Basic Training Refresher

USCG-Approved STCW Basic Training Refresher in Seattle

Length: 3 Days (23 hours) Prerequisites:

• Successful completion of a 5-day Basic Training program (comprised of: Fire Prevention and Fire Fighting; Personal Safety and Social Responsibilities; Personal Survival Techniques; and First Aid and CPR)
• Good health and the physical ability to safely carry out rigorous activities during live firefighting exercises
• Ability to tread water for 1-minute without assistance
• For Mariners renewing their credentials, this course is for mariners that DO NOT have 360+ days of sea service in the last 5 years

The International Maritime Organization’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) 2010 requires mariners to revalidate their basic and advanced safety training courses every five years to maintain an active endorsement. The Basic Training Refresher Course is one way to satisfy that requirement. Note: Program participants will need to engage in intense physical activity including, but not limited to, the following:

• Bending, stooping, lifting and turning real or simulated patients.
• Conducting Search And Rescue (SAR) operations involving simulated casualties weighing approximately 150 pounds in an enclosed smoke and fire environment while wearing protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
• Jumping into a swimming pool from a height of approximately 1 meter.
• Swimming continuously for approximately 20 feet in an immersion suit or personal flotation device (PFD).
• Treading water for approximately one minute without PFDs or similar aids.
• Deploying and entering a life raft while wearing a PFD or similar aid.
• Righting capsized life rafts while wearing a PFD or immersion suit.
• Extinguishing fires both with and without breathing apparatus.
• Moving quickly and climbing up and down ladders while holding heavy firefighting equipment such as hoses.
• Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on mannequins.

Course Description The Basic Training Refresher Course is a 23-hour class designed to provide you with a refresher of basic maritime personal survival techniques. It also reviews personal social and safety responsibilities, first aid, and fire prevention and firefighting skills, which fulfills the 2010 Amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Code, as amended. This STCW REFRESHER course is for mariners who have not had 360 Days of sea time within the last five years. Important Safety Notice: This course includes strenuous physical activity and requires good health and the physical ability to safely carry out rigorous activities during live firefighting exercises. You must be clean-shaven to ensure a proper seal with SCBA gear. Facial hair that breaks the mask seal is not permitted. Swim Ability Policy: All participants must be able to swim and tread water confidently for 1 minute without assistance. If you are unable to meet this requirement, you will be disenrolled from the course until swimming training is completed Are you not sure which course is needed to renew your license? Revalidations (REVS) - For Mariners with 360+ days in the last 5 years. Will need to take: BT-REV (2 Day). Also, if you have an Advanced Firefighting Endorsement, you will need FF-ADV-REV (1 Day). This is a separate registration. Refreshers (REFS) - For Mariners without 360+ days in the last 5 years. Will need to take: BT-REF (3 Day). If you have an Advanced Firefighting Endorsement, you will need FF-ADV-REF (2 Day). If you have a Proficiency in Survival Craft Endorsement, you will need PSC-REF (2 Day). And a Radar Renewal. These are separate registrations. The STCW Basic Training Refresher course is a 3-day (23-hour) course intended to give students a comprehensive refresher on fundamental maritime survival skills. Students review important concepts such as first aid, firefighting, fire prevention techniques and safety and social responsibilities, fulfilling STCW 2010 amendments. This STCW refresher course is specifically designed for mariners who have completed the Basic Training course but have not completed one year of accumulated sea service within the last five years. We understand that attending classes can interfere with busy work schedules, so we offer our courses multiple times throughout the year. Students can check the calendar to choose the dates that work best for them. Prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed the STCW Basic Training Course and be able to tread water without assistance for one minute. Suggested Courses/Skill: Refer to NVIC 08-14 for more detailed information. We also recommend studying the Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVIC) 08-14, which outlines the key elements of STCW qualifications. Requirements Satisfied by the BT Refresher Course Our Basic Training Refresher Course fulfills the following requirements from the NVIC and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):

• 46 CFR 11.302(e)
• 46 CFR 12.602(e)
• Section A-VI/1
• NVIC 08-14 National Assessment Guidelines
• The course also meets the STCW 2010 continued competency requirements for Basic Training.

Course Length The Basic Training Refresher course is three days and provides updated training on basic topics including firefighting, fire prevention, personal survival, safety responsibilities and emergency response. What You Will Learn Enrolling in the Basic Training Refresher course is a great opportunity to reinforce your core professional knowledge from previous training. In addition to helping mariners maintain their STCW 2010 endorsement, BT Refresher consists of lectures and practical training, which re-builds key information you may have forgotten. Attendees will demonstrate proficiency in:

• Importance of emergency procedures, accident prevention, training and drills to prevent and/or minimize incidents, emergencies and pollution.
• Effective communications that improve human relationships onboard.
• Immediate life-saving first aid and CPR.
• Putting on and using an immersion suit.
• Safely jumping into water from a height.
• Straightening a tilted liferaft while wearing a lifejacket.
• Swimming with a lifejacket.
• Keeping afloat without the aid of a PFD.
• Properly wearing and using firefighting PPE, including normal and emergency use of SCBA.
• Proper changing of SCBA bottle.
• Using portable fire extinguishers.
• Extinguishing small fires.
• Extinguishing large fires with water.
• Hose Team Leadership for extinguishing a simulated extensive fire.
• Proper and thorough search to rescue an adult-sized mannequin.

Should You Complete a Basic Training Refresher Course? Our Basic Training Refresher course is designed for mariners who have already completed the initial Basic Training course but do not have one year of sea time in the past five years. If you have at least one year of accumulated sea time in the last five years, you should complete the Basic Training Revalidation course instead. As of 2017, all mariners wishing to work on ships outside the U.S. Territorial Boundary Line must hold an active STCW endorsement. This endorsement – like the Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) – must be updated every five years to maintain compliance with STCW code. This requirement applies even to mariners with advanced certifications, such as Master’s licenses. You may also need to complete other coursework depending on your rank and function. Course Location This course is held at MITAGS’ West Coast campus. What You Should Bring Before you arrive at your BT refresher course, make sure you pack or bring the following items:

• Comfortable clothing
• A swimsuit
• Clothing you can wear into the pool in addition to a swimsuit
• Appropriate attire for fire fighting class
• Closed-toed shoes
• All students should also be clean-shaven to ensure a tight SCBA seal.

This class is offered through our partnership with MITAGS.