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Equivalency of Old/New Courses

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2.1 Training Received Before the Day of Coming into Force of the Marine Personnel Regulations

Before July 30, 1997 from July 30, 1997 to the day of coming into force of the Marine Personnel Regulations
Marine Emergency Duties 1 Basic Safety (A1) or Small Vessel Safety (A2)
Marine Emergency Duties, Part A or Marine Emergency Duties 2, Parts A and C Survival Craft (B1)
Marine Emergency Duties 2, Part B Marine Firefighting (B2)
Marine Emergency Duties 3 MED for Officers (C) or MED for Senior Officers (D)

 

from July 30, 1997 to the day of coming into force of the Marine Personnel Regulations Equivalency under the Marine Personnel Regulations
Basic Safety (A1) or Small Vessel Safety (A2) Basic Safety (MED A1) or Small Passenger Vessel Safety (MED A2)
Small Non-Pleasure Vessel Basic Safety (A3) Small Non-Pleasure Vessel Basic Safety (MED A3)
Sheltered Non-Pleasure Small Vessel Basic Safety and Operator Proficiency (A4)  
Small Seasoned Passenger Vessel Safety (certificated personnel) Small Seasoned Passenger-carrying Vessel Safety (certificated personnel)
Small Seasoned Passenger Vessel Safety (non-certificated personnel) Small Seasoned Passenger-carrying Vessel Safety (non-certificated personnel)
Survival Craft (B1) Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats
Basic Safety (A1) and Marine Firefighting (B2) STCW Basic Safety
Basic Safety (A1), Marine Firefighting (B2) and MED for Officers (C) Advanced Firefighting
MED for Senior Officers (D) MED for Senior Officers (MED D)

2.2 Courses Not Subject to the STCW Convention

The training system undergoes little change: MED A1, A2 and A3 remain the same, while MED A4 is removed and replaced with the Small Vessel Operator Proficiency training certificate and the Pleasure Craft Operator Competency card, refer to sections 205 and 212 of the Regulations for the applicability of each. The Small Seasonal Passenger-carrying Vessel Safety courses remain unchanged.

2.3 Courses Subject to the STCW Convention

  1. The previous set of MED training courses met the requirements of Regulation VI of the Convention, when completed in their entirety.
  2. Completion of MED A1 and B2 substantially meets the Basic Safety requirements of Regulation VI/1 (see subsection 6); however the personal safety and social responsibility elements were contained in MED B1. A very basic knowledge of pollution prevention duties is also required by the Convention, but this was not covered in the former MED courses and has been added to the STCW Basic Safety course.
  3. The MED B1 course meets the requirements of Regulation VI/2, Proficiency in Survival Craft and Rescue Boats other than Fast Rescue Boats.
  4. Compliance with Regulation VI/3, Advanced Firefighting is achieved only through completion of MED A1, B2 and C. It should be noted that Section A-VI/3-1 of the Code implies that this is an officer level course, as it states that “seafarers designated to control firefighting operations shall have successfully completed advanced training in techniques for fighting fire, with particular emphasis on organization, tactics and command”.
  5. This situation creates difficulties for schools attempting to offer STCW-compliant courses, and unnecessary duplication of material from one course syllabus to another. Accordingly, a workshop with instructors from Canadian MED training providers and a Transport Canada representative was held on February 4, 5, and 6, 2002 for the purpose of devising an efficient way to realign the MED training courses with the STCW Convention.
  6. In general terms, aside from the minor syllabus items mentioned above, the main problem with the former system was that MED A1 does not contain sufficient training in firefighting to meet the Basic Safety requirements of Regulation VI/1. In addition, MED B2 does not meet the requirements for advanced firefighting, while at the same time it contains a substantial amount of material which properly belongs in the “officer level” course. Therefore it was decided that the best approach would be to move practical firefighting from MED B2 to the new STCW Basic Safety course and to put advanced command and control in the new Advanced Firefighting course.
  7. This re-alignment has the following effects on the MED courses:
    1. addition of a small amount of new material through the STCW Basic Safety course:
      1. basic awareness of pollution prevention duties,
      2. knowledge of SAR transponders and of VHF radios on life rafts;
    2. removal of A1/B2 duplication concerning fire theory, resulting in an STCW Basic Safety course that is slightly shorter than the A1- B1- B2 combination that was required for crew members assigned duties on the muster list;
    3. lengthening of the firefighting training.

2.4 Practical Aspects of Course Delivery

  1. MED instructors do not fully cover the command and control aspects of firefighting contained in the B2 syllabus, because these aspects are beyond the level of knowledge required by the audience of a B2 course - typically deckhands, oilers and catering personnel. The course is the same length, but schools generally spend more time on practical exercises than the syllabus calls for. Moving the command and control aspects of the B2 syllabus to the Advanced Firefighting course allocates more hours to the subject, allowing a more thorough coverage, and delivery to the appropriate audience. This results in a course of (approximately) one week.
  2. In the past, MED C and D were almost inevitably delivered together, because the two courses could be delivered in a one-week session at the school, and there were no prerequisites for MED D. This meant that material intended for senior officers was delivered to an audience that had not even completed its first level of certification. MED instructors commented that the D level material was simply lost on participants at this level. Not teaching the MED D material at this point, and spending more time on firefighting command and control, will result in improved training for the participants while still devoting approximately one week to emergency training for those preparing for their first certificate of competency.
  3. It is suggested that participants not be accepted for the Senior Officers (MED D) course until they hold a Watchkeeping Mate or Fourth-Class Engineer certificate. Delaying the Senior Officers course until a more appropriate time in an officer’s career will have the following effects:
    1. There will be more meaningful course participation.
    2. Training will be given closer to the time when it is needed (i.e. at the command level).
    3. The course can be improved through additional practical training in firefighting command, as in the old MED 3 course.
    4. Organizing and managing the provision of medical care on board, required by Table A-II/2 of the STCW Code, will be incorporated in the course.

2.5 Refresher Courses

  1. The above improvements allow the course MED D to be used as a refresher course for senior officers, thus meeting the Marine Personnel Regulations requirements for applicants who wish to renew their certificate after having been away from the marine environment for more than five years.
  2. The Basic Safety (MED A1) course may be used as a refresher course for ratings and officers who have not completed MED D.

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Date modified:
2010-01-19