CSNCOE Exam Attendance
COMDTINST 16000.73, Marine Safety: Port State Control, indicates that in some instances, a National Center of Expertise member may participate in an exam. CSNCOE Work Instruct MPS-WI-CSNCOE-04(01) clarifies the circumstances when the CSNCOE may attend Certificate of Compliance (COC) exams on foreign passenger vessels.
Cruise Ship Examinations
As required by the Marine Safety Manual Volume II, Foreign Passenger Vessel Certificate of Compliance (COC) exams should be conducted with a
team of at least:
- Three (3) qualified Foreign Passenger Vessel Examiners (FPVE)
- One (1) qualified Port State Control Examiner (PSCE).
Should you anticipate a gap in this capability, we encourage you to contact neighboring Coast Guard units and your District office to locate additional qualified personnel. We can help identify qualified FPVE's that may be available nearby. Alternatively, we can provide from one (1) to four (4) qualified FPVE's to support your unit in carrying out foreign passenger vessel COC exams. Travel costs associated with any NCOE assistance will be paid by the NCOE, NOT the requesting unit.
CSNCOE Assistance in Qualification Boards
All CSNCOE staff members are qualified as FPVEs and hold a national Verification Officer designator. We are available to assist units convening qualification boards, either in person or telephonically. Additionally, we can provide board members with scenario based questions and answers to help facilitate in the qualification process.
CSNCOE Assessment Program
The CSNCOE staff is available upon request, to evaluate the proficiency of the unit's examiners in conducting exams in accordance with Coast Guard policy and the FPVE TTP. This ISO based approach will help promote proficiency around the world in regards to the way annual and periodic exams are conducted. Results of the assessment will only be shared with the unit being evaluated. With a unit assessment, we incorporate targeted training based on assessment results. With this heightened level of proficiency that the FPVE program encourages, ship captains can now rely on the exam process to be consistent whether their ship is examined in Alaska, Los Angeles, Miami, New York or any other port the ships calls upon. If you would like the CSNCOE to visit your unit, please contact Mr. Eric Jesionowski to schedule an assessment. There is no cost to the unit for this assessment and training.