Towboat Pilot

Towing Vessel Safety Officer

Responsible for the overall safety of the towing vessel. Aiding in the safety of all coworkers. Reporting any and all hazardous or unsafe conditions and making corrections when able. Making and breaking tow for customer vessels and other EMS boats. Picking up and delivering barges to and from customer docks. Performing daily inspection of the vessels firefighting and lifesaving equipment. Participating in all drills and safety meetings. Learning and performing assigned duties in emergency situations. Learning when to use PPE and know the right type(s) to use for any task. Ordering stores and supplies on a regular basis. Taking on fuel, water, oil, etc. Providing continuous training for other new hires and Job Corps trainees. Conducting daily safety inspections of equipment and vessel structure, including walking and visually inspecting the exterior of each deck, the engine room, the wheelhouse, and any other areas of the vessel that are critical to the safety of the vessel and the crew. Assisting new crewmembers on tow for training purposes, including donning PPE, which may include a personal flotation device (PFD), as well as eye protection, face protection, splash protection, foot protection, hearing protection, or hand protection, depending on the task.

Physical Requirements

• Speak, read, and write English well enough to maintain vessel logs, read training materials, and follow written instructions.
• Climb at least 3 sets of stairs or ladders in short succession (from wheelhouse to engine room).
• Hear and respond to radio communications with significant background noise.
• Lift, pull, push, and carry ship's stores, vessel's rigging and other equipment up to 70lbs over distances of up to 1000'.
• Perform general vessel maintenance in tight quarters, including stooping, crouching, and crawling while using hand tools and power tools.
• Routinely walk and maintain balance across uneven, slippery, or unstable surfaces without assistance
• Step over high doorsills, bullrails, and other structural obstacles.
• Walk up or down a ramp with an incline of up to 10 (17% grade), and length up to 100'

Emergency Duties

In addition to the routine physical standards above, a Pilot may face emergency situations that require brief but intense physical activity during drills and training. As mariners, we are our own First Responders, and must be able to:

• Participate in drills that may include carrying firefighting equipment up several flights of stairs, retrieving objects from the water, and carrying dewatering pumps in a short amount of time.
• Assist an injured person from a barge to the boat.
• Carry a 40lb extinguisher up one or more flights of stairs.
• Crawl on all fours across steel decking to escape a smoke-filled area.
• Extract an unconscious person from a vessel in distress.
• Hear, and rapidly respond to, alarms, bells, and whistles.
• In short succession, carry a 50lb de-watering pump, carry a 5g gas can, and carry accompanying hoses (20-30lbs each);
• Set up and start the de-watering pump and effectively operate a firehose under high pressure.
• Retrieve an unconscious adult from the water and onto the boat.
• Throw a 5lb ring buoy at least 25' and retrieve it with an adult attached.
• Unface and face-up the boat alone to retrieve unconscious or immobile victims from the water or from a barge.

This list is not exhaustive. Pilots are expected to perform any duties required of them to ensure the safe operation of the vessel to which they are assigned, and those duties may include assisting other teams at EMS as needed.

Requirements

• Applicants must possess a valid Merchant Mariner's Credential with a Western Rivers endorsement, a valid Medical Certificate, a valid TWIC card, and at least a Restricted Radiotelephone Operator's Permit.
• Applicants must meet the Physical Requirements and be able to perform the Emergency Duties itemized above.
• Applicants must have reliable transportation to and from work.
• Applicant must be able to pass a pre-employment DOT 5-panel Urine Drug Test.