

I hope that you all have been keeping up with the changes to the regulations.

FEDERAL REGISTER- VOL. 73, NO. 177/THURSDAY, SEPTEMBER 11, 2008/RULES AND REGULATIONS, pages 52789 through 52795.

THE FINAL RULE EFFECTIVE OCTOBER 14, 2008.

There are 3 major changes in here that effect ALL of you one way or another.

1. Remove the expiration date of the radar-observer endorsement from the merchant mariner’s license;
2. Allow for an apprentice mate of towing vessels to reduce required minimum sea-service time for mate (pilot) of towing vessels by completing additional approved training; and
3. Provide an alternate path to mate (pilot) of toing vessels for a master of steam or motor vessels of any tonnage that is 200 GRT or LESS.

Good Stuff in some ways.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

Here is the latest and greatest on the TWIC from the CG.

Touch Keys with you later,

N.

DATE: August 26, 2008 13:02:27 EST

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

Coast Guard updates Transportation Worker Identification Credential Program compliance date, locations

WASHINGTON — The U.S. Coast Guard and the Transportation Security Administration announced today that Dec. 30, 2008, is the Transportation Worker Identification Credential program compliance date for owners and operators of facilities located within the U.S. Coast Guard Captain of the Port Zones of Baltimore, Md., Delaware Bay, Mobile, Ala., Lower Mississippi River, Ohio Valley, Pittsburgh, Pa., and San Diego, Calif.

Ports affected by the Dec. 30, 2008, deadline include, among others, Annapolis, Md., Philadelphia, Pa., Camden, N.J., Gulfport, Miss., Memphis, Tenn., Cincinnati, Ohio, Pittsburgh, Pa., and San Diego, Calif.

The Coast Guard plans to announce those additional ports scheduled for the compliance phase of the TWIC Program in coming weeks.  Compliance will be phased in by Captain of the Port Zones between Oct. 15, 2008, and April 15, 2009, after which all ports must be in compliance and all credentialed mariners must be in possession of a TWIC card.

A framework showing expected compliance dates by Captain of the Port Zone and related information is available on the U.S. Coast Guard’s Homeport Web site at http://homeport.uscg.mil/twic. “Beginning compliance is one more step in our effort to prevent persons who are a threat from gaining access to secure areas of port facilities,” sait TWIC Program Director Maurine Fanguy of the Transportation Security Administration.  “We encourage workers to enroll as soon as possible to ensure their cards are in hand in the coming months.”

Mariners may use their valid Coast Guard-issued merchant mariner’s document, license or certificate of registry and a valid photo ID to be eligible for unescorted access in secure areas of any facility regulated under the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 that has a TWIC compliance date earlier than April 15, 2009.  Also, owners and operators of vessels and outer continental shelf facilities must implement access control procedures using TWIC by April 15, 2009.

Owners and operators of facilities regulated under MTSA are responsible for notifying employees of their personal responsibility to apply for and maintain a TWIC.  The TWIC final rule, published Jan. 25, 2007, also requires owners and operators of MTSA regulated facilities to inform employees of the deadlines and methods for TWIC application.

TWIC was established in the Maritime Transportation Security Act and the Security and Accountability for Every Port Act to serve as an identification program for all Coast Guard credentialed mariners and personnel requiring unescorted access to secure areas within a port.  The program is progressing steadily and had opened 147 fixed enrollment centers and dozens of mobile sites nationwide.  More than 454,000 workers have enrolled to date and thousands more are processed each week.

Additional information can be found at  www.tsa.gov/twic.