Port Security Stakeholders News

Port security has too often lagged behind the demands of ever more vulnerable facilities with new technology often being deployed as an after-market add-on, rather than a homogenous part of the port’s day to day working. With new ports being developed on green or brown-field sites across the globe, it is now possible to design-in security from the planning stage. Dr. Mark Yong, Business Development Director for BMT, outlines the scale of the challenge and explains how port planners can help operational security. With the threat of international terrorism looming, port security remains of paramount importance, not only due to the direct threats to life and property, but for the potential economic damage that can arise from effects on supply chains.

The Department of Homeland Security released its final allocations for the FY 2013 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) awarding $904,035 to the Port of Hueneme and its Port Security Stakeholders. Project stakeholders include our customers, City of Oxnard Police Department, Oxnard Firefighters, City of Port Hueneme Police Department, Ventura County Sheriff’s Office and Ventura County Fire Department. “This funding is a product of hard work and leveraging partnerships with government and industry leaders.

Closely associated with the Maritime Transportation Security Act of 2002 (MTSA) is the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code enacted by the International Maritime Organization (IMO). Implementation of the ISPS code will provide a comprehensive framework for global maritime security while facilitating the flow of commerce through the maritime transportation system. The 108 countries that comprise the IMO, including the U.S., adopted the ISPS code in December of 2002. The code, along with amendments to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention, sets forth several functional requirements to achieve maritime security.

The horrific attacks on 9-11, and the subsequent increase in maritime security required to protect against asymmetric maritime attacks, has dramatically changed the U. S. Coast Guard. They have changed the service's emphasis on port security as well as its ethos in the eyes of the nation it serves. Previously, the Coast Guard received national media attention mostly when it was involved in a dramatic at-sea rescue leaving a public perception of the service as lifesavers. Since 9-11, because of its port security efforts and its overall role in Homeland Security, the Coast Guard has received more national level public, political and media attention than at any other time in its long history and its public image is rapidly shifting from lifesaver to protector. Consider the following examples.