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Entry Level Wiper
A step-by-step guide for those interested in applying for entry-level employment through the Marine Firemen's Union
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Do you like to wrench on things and get dirty? Do long hours in hot, noisy, confined spaces appeal to you? Is The Sand Pebbles, starring Steve McQueen, one of your favorite movies? The Marine Firemen's Union has a limited number of Wiper positions available to entry-level candidates each year. The Wiper is an entry-level mariner who works under the supervision of a licensed engineer and/or unlicensed Qualified Member of the Engine Department (QMED). As a Marine Firemen's Union Wiper you will perform general cleaning and preservation of engine department spaces and equipment, and assist senior members of the engine department in performing maintenance and repair of propulsion equipment and auxiliaries. In carrying out your duties you will use chemicals for cleaning, such as detergents and solvents, and preservatives such as paint. You will also be required to use tools such as chipping hammers, scrapers, needle guns, paint brushes, wire brushes, brooms, and mops and be familiar in the use of hand and power tools. You will receive valuable on-the-job training and maritime work experience. After completing 180 days' service in the engine room, you will be eligible to sit for examinations which lead to rating endorsements on your Merchant Mariner's Document (MMD). The ratings are Oiler, Fireman, Watertender, Unlicensed Junior Engineer, Pumpman, Deck Engineer, Refrigeration Engineer, Machinist and Electrician. During your initial service, you will need to complete several competencies which lead to STCW-95 certification as a rating forming part of an engine room watch, or RFPEW. The acquisition of MMD endorsement ratings and STCW-95 certification as RFPEW will greatly increase your options for future maritime work. Being a Wiper in the Marine Firemen's Union is not a career choice, it is an apprenticeship, the first step in beginning a career as a professional mariner working in the engine rooms of union-contracted US-flag merchant vessels. The following is a step-by-step guide for future, entry-level applicants to the Marine Firemen's Union:
Step #1 - Visit a Coast Guard Regional Examination Center The Coast Guard is responsible for the licensing and documentation of merchant mariners. You will need to pick up an entry-level application package from a Coast Guard Regional Exam Center (REC), or have them mail it to you, or download it from the internet. We recommend that you visit the REC. It is a place that you will become very familiar with over your career, so you should get in the habit of going there now. Click on the following link to find the nearest REC to you.
USCG Regional Examination Center Locations
You can download the Coast Guard forms here:
Merchant Mariner Applications and Forms
Step #2 - Take a Physical Examination The next step is to complete an entry-level physical examination. The examination form will be in your application packet. It is called the Merchant Marine Certification of Fitness for Entry Level Ratings (Form CG-719K/E), and needs to be filled out by a medical doctor, and submitted to the Coast Guard.
Step #3 - Take a DOT-approved Drug Screen The third step is to get tested for drug use. The form in your application kit is called the DOT/USCG Periodic Drug Testing Form (Form CG-719P). Make a copy of the drug screen results; keep one copy for yourself and submit the original to the Coast Guard. Click on the following link for detailed information about drug test requirements:
Step #4 - Apply for a United States Passport You will need a United States Passport to be eligible for all of the employment opportunities in the Marine Firemen's Union. Properly documented foreign nationals who possess a foreign passport will be limited in employment opportunities. Go to your nearest passport office and apply.
Step #5 - Apply for a TWIC Beginning in April 2009, all merchant mariners will be required to possess a Transportation Worker Identification Credential, or TWIC. The TWIC is issued by the Transportation Security Administration (TSA). Information on TWIC enrollment can be found at the following link:
Step #6 - Complete STCW-95 Basic Safety Training Once you have completed steps #1 through #5, and have received all of the documents, you will need to complete STCW-95 Basic Safety Training (BST). BST is a five-day course which covers First Aid, Personal Safety and Social Responsibility, Basic Firefighting, and Personal Survival Techniques. This is the most expensive part of the process, so we recommend that you complete steps #1 through #5 and receive your documents before you enroll in BST. The following is a link to Coast Guard approved BST courses:
Basic Safety Training Course Locations
Once you complete BST and receive your certificates; make copies for the Coast Guard and keep the originals for yourself.
Step #7 - Visit a Marine Firemen's Union Hiring Hall Once you have all of the following credentials, it is time to visit a Marine Firemen's Union hiring hall :
● Merchant Mariner's Document ● Copy of Drug Screen ● Passport ● Basic Safety Training certificates ● TWIC
Job calls are Monday through Friday at 10:00 a.m. and 2:00 p.m. You will be a non-seniority applicant. You may pick up standby jobs every now and then; these are usually one to two day jobs while a ship is in port. If a crew Wiper job becomes available to you, you will be sent to a medical center for a physical examination and given instructions on when and where to report for duty. There is no guaranteed employment for non-seniority applicants; however, if shipping conditions permit, we will do our best to get you started on your seagoing career. |
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