Clare has more than 23 years of Coast Guard experience and 21 years of marine safety experience. A native of Westminster, Calif., Clare received his commission from the Coast Guard Academy in 1996. He was assigned to the Coast Guard Cutter Escabana as a deck watch officer, followed by a tour as senior watch officer at the National Response Center.
From 2001 to 2005, he was a domestic inspector and chief of port state control at the Marine Safety Office in San Francisco. From 2005 to 2009, he served as chief of inspections and prevention at Sector Juneau, where he also completed a three-month merchant marine industry training program with the Alaska Marine Highway System and other state and industry organizations. He became chief of inspections at Sector Anchorage from 2009 through 2012.
From 2012 to 2015, Clare served as the detachment chief at the Cruise Ship National Center of Expertise. From 2015 to 2019, he was the prevention department head and acting deputy sector commander at Sector Miami.
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The WJ interviewed Capt. Clare via email on the current status of the NMC and future plans.
Waterways Journal: What are the current hurdles or challenges facing NMC and/or the Regional Exam Centers (RECs)? What do you see as the No. 1 challenge facing the NMC in the coming months?
Clare: Challenge number one is eliminating our processing delays and reserve of in-progress applications resulting from COVID-19 impacts .
The NMC serves more than 200,000 mariners and on modal issues 60,000 credentials and 60,000 medical certificates to qualify mariners per annum, for both national and international operations. presently the NMC is experiencing some delays in march of applications and has a reserve of applications in advancement .
additionally, we allowed for a COVID-19 reference on the exhalation of many credentials. As those extensions expire on October 31, 2021, we ’ ll likely see an increase in the entire number of applications. Because of these delays, we ’ rhenium now recommending that all mariners needing credentials practice 90 days in advance of the certificate or medical certificate termination .
One of the challenges the Regional Exam Centers presently face is they can lone accommodate 50 percentage of the former maximum capability for mariner examinations because of social outdistance requirements. RECs are placid adhering to COVID-19 riddle procedures and protocols, in rate to maintain a condom environment for patrons and staff. No walk-ins are allowed for examinations or counter service ; appointments are mandate. All mariners with schedule appointments are capable to COVID-19 shield questions and temperature checks.
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WJ: How have the ongoing challenges of COVID-19 affected the NMC’s mission?
Clare: Currently, the NMC is experiencing an application backlog, causing delays in processing that we are working to get through .
just like many other agencies, COVID-19 required us to re-evaluate our solve processes. We instituted an electronic evaluation action that allowed for increase telework, protected our staff from electric potential exposures and enabled us to continue operations .
The RECs experienced more steer impacts because we were forced to temporarily suspend walk-in counter servicing and examinations. We were able to increase telework opportunities and processed mariner applications digitally to keep a ceaseless flow .
The RECs were able to open their doors throughout the summer of 2020 ; however, in order to protect our employees and mariners, the RECs operated at a reduce capacity for testing. We continue to operate with a shrink testing capacity but have opened up counter service for mariners seeking aid with applications .
It ’ randomness crucial to note that RECs are still adhering to COVID-19 screen procedures, and no walk-ins are allowed for examinations or anticipate service ; appointments are mandatary. At the start of the pandemic and because we were unable to provide testing at the RECs, we had get creative to meet examination requirements and keep our pilots in serve. We were able to arrange and safely invigilate exams at assorted Coast Guard units under identical rigid COVID protocols. This allowed ports to keep pilots on waterways to meet critical nautical commerce demands .
additionally, we were able to facilitate academy exams under rigid COVID protocols to ensure every nautical academy was able to test cadets in a timely manner to receive credentials and enter the nautical work force .
overall, because we had to transition to a new way of doing business, we experienced process delays. Because of these delays, we ’ re recommending that all mariners apply 90 days in advance of the certificate or checkup certificate passing. We have a dedicated and professional staff that continues to work intemperate every day to overcome these delays and keep our mariners working .
WJ: Has Hurricane Ida affected REC operations?
Clare: Hurricane season much affects the operations of our RECs in affect areas. Hurricane Ida temporarily impacted the operational hours of REC New Orleans, New York and Boston .
To mitigate delays, affected RECs can shift application serve and testing workloads to unmoved RECs in rate to maintain a continual work flow .
additionally, COVID-19 impacts have prevented the NMC and RECs personnel from attending outreach events with industry, speciate trainings and/or conferences .
WJ: Credentialing is only one part of the mariner pipeline story. Many factors are operating, including some beyond the control of any one actor like the NMC. What do you see as some of these other factors?
Clare: A course that we are seeing at both the NMC and RECs is that around 50 percentage of all application submissions require extra information. If an lotion is incomplete, we have to then go bet on to the mariner to obtain the lacking data. This adds time to the overall output and delivery of the certificate .
We are encouraging mariners to take the time and ensure applications are complete before sending it to the Coast Guard. Mariners may besides schedule a meeting with one of our RECs to have a credentialing specialist review their software before submittal. extra information can be found on the NMC web site under the Merchant Mariner Credential Application Processing Time Update and Important Additional Information bulletin released on August 23.
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WJ: How has technology streamlined the mission of the NMC?
Clare: Our ability to process applications electronically has streamlined our operation. It has reduced the amount of paper, alleviates some mail-based commensurateness between the mariners and NMC and reduces the amount of time to receive and transfer documents or applications from RECs to the NMC .
Most crucial, it allows us to shift application processing from one REC to another in the event an REC is experiencing a settlement or staff deficit. For exercise, if an REC is impacted by a hurricane, we can easily redirect applications to an REC not affected by ramp. This helps us continue a reproducible work flow and invalidate process delays .
