With the new grant award of US$1,609,440, Port Tampa Bay says it will carry out a cyber-security assessment and monitoring in a bid to improve the port’s ability to detect, assess, and mitigate cyber security threats, as well as a deployable barrier system that will provide security personnel with the ability to deploy a waterborne solution, efficiently, to various access points leading into critical areas.
“We at Port Tampa Bay are extremely grateful to the federal government, FEMA in particular, and the funding that has been granted to us through the Port Security Grant Programme, which this year is the highest award granted to any Florida port,” said Paul Anderson, port president and CEO.
“It is our intent to utilise this generous funding to its highest and best uses, and therefore provide the most up-to-date safety and security methods and training that are available to a port of our size, with major importance to West and Central Florida,” he added.
In addition, the port will use the grant to “enhance current capabilities” with the addition of radar camera equipment that will extend port monitoring coverage. A software upgrade to portable identification biometric readers will also be carried out, enhancing the security department’s access control and compliance procedures relating to the verification of Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC).
Port Tampa Bay has been successful in recent years to acquire much-needed federal funding for its security enhancements and infrastructure. Unlike most ports in the state of Florida, Port Tampa Bay has many access points that are spread out by great distances—all of which require controlled access and remote monitoring.
The PSGP provides US$100m nationwide for transportation infrastructure security activities and facility security plans among port authorities, facility operators and state and local government agencies required to provide port security services.