Basic Training Refresher
- Length3 Days
The International Maritime Organization’s Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping (STCW) 2010 requires mariners to revalidate their basic and advanced safety training courses every five years to maintain an active endorsement. Our Basic Training Refresher Course is one way to satisfy that requirement.
Note: Program participants will need to engage in intense physical activity including, but not limited to, the following:
Bending, stooping, lifting and turning real or simulated patients.
Conducting Search And Rescue (SAR) operations involving simulated casualties weighing approximately 150 pounds in an enclosed smoke and fire environment while wearing protective clothing and breathing apparatus.
Jumping into a swimming pool from a height of approximately 1 meter.
Swimming continuously for approximately 20 feet in an immersion suit or personal flotation device (PFD).
Treading water for approximately one minute without PFDs or similar aids.
Deploying and entering a life raft while wearing a PFD or similar aid.
Righting capsized life rafts while wearing a PFD or immersion suit.
Extinguishing fires both with and without breathing apparatus.
Moving quickly and climbing up and down ladders while holding heavy firefighting equipment such as hoses.
Performing cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) on mannequins.
Course Description
The basic training refresher course, previously called a basic safety training (BST) refresher course, is a 23-hour class designed to provide you with a refresher of basic maritime personal survival techniques. It also reviews personal social and safety responsibilities, first aid, and fire prevention and firefighting skills, which fulfills the 2010 Amendments to the Standards of Training, Certification and Watchkeeping for Seafarers (STCW) Code, as amended.
This STCW refresher course is for mariners who do not have one year of sea time within the last five years.
View the available course dates
Prerequisites- Basic Training Course and the ability to tread water for 1-minute without assistance.
Suggested Courses/Skill- See NVIC 08-14.
Our experienced instructors also recommend familiarizing yourself with Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVIC) 08-14, which details the guidelines for STCW qualifications.
Requirements Satisfied by the BT Refresher Course
The BT refresher course offered at MITAGS-PMI satisfies the following NVIC and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR) requirements:
- Section A-VI/1
- 46 CFR 11.302(e)
- 46 CFR 12.602(e)
- NVIC 08-14 National Assessment Guidelines
It also meets the continued competency requirements for STCW Basic Training in STCW, as amended in 2010.
Location of Your Basic Safety Training Refresher Class
We host our basic safety training refresher class at our campus in Linthicum Heights, MD. If you are traveling from out of state, the facility is less than five miles from the Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI). It is also only 15 minutes from the Port of Baltimore. The state-of-the-art facility features a three-star equivalent hotel, plus a fitness room, swimming pool and medical lab.
Note West Coast Campus Only: The schedule below may reflect more than three days. To find out the exact three day schedule please contact admissions. Generally, classes will not occur on the weekend.
What You Will Learn
When you complete your STCW refresher course, you will understand the use of firefighting equipment, SCBA, survival craft and other equipment normally carried aboard U.S. commercial vessels. You will also know how to react properly during maritime emergency situations and take appropriate measures to enhance your survival, that of shipmates, and your vessel.
Attendees will demonstrate the following:
- Importance of emergency procedures, accident prevention, training, and drills to prevent and/or minimize incidents, emergencies, and pollution
- Effective communications that improve human relationships onboard
- Immediate life-saving first aid and CPR
- Donning and use an immersion suit
- Safe jumping from a height into the water
- Righting an inverted liferaft while wearing a lifejacket
- Swimming while wearing a lifejacket
- Keeping afloat without wearing a lifejacket
- Proper donning and use of firefighting PPE to include normal and emergency use of SCBA
- Proper changing of SCBA bottle
- Using portable fire extinguishers
- Extinguishing small fires
- Extinguishing extensive fires with water
- Hose Team Leadership for extinguishing of a simulated extensive fire
- Proper and thorough search to rescue an adult-sized mannequin
How to Register for Your STCW Refresher Course
We provide a seamless registration process for STCW refresher courses. Choose your preferred session, add it to your virtual card and then complete the account creation process. Afterward, you can provide payment for your BT refresher course's cost and make plans for visiting and staying at our campus in Linthicum Heights, MD. If you have questions, please contact our team.
What You Should Bring
Before you arrive at your BT refresher course, make sure you pack or bring the following items:
- Swimsuit
- Comfortable clothing
- Clothing that can be worn into the pool in addition to a swimsuit
- Clothes that are suitable for fire fighting class
- Closed toed shoes
- Students to be clean shaven in order to ensure a proper seal with the self-contained breathing apparatus
The STCW Basic Training Refresher course, formerly titled Basic Safety Training (BST), is a 3-day (23-hours) course intended to give students a comprehensive refresher on fundamental maritime survival skills. Students review important concepts such as first aid, firefighting, fire prevention techniques and safety and social responsibilities, fulfilling STCW 2010 amendments.
