Second to NONE Security
BORDERING THE DELAWARE RIVER, the sprawling Port of Philadelphia extends more than 300 miles up the city’s coastline, including a network of terminals and piers whose workers carry on a nearly 300-year tradition as an international seaport. Vessels from South America, Australia, New Zealand, Scandinavia and Mediterranean ports travel across the Atlantic, through the Delaware Bay and onto the Delaware River to reach the city’s seaport.
An infrastructure that includes bridges, highways and rail lines, cargo as diverse as fruit products, paper, steel, containers, motor vehicles, cocoa beans and finished wood products make the port a bustling northeast economic center. More than 100 trucking companies, along with laborers, rail workers, USDA and Customs inspectors, freight forwarders, private retailers and bankers make up the port’s commercial community.
After Sept. 11, 2001, the federal government raised security standards for the nation’s ports. National requirements for vessels