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Oct 10, 2014 News
…US observer evaluates preparedness
By Zena Henry
The country’s port security preparedness was yesterday put to the test as several of the nation’s emergency response
agencies took part in what is supposed to be an annual national port security exercise. According to the International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS) it is required that all port facilities handling international traffic, conduct a national exercise to address any form of terror or assault once a year, but not exceeding eight months.
This exercise was facilitated by SOL Guyana at Agricola, East Bank Demerara. The aim is to take into consideration any possible threat that can come to a local port and demands the service of local security agencies.
Chief Port Security Officer of the local Maritime Administration (MARAD) Dwain Nurse, told media operators that yesterday’s exercise is mandated by the ISPS code, section 18 (4). He said under the port and security code; it speaks to all local port facilities handling international ships to conduct a national exercise.
Nurse said yesterday’s role play was a scenario where a criminal was seeking to move contraband via waterway. The criminal got word however, that the authorities had intercepted his items and went to the facility demanding his package. He later took an employee hostage while threatening to blow up the fuel facility.
Nurse said that the criminal colluded with the facility’s security personnel in having his arms and ammunition transported through the river to another facility which SOL has in Berbice. There, the package is expected to be picked up and taken to a marijuana farm.
Nurse explained that the reason the character is doing this is because of increased security on the roadways, so he decided to use the river. However, SOL’s management got a tip of the contraband, intensified security and searches, and intercepted some 300 rounds of ammunition and called in the police. The hostage was taken to another part of the facility and the Fire Service’s preparedness is tested when the criminal threatens to blow the facility.
The criminal then attempted to escape via river after letting the hostage go aback of the facility. At that point of the exercise, the Guyana Defence Force’s Coast Guard and the Police Force’s marine responded.
“There are a number of persons who are involved in this exercise and MARAD also has its part in security,” Nurse related.
Eric May, of the US’s International Port Security Program, was an observer at yesterday’s event. He said that he was invited by the Government to help evaluate the country’s first national level maritime port security exercise. May told this publication that everything was going well.
He too explained that since the implementation of the ISPS code, it is required that all port facilities that interact with international vessels have a port facility security plan which requires regulations and procedures that have to be tested.
“The exercises are very important, because it is a national level exercise that does not only test the facility’s plan, but the Government’s response to such an incident. So this is really a big deal and it’s a special occasion for the Guyanese Government.”
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