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20 Maritime Professional 3Q 2011When I last signed aboard a seagoing merchant ves- sel as a Deck Officer in the mid-1980?s, the term ?Bridge Resource Management? was only just being brought into play aboard the world?s merchant fleets. Certainly, it had not yet been formally mandated as a training protocol. On board my oil tanker ? operated, interestingly enough, by a large integrated oil refining and exploration company ? BRM was not something we discussed over din- ner in the officer?s saloon. Instead, resource management in our antiquated, 1940?s-era wheelhouse typically involved making darn sure that the Master had fresh coffee when he came up. And, as I remember it, a very important task for the Mate on the mid watch was to step down one deck from the bridge wing and reset the recalcitrant A/C unit when it shut off; usually 3 or 4 times each night at sea. As possibly the last mariner and maybe the oldest on theplanet to enter and utilize a bridge training simulator, my journey to STCW compliance ? something that came along after my ship was scrapped out from under me in the mid- 1980?s ? actually began only a couple of years ago. The effort, something I dubbed ?STCW at 50? has now stretched out into my 52nd year, partly due to scheduling issues with my job and personal affairs. That it has taken this long is proof of the overwhelming regulatory burden presented by the International Convention on Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (or STCW). Those attempting to achieve these qualifications outside a formal training program or ? as I am doing from scratch ?know exactly what I?m talking about. With six of these cours- es now under my expanding belt, along with the U.S. Coast Guard mandated (NAVC 04-08) physical examination and a drug test, I will submit my credentials in the near future.Before that could occur, however, I needed to complete the BRM training.Adopted in 1978 and entering into force in 1984, STCWsets qualification standards for officers and watch personnel on seagoing merchant ships, the Convention was significant- ly amended in 1995. More recently, the so-called Manila HHands OnGMATS takes MarPro to School MarPro Editor Joe Keefe edges closer to STCW compliance as GMATS shows off its customized education and training programs for commercial mariners. by Joseph Keefe STCW and BRMFull mission Kongsberg Simulator. MP #3 (18-33):MP Layouts 8/17/2011 4:05 PM Page 20
