TSA, Coast Guard to Facilitate Exercise

The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and the U.S. Coast Guard will facilitate a port security exercise on August 31 in Baltimore to evaluate preparedness, prevention and the ability to respond to and recover from a terrorist-related incident. The Port Security Training Exercises Program (PortSTEP) is focused on building links within the Area Maritime Security (AMS) Committee. The committee assists the captain of the port in writing, reviewing and updating an AMS Plan in addition to supporting other transportation entities that depend upon the port being secure. The exercise will involve the entire port community, including both public governmental agencies and private industry. The partnership is intended to improve connectivity of various surface transportation modes and enhance current area maritime security plans. Scenarios range from how officials react to discovering a suspect cargo container to an explosion at a seaport rail yard. Communication and coordination abilities of the government and maritime industry will be tested at each of the 40 seaports scheduled to participate over the next three years. “PortSTEP is designed to benefit maritime and surface transportation security communities throughout the U.S. via a suite of training exercises, evaluations and accompanying information technology products,” said Noreen Brown, TSA’s PortSTEP Project Officer. “This information will prove invaluable as we work to balance freedom of commerce and protection of our nation’s transportation system,” she said. “Protecting this port is a team effort,” said Capt. Curt Springer of the U.S. Coast Guard, and the federal maritime security coordinator for the Port of Baltimore. “This exercise will test how well we are prepared to work together and will help us identify areas for improvement,” he said. In addition to TSA and the U.S. Coast Guard, the Federal Highway Administration and the Maritime Administration are among participants in the PortSTEP exercise.