A FLC INSISTS THAT ALL MEL'S MUST BE ON FLT RELEASE BEFORE FLT LEAVES. FLC IS RUSHED DURING DEP FROM ANC.

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DURING PREFLT PREPARATION IN THE COCKPIT; A MECH CAME UP TO THE COCKPIT TO MEL OUR TCASII SYS WHICH HAD BEEN WRITTEN UP BY THE PREVIOUS CREW ON THE INBOUND LEG. I (THE FO) HAD JUST COME UP TO THE COCKPIT AFTER COMPLETING THE OUTSIDE PREFLT INSPECTION. THE MECH MEL'ED OUR TCASII; SIGNED OFF THE OPEN WRITEUP; PUT THE MEL STICKER IN THE LOGBOOK; AND THEN GAVE US THE LITTLE 'INOP ITEM' STICKERS TO PLACE BY THE TCASII DISPLAYS. IN OTHER WORDS; THE AIRPLANE WAS SIGNED OFF COMPLETELY AND RETURNED TO SVC. THE MECH ALSO TOLD US THAT HE WOULD TAKE CARE OF THE REST OF THE PAPERWORK AND THAT WE WERE GOOD TO GO. HE SHOULD HAVE AT THAT POINT CALLED IT IN TO SEATTLE MAINT CTL SO THEY COULD ADD THE MEL TO OUR ACFT AND THEN NOTIFY SEATTLE DISPATCH TO ADD THE MEL TO OUR RELEASE. THAT IS THE COMPANY PROC AND THE MECH DIDN'T DO THAT. WE; AS A FLC; HAD ALL OF OUR OTHER COCKPIT AND CREW DUTIES TO DEAL WITH; SUCH AS GETTING THE ATIS; THE CLRNC; THE CAPT DOING THE COCKPIT SETUP; RUNNING THE BEFORE START CHKLIST; FIGURING PERFORMANCE; GETTING THE WT AND BAL NUMBERS; BRIEFING THE SID; THE CAPT BRIEFING THE CREW SINCE WE'VE NEVER FLOWN TOGETHER BEFORE; ETC. THE STATION OPS PERSON NORMALLY GIVES US THE AMENDED RELEASE WHEN WE GET OUR NUMBERS AND THAT WASN'T DONE EITHER. WE; AS A CREW; UNFORTUNATELY OVERLOOKED IT TOO BECAUSE OF ALL OF OUR OTHER PREFLT DUTIES. THE CAPT FIRST NOTICED WE DIDN'T HAVE THE AMENDED RELEASE ON THE CLBOUT; PASSING 15000 FT. ANC OPS AND SEA MAINT CTL AND DISPATCH HAD NEVER BEEN NOTIFIED BY THE MECH WHO SIGNED US OFF. THE DISPATCHER ALSO INFORMED US THAT IT IS ONLY A COMPANY POLICY TO ADD MEL'S TO OUR RELEASE; NOT FARS. (IT'S IN THE FOM. IT ONLY SAYS 'THE DISPATCH RELEASE WILL CONTAIN REF TO THE MEL OR CDL.)