8. SECURITY AWARENESS

In response to 9/11 the USCG and Department of Homeland Security enacted certain regulations that apply to small passenger vessels like ours. Any boat that carries over 149 passengers must have a plan in place to prevent potential security threats. Spotting and reporting potential threats is a critical part of your job as a deckhand.

You will be expected to know:

What a BREACH OF SECURITY is

          What a SECURITY INCIDENT is

          What a RESTRICTED AREA is

          How to conduct SECURITY SWEEPS of your vessel(s)

          How to identify potential SECURITY THREATS

          The CHAIN OF COMMAND in REPORTING THREATS

          Where to find EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS

          How to respond to a SUSPICIOUS BAG/ ITEM on the boat

          How to identify and respond to SUSPICIOUS BEHAVIOR

          What a MARSEC LEVEL is and where to find MARSEC INFO

Breach of Security

A Breach of Security means an incident that has NOT resulted in a transportation security incident, in which security measures have been circumvented, eluded, or violated.

Example: You are preparing the vessel for the first trip of the day when you spot an unknown man hanging out on the lower deck. This would be a breach because the man eluded the crew to get on the vessel. As a deckhand you would immediately notify the VSO – Which stands for VESSEL SECURITY OFFICER. The VSO is the captain of the boat.

Security Incident

A Security Incident is an incident resulting in significant loss of life, environmental damage, transportation system disruption, or economic disruption in a particular area.

Example: The terrorist attack on the World Trade Center.

Early detection and proper response to security breaches can and will prevent security incidents.

Restricted Areas

A Restricted Area is an area of a vessel not open to the public which contains critical machinery or other elements that if tampered with could adversely affect the vessel and/or its passengers and crew.

Examples of Restricted Areas are:

ENGINE ROOM

          STEERING COMPARTMENT (LAZERRETTE)

          PILOTHOUSE

          TANK ROOM (WATER OR FUEL SUPPLY)

Security Sweeps

It is Shoreline policy that captains and crew conduct sweeps of their vessel(s) prior to the start of operations and in-between each public tour. Here is the proper way to conduct a vessel security sweep:

Two crew members will sweep lower deck first- One crew member on each side of the boat will start at the bow and walk aft scanning vessel, concentrating on waist level down looking for any bags, packages, or anything that shouldn’t be there. Crew members will then scan starting aft moving forward concentrating on waist level up, looking for anything that shouldn’t be there. The heads and behind heads (if applicable) must also be checked. After sweeping the lower deck, crew will check lower deck restricted areas (engine room door, escape hatches etc).

Crew will then sweep upper deck in the same manner. After upper deck sweep crew will check pilothouse to make sure it is secure prior to taking on passengers. Crew will tell the captain that the vessel is secure. The captain- Or VSO (Vessel Security Officer)- will initial in the vessel sweep log. If the crew finds something they will move themselves and all passengers away and inform VSO immediately.

Security Threats – What to Look For

As mentioned earlier, detection and reporting of threats and or suspicious activity can and will prevent disaster. As a deckhand you are the Captain’s eyes and ears. Some types of activity to report to the VSO are:

ANY UNATTENDED BAGGAGE

          OVERLY NERVOUS PASSENGERS

          SOMEONE IN AN AREA THEY NORMALLY SHOULD NOT BE IN

          SOMEONE TRYING TO GET ON THE BOAT WITHOUT A TICKET

          SOMEONE WEARING BULKY WINTER CLOTHES ON A HOT DAY

          SOMEONE ACTING NERVOUS

How to report threats – The company Chain of Command

The VSO or captain on duty is the person on the boat who is accountable for the security of the vessel. As a deckhand you will report any suspicious people/objects/activity directly to them. It is also important you know the CSO – COMPANY SECURITY OFFICER – at Shoreline that person is LARRY VAN DER BOSCH.  The CSO is the company representative responsible for implementing our security plan(s). The CSO must be able to be reached on a 24/7 basis. The ASO – ALTERNATE SECURITY OFFICER – at Shoreline that person is KEN WAGNER- will act as CSO in Larry’s absence.

EMERGENCY CONTACT NUMBERS/ NATIONAL RESPONSE CENTER

As discussed earlier, the EMERGENCY CONTACT LIST is posted in every pilothouse. This is a list of relevant police, fire department, USCG and company contact numbers you may need if a security situation arises. It is important to note that the list is numbered 1 – 5- those are the numbers you should call in order of their ability to respond to your immediate emergency (1. 911, 2. USCG, 3. Navy Pier Security, 4. Larry Van Der Bosch, 5. Ken Wagner).

The National Response Center number is also posted on the emergency contact list as well as on the daily brief. The NRC is the sole U.S. Government point of contact for reporting all oil, chemical, radiological, biological, and etiological discharges into the environment anywhere in the United States and its territories. The NRC also takes Terrorist/Suspicious Activity Reports and Maritime Security Breach Reports.

UNATTENDED VERSUS SUSPICIOUS BAGGAGE/ ITEMS

As a deckhand if you find ANY package/ bag or item on the boat in the morning or left after the passengers have disembarked the tour report it to the captain immediately. DO NOT TOUCH IT. The captain is the only one who can make the decision whether a package is dangerous.

MARSEC LEVELS

The Coast Guard has a 3-tiered system of Maritime Security (MARSEC) levels consistent with the Homeland Security Advisory System (HSAS). MARSEC levels are designed to provide a means to easily communicate pre-planned scalable responses to increased threat levels. You can always find the current MARSEC level posted on the Daily Brief.

MARSEC 1    Means the level for which minimum appropriate security measures shall be maintained at all times.

MARSEC 2    Means the level for which appropriate additional protective security measures shall be maintained for a period of time as a result of the heightened risk of a transportation security incident.

MARSEC 3    Means the level for which further specific protective security measures shall be maintained for a period of time when a transportation security incident is probable, imminent or has already occurred, although it may not be possible to identify the specific target.

FURTHER SECURITY TRAINING

You will receive further security training which will include:

Completing the TSA security training course / Practical training by a captain or senior deckhand on how to conduct a security bag check / Reading the “System Security Awareness for Passenger Vessel Employees” workbook in section 10 of this manual / Participation in security drills and exercises on all boats you work on that carry over 149 passengers

If you have any questions or concerns regarding security procedures ask a captain or manager.

Click here to watch a DVD about Safety and Security

Security Review Questions

1. Where is the emergency contact list always located?

2. Describe some examples of suspicious behavior?

3. At Shoreline who is the CSO?

4. What should you NEVER do if you find an unattended bag?

5. What is MARSEC?

6. What does NRC stand for? Where can you find their number?