This STCW refresher course is specifically designed for mariners who have completed the Basic Training Course but have not completed one year of accumulated sea service within the last five years. We understand that attending classes can interfere with busy work schedules, so we offer our courses multiple times throughout the year. Students can check the calendar to choose the dates that work best for them. View the available course dates.
Prerequisites: Students must have successfully completed the STCW Basic Training Course and be able to tread water without assistance for one minute.
Suggested Courses/Skill: Refer to NVIC 08-14 for more detailed information.
Our faculty also recommends studying the Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circulars (NVIC) 08-14, which outlines the key elements of STCW qualifications.
Requirements Satisfied by the BT Refresher Course
Our Basic Training Refresher Course fulfills the following requirements from the NVIC and Code of Federal Regulations (CFR):
46 CFR 11.302(e)
46 CFR 12.602(e)
Section A-VI/1
NVIC 08-14 National Assessment Guidelines
The course also meets the STCW 2010 continued competency requirements for Basic Training.
Course Length
The Basic Training Refresher course is three days and provides updated training on basic topics including firefighting, fire prevention, personal survival, safety responsibilities and emergency response.
Accommodation is available for students attending classes from out of the area. Students attending courses on the East Coast campus may stay at the Maritime Conference Center for discounted rates. MITAGS also has established relationships with several Seattle hotels to offer preferred rates for our West Coast students.
If you plan to take a course, be sure to book well in advance.
What You Will Learn
Enrolling in the Basic Training Refresher course is a great opportunity to reinforce your core professional knowledge from previous training. In addition to helping mariners maintain their STCW 2010 endorsement, BT Refresher consists of lectures and practical training, which re-builds key information you may have forgotten.
Attendees will demonstrate proficiency in:
Importance of emergency procedures, accident prevention, training and drills to prevent and/or minimize incidents, emergencies and pollution.
Effective communications that improve human relationships onboard.
Immediate life-saving first aid and CPR.
Putting on and using an immersion suit.
Safely jumping into water from a height.
Straightening a tilted liferaft while wearing a lifejacket.
Swimming with a lifejacket.
Keeping afloat without the aid of a PFD.
Properly wearing and using firefighting PPE, including normal and emergency use of SCBA.
Proper changing of SCBA bottle.
Using portable fire extinguishers.
Extinguishing small fires.
Extinguishing large fires with water.
Hose Team Leadership for extinguishing a simulated extensive fire.
Proper and thorough search to rescue an adult-sized mannequin.
Should You Complete a Basic Training Refresher Course?
Our Basic Training Refresher course is designed for mariners who have already completed the initial Basic Training course but do not have one year of sea time in the past five years. If you have at least one year of accumulated sea time in the last five years, you should complete the Basic Training Revalidation course instead.
As of 2017, all mariners wishing to work on ships outside the U.S. Territorial Boundary Line must hold an active STCW endorsement. This endorsement — like the Merchant Mariner Credential (MMC) — must be updated every five years to maintain compliance with STCW code. This requirement applies even to mariners with advanced certifications, such as Master’s licenses.
You may also need to complete other coursework depending on your rank and function. If you need help determining which course is best for you, contact a MITAGS advisor using our online form.
Course Location
We hold this course on both our East and West coast campuses, located in Linthicum Heights, Maryland, and Seattle, Washington. Both campuses are within a 20-minute drive from the local airports, and our Maryland facility features a three-star equivalent hotel with various amenities such as a swimming pool, medical lab and fitness center.
What You Should Bring
Before you arrive at your BT refresher course, make sure you pack or bring the following items:
Comfortable clothing
A swimsuit
Clothing you can wear into the pool in addition to a swimsuit
Appropriate attire for fire fighting class
Closed-toed shoes
All students should also be clean-shaven to ensure a tight SCBA seal.
Register for Your STCW Basic Training Refresher Course at MITAGS Today
If you’re ready to learn from some of the best staff and instructors from across the maritime industry, register for STCW refresher courses using our seamless registration process. Choose your preferred session, add it to your virtual card and then complete the account creation process. Afterward, you can provide payment for your BT Refresher course’s cost and make plans for visiting and staying at one of our campuses.
We offer various other courses and programs for mariners of all levels — explore our featured courses to learn more. If you have any questions, please contact our team.