Maritime Training & STCW Courses › Advanced Fire Fighting
Checked against 46 CFR 11.201(h) and 11.303 · October 2026
The short answer
- Advanced Fire Fighting (AFF) trains officers to lead and control firefighting on board, beyond the hands-on skills taught in Basic Training.
- It's required for original officer endorsements such as Master or Mate of seagoing vessels of 200 GRT or more, ocean towing officers, all engineer officers, MODU and OSV officers, and almost every STCW officer endorsement.
- Many officers on smaller or inland vessels need only basic firefighting.
- If you hold it as an STCW endorsement, it must be kept current every five years.
What is it?
Advanced Fire Fighting is the STCW standard for controlling firefighting operations aboard ship: organizing and leading fire parties, firefighting tactics, fire detection and extinguishing systems, and the effect of firefighting water on a ship's stability. 46 CFR 11.303
Basic Training teaches you to fight a fire as a team member. Advanced Fire Fighting teaches you to run the response. STCW Basic Training →
Who needs it?
Applicants for an original officer endorsement in these categories must complete approved Basic and Advanced Fire Fighting: 46 CFR 11.201(h)
- National Master or Mate of seagoing vessels of 200 GRT or more
- National Master or Mate (Pilot) of Towing Vessels on oceans (not Apprentice Mate)
- National officer endorsements for MODUs (mobile offshore drilling units) and OSVs (offshore supply vessels)
- All national engineer officer endorsements
- All STCW officer endorsements except GMDSS Radio Operator
An officer seeking a raise of grade who hasn't met the firefighting requirement before must meet it then.
Who may not need it?
Several other officer endorsements, such as some smaller-vessel and inland Master and Mate endorsements, require basic firefighting only, and a modified basic course is accepted for some inland and Western Rivers towing endorsements. The exact category list is in 46 CFR 11.201(h)(3), so check the NMC checklist for your endorsement before booking Advanced Fire Fighting. Unlicensed ratings don't need it.
Where it fits in your career
AB to Third Mate → · The Deck Officer Ladder →
Requirements
- Complete a Coast Guard-approved Advanced Fire Fighting course and its assessments, meeting the STCW standard in Table A-VI/3 of the STCW Code. 46 CFR 11.303
- Basic firefighting, normally through STCW Basic Training, comes first.
The course
Expect classroom work on fire science, ship construction, fixed firefighting systems and fire-party organization, plus live-fire exercises where you lead a team in realistic shipboard scenarios. Schedules vary by school. Check that the course is approved for Advanced Fire Fighting before you enroll. How to check a course →
What happens after the course?
- Keep the course certificate. You'll submit it with your officer endorsement application.
- The National Maritime Center evaluates your whole application. The course alone doesn't give you the endorsement. Course vs. endorsement →
- If you hold STCW endorsements, Advanced Fire Fighting must be kept current every five years.
Keeping it current: refresher or revalidation
For STCW officer endorsements, every five years you must show you've kept up the Advanced Fire Fighting standard. It works much like Basic Training: 46 CFR 11.303
| With 1 year of sea service in the last 5 years | Without it | |
|---|---|---|
| What you need | Your sea service covers controlling firefighting operations and inspecting fire systems. Some competencies must still be shown through approved assessment ashore: the effect of firefighting water on stability, fighting fires involving dangerous goods, organizing and training fire parties, and investigating and reporting fires. | Approved or accepted refresher training, or meet the original requirements again |
| Schools usually call it | Revalidation | Refresher |
This is the same idea as Basic Training, which has its own requirement on the same five-year cycle. Basic Training refresher vs. revalidation → Renewal & Continuity →
Common mistakes
- Taking it before you know you need it. If your next endorsement needs only basic firefighting, Advanced Fire Fighting can wait.
- Assuming engineers don't need it. All national engineer endorsements require it.
- Forgetting the five-year cycle on your STCW endorsements, then finding out at renewal.
- Taking the full refresher when you qualify for revalidation, or the reverse.
- Confusing it with Basic Training's firefighting module. They're separate requirements.
When the alarm sounds, the crew looks at the officer. Take Advanced Fire Fighting seriously, not as a box to check. And check both expiration dates: if your Advanced Fire Fighting and Basic Training come due around the same time, schedule them together.
Official sources
FREE DOWNLOAD · OCTOBER 2026 EDITIONWho’s Hiring? Maritime Employer Directory
76 maritime employers and 62 union hiring halls in one printable PDF: phone numbers, careers pages, a hall map and job call times. Free when you join From the Bridge, Captain Mike's monthly email: rule changes, sea-time tips and new guides, in plain English. One email a month. Unsubscribe anytime.
Sent with Kit. Your email is used only for the directory and this monthly note. See the Privacy Policy.