Ports security

The seaports, by their nature, have always been a focal point in the structure of a nation. Through the ports, developing a significant flow of passengers, now mainly ferries and cruise ships, and goods that 60% of the whole, pass input / output through our airports.
The State, in order to monitor the illegal transit of people and goods, has put in place security measures that initially consisted of more modestly, in the identification of a boundary port and customs controls and the various police and customs. A contribution was also given as provided in the Article no. 68 of the italian Navigation Code, which provides, for those willing to take a 'business within a port and generally within the maritime domain, to be subject to authorization by the Harbour Master, who, after carrying out preventive checks (principally for the mafia and good conduct), provides for the authorization, the company enrolling in special registers (function now performed for the area of ​​expertise, even from the 'Port Authority).
With the SOLAS 74 (International Convention for Safety of Life at Sea signed in London by 71 countries), were essentially given a series of recommendations contained in an annex. Following these recommendations have been superseded by the code for the nuclear-powered merchant ships and recommendations for the nuclear-powered ships entering the ports, where the Solas has three distinct levels of security (MARSEC). The Rome Convention of March the 10th 1988 for the Suppression of Unlawful Acts against the Safety of Maritime Navigation, (issued with the intent to fill the gaps in international law concerning piracy, which had been highlighted by the case of the Italian cruise ship "Achille Lauro, hijacked by a group of guerrillas" of the Front for the Liberation of Palestine), considered as an act of maritime terrorism acts of violence or depredation made against a ship or its cargo or its passengers for political purposes or terrorist. In the following things were complicated, and as a result of strong recent terror alert, it was necessary to create more effective supervisory measures and appropriate to the times.
At European level the relevant legislation is the EU directive 725/2004 which refers to international ovveroalcapitoloXI-2della Solas and ISPA Code (International Ship and Port Facility Security Code), issued by the IMO (International Maritime Organization) in December 2002. In Italy, the Port Security is based on governmental functions of the CISM (International Committee on Safe Seas and ports), which has the task of developing a national program aimed at settoremarittimo against terrorist acts and to establish an adequate level of safety.
The new mandatory provisions contained nell'Isp Code defines a set of rules necessary to strengthen the protection of shipping, providing a set of active and passive safety measures on three levels (normal, increased, high) to be implemented concrete is related to risk analysis (Risk Assessment). The new law makes it compulsory for the designation of persons responsible for implementing security measures (security officers of the ship, and the company of 'port area) and the drafting of a Security Plan (prepared by the company and the ships terminal operator for the Port Facility) which takes contodell'analisi risk is that the ship the port facility.
Subsequently, the EU directive 2005/65, together with the d.lsg. 203/2007, has helped to expand the concepts of port security, providing a number of requirements that involve the entire port system in reaction to what comes from the sea, whether persons or goods. These procedures involve the application of risk assessment tools and planning and implementation of security plans in a very extensive and complex, characterized by the common areas, transit areas and roads, warehouses, depots for empty containers, parking vehicles , closely related to maritime transport, away from the interface even if the ship / port.
In principle the possible threats that could affect a port of the Master Men verify the expiration of a few rockets are: damage or destruction of ships, warehouses and wharves used for commercial traffic or cruise tourism; seizure of ships or persons on board ; alteration or poisoning the water supply to ships, tampering of cargo, equipment, board equipment, supplies; unauthorized access to or presence on board of stowaways on board the smuggling of arms and related materiel, use the ship as a weapon or means, in order to cause damage, blocking the entrance to the harbor, or channel access, biological or chemical attack, (more remote than nuclear), tampering with energy networks and facilities in order to block trade and port operations in general ; infiltration of viruses into the computer system of port management.
On the basis of 'above-mentioned legislation, the entire maritime sector has been involved in a comprehensive plan to adjust its security system.
The Port Authority (if established, or the Maritime Authority) has the responsibility to conduct risk assessment of port facilities and common areas.
Based on the guidelines issued by the CISM, risk assessment is carried out according to the following schedule:
Assessment of scenarios and identification of possible targets: examining risk scenarios related to terrorist attacks, activities of shoplifting (or tampering), trafficking in human beings. Identification of weaknesses and risk assessment:
assuming even improbable events, but with high potential impact in terms of human casualties and material damage;
Indication of the mitigation measures: the PFSA (Port Facility Security Assessment) must contain an indication of the possible measures, which is an organizational infrastructure, aimed at reducing the likelihood and impact of the event. In the descendants of the contents of PFSA, the Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) or the manager appointed by the Maritime Port Security on the recommendation of the Port Authority, is responsible, in accordance with instructions issued by the relevant legislation, to draft The port facility Security Plan (PFSP - Port Facility Security Plan), which contains the organizational measures, technical infrastructure and the terminal that the company must put in place to protect your company and ship-port.
In addition to the control systems of baggage and passengers, the port security is currently provided by private security personnel (the concierge staff and security guards armed unarmed), from video surveillance systems, the use of protective barriers sensed (infrared detectors and vibration of the fence, as well
to video cameras) to monitor and prevent access to certain areas and the use of detectors capable of reading license plates and ISO codes of containers.
Integrated systems are the most innovative video surveillance, audio surveillance, laser monitoring, belonging to an operations center that houses placed at the Port Authority and / or the Maritime.
The control of the harbor of the port consists of thermal cameras and radar that can detect intruders in any weather conditions (fog, rain, hail, etc.). It is well under way by the La Spezia NURC (NATO Undersea Research Center) to study the surface of a vehicle capable of patrolling and monitoring the water surface of interest.
We have yet to integrate the existing legislation to better define the interaction between ship and port facility in the management of 'emergency.

Rear ADM CG (retired) Franco Magazzù

TRANSLATE FROM ITALIAN WITH GOOGLE TRANSLATOR