The Coast Guard Headquarters Lifesaving and Fire Safety Division, CG-5214 is forwarding the following recall information from the U.S. Consumer Product Safety Commission. The recall involves about 167,000 portable “Kidde XL Fire Extinguishers” made by Walter Kidde Portable Equipment, Inc.
For additional information please access this website:
http://www.cpsc.gov/cpscpub/prerel/prhtml09/09151.html and www.kidde.com
Questions relating to this recall should be addressed to the Kidde consumer contact or website.
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Coast Guard Reaches Out to Mariners; Survey Gathers Data on Safety, Security, and Professionalism
In a press release, the Coast Guard’s Marine Safety, Security and Stewardship Directorate in Washington D.C. announced that it is making its maritime safety and security survey more accessible to the general public through a link on the service’s web site at www.uscg.mil
The anonymous, eight-question survey covers topics including professionalism, regulatory stewardship, customer support and customer perceptions of safety, security and cleanliness of ports and waterways.
While the survey is anonymous, it does allow users to request a follow-up contact from a Coast Guard representative.
Visitors can access the survey by going to www.uscg.mil; selecting the “Missions” menu bar and then clicking on the “Maritime Customer Survey” button in the left column. The survey can also be accessed directly at http://homeport.uscg.mil/maritimesurvey
As part of the ongoing merchant marine licensing centralization project, all Regional Examination Centers (RECs) are now set up for on-line appointments. Mariners are highly encouraged to make an appointment prior to coming to the REC. Now that all RECs have much smaller staffs, mariners who choose to walk in without an appointment run the risk of being served on a “Space Available Basis” only.
Mariners desiring an appointment at an REC can make an appointment by clicking here, then clicking on the appropriate state where the REC the want to visit is located.
Automatic Information System (AIS) and Notice of Arrival and Departure Rule Hearing in Seattle, March 25
The Coast Guard will hold a public meeting in Seattle, WA to receive your comments on both the AIS and the Notice of Arrival and Departure Rule as follows:
Wednesday, March 25, 2009
1:00 p.m.
Henry M. Jackson Federal Building
915 Second Ave., Fourth Floor, North Auditorium Seattle, WA
The notice of proposed rulemaking proposes expanding AIS to several classes of vessels including passenger vessels that carry 50 or more passengers and high speed vessels (30 knots or higher) carrying more than 12 in all waters of the U.S.. In addition, the proposed rule requires advanced notice of arrival and departure reporting for vessels on international voyages. The comment period is open until April 15.
Click here for a copy of the Federal Register notice, go to Docket USCG-2005-21869
A public announcement from the NMC:
The USCG National Maritime Center is experiencing problems with our phone system, which is impacting calls coming into the Mariner Information Call Center.
We are working with the Coast Guard’s Electronic Support Detachment and the telephone company to correct this problem as fast as possible. Until the problem is resolved, callers may experience a busy signal or longer than normal wait times while calling the 1-888-IASKNMC phone number.
If you have problems contacting the Call Center you may still contact us via e-mail at IASKNMC@USCG.MIL or by calling one of the 17 Regional Exam Centers.
Contact information for the Regional Exam Centers can be found at
http://www.uscg.mil/nmc/rec_information.asp
