Proceedings Of The Marine

FALL 2015

Proceedings magazine is a communication tool for the Coast Guard's Marine Safety & Security Council. Each quarterly magazine focuses on a specific theme of interest to the marine industry.

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82 Proceedings Fall 2015 www.uscg.mil/proceedings this weeklong course, which featured a blend of marine, "downhole," and certifcate of compliance instruction. The Coast Guard will most likely hold this course semiannually to keep pace with offshore operational developments. The national centers of expertise also remain actively involved in feld-level one-on-one training. They conduct on-the-job training for apprentice marine inspectors, coor- dinate multi-week ship rides and mobile offshore drilling units visits for qualifying inspectors/examiners, support inspectors/examiners throughout their six- and 12-month industry training programs, and facilitate qualifcation/cer- tifcation boards. New Fuels, New Skills Now that alternative fuels such as liquefed natural gas are becoming more commonplace in the maritime environment, the Coast Guard workforce must evolve technical competen- cies to oversee vessel and facility design, operations, and emergency response. In response, the NCOE chairs an LNG fuel workforce development committee that includes sub- ject matter experts from the LGC NCOE, marine inspection training offcers, and representatives from feld units and relevant headquarters program offces. The committee will determine if a need exists for a formal analysis of current feld performance, highlight workforce development gaps, and recommend workforce develop- ment improvements necessary to verify regulatory compli- ance. It will also work to create job aids; tactics, techniques, and procedures; qualification stan- dards; training; or guidance to ensure national consistency with vessel and facility inspection. In addition, the Coast Guard contin- ues to bolster competencies related to oil and other liquid bulk commodity transportation, including a crude oil wash/inert gas course for foreign tank vessel examiners and the foreign chem- ical tanker safety course. A Look Ahead Looking forward, the national centers of expertise will continue to enhance the Coast Guard's technical compe- tency and develop the workforce capac- ity necessary to account for new and novel vessel designs and anticipated increases in vessels exploring, exploit- ing, and producing oils and gas on the outer continental shelf. The NCOEs will also prepare for increasing numbers of foreign-fagged LNG/LPG tankers. About the authors: CDR Jim Rocco is the former chief of the Coast Guard's Outer Continental Shelf National Center of Expertise in Houma, Louisiana. Recently retired with 23 years of experience with the USCG, he served in assignments includ- ing commercial vessel inspection, port operations compliance, and staff posi- tions in acquisitions, facility safety and security, and navigation safety. He holds an MBA with a focus in fnance from Northern Illinois University and a master of international public policy with a focus in energy resources from Johns Hopkins School of Advanced International Studies. Mr. Rob Hanley has recently retired from the Coast Guard with 20 years of experience as a USCG marine inspector and Port State Control examiner, and most recently as a Liquefed Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise subject matter expert and training coordinator focusing on foreign gas car- rier examiner qualifcations, training, and workforce development issues. He currently works for Prestige Maritime International as a surveyor and auditor. Mr. Mark J. Gandolfo is a retired U.S. Coast Guard offcer with 10 years of experience working in the Coast Guard's training system. He also served in numerous marine inspector billets as a senior marine inspector and cur- rently works for the U.S. Coast Guard Offce of Traveling Inspector Staff. His responsibilities include supporting the Liquefed Gas Carrier and Outer Continental Shelf National Centers of Expertise with workforce development initiatives and training curricula. Endnote: 1. Bureau of Safety and Environmental Enforcement, "Deepwater Production Sum- mary By Year," found at www.data.boem.gov/homepg/data_center/production/ production/summary.asp. USCG's Outer Continental Shelf National Center of Expertise graduates its frst foreign Mobile Offshore Drilling Units course in Houma, Louisiana. U.S. Coast Guard photo by CDR James Rocco.

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