HLSS Transportation Logistics Management
Please respond to both students separately with a minimum of 150 words each.
Original Post:
Explain the specific security challenges in the Port Maritime Environment, Risk-based Management, Megaports Initiative, and the Secure Freight Initiative.
Student Response
Cody
Port security planning is an essential component of daily port operations. This is important because without it, an attack would instantly shut down day to day activities. There are several important components that make up a complete port security plan. First, it must address the organization of security administration. Second, it has to identify and cover strategic goals. It must also address many other areas, such as personnel training. This is crucial because without properly trained people, with a clear organizational structure, the port simply cannot be properly secured. Ultimately, like all other areas of domestic security, our ports need to have cohesive plans for protection, just like the other areas of critical infrastructure. An attack on this sector would cause massive damage to both the shipping ability of the United States, and the economy. Our economy depends on the rapid processing of inbound and outbound shipping traffic.
Discuss the significance and purpose of the Secure Freight Initiative?
The Secure Freight Initiative is a program to install and operate nuclear detection equipment in foreign ports. “As part of the Department’s layered approach to port and container security, the initial phase of Secure Freight Initiative will deploy of a combination of existing technology and proven nuclear detection devices to six foreign port beginning in early 2007” (DHS, 2015). This initiative greatly enhances the security of the United States. It provides nearly real time information to US Customs and Border Protection officers and allows them to identify suspect freight before it reaches the United States mainland. In essence, this initiative allows for threats to be addressed before the suspect containers are even loaded onboard a ship for delivery to the United States. “All alarms from the radiation detection equipment for any container will continue to be resolved locally. For containers bound for the United States, we are working with host governments to establish protocols that ensure a swift resolution by the host government and may include instructing carriers not to load the container until the risk is fully resolved” (DHS, 2013) The Secure Freight Initiative provides a critical component of the United States protection strategies.
Cody
Chris
The planning of security at the nation’s ports is a very daunting task involving many key people and areas of management. As mentioned in this week’s lesson, when planning for the security of the ports it is very important to implement a thorough plan from day one until the completion of the build because it is much easier and less expensive to plan from the beginning rather than to go back and update for innovative technology later. Thus, it is suggested to included everyone from the primary security officer to the architects and engineers heading the build to the private security personnel that will be working at the port regularly. This is important to the overall security of the port because it provides a variety of opinions and points of view as to the factors that need to be considered in security and the possible flaws in a system. This cohesive approach to planning opens the lines of communication among the various roles in all aspects of building a secure port and having it function effectively (Christopher, 2015). Each division of the build has their own focus, needs and goals for the product and by working together, they can create a cost-effective and secure port to safely move materials into and out of the United States without losing money in the process.
2. Discuss the significance and purpose of the Secure Freight Initiative?
The purpose of the Secure Freight Initiative is to ensure the safety of all freight bound for the United States from foreign ports. According to the Department of Homeland Security, this initiative was established to coordinate security between six foreign nation’s ports and the United States (DHS, 2015). The operation of this system requires ports to scan all containers for radiation before they are allowed departure to the United States. If a scan comes back positive, both the home country and the United States would receive an alert signal (DHS, 2015). This type of security management for the initiative is meant to assist in the quicker movement of materials through U.S. ports by checking their safety prior to their arrival and assist in the communications amongst nations. The purpose of this procedure, as mentioned in the lesson, is to allow for the faster movement of materials throughout the U.S. ports because, as with businesses, time is money. The coordination with other nations cuts the costs to update U.S. ports and implement recent technology as well as keeping the time materials sit in the ports to a minimum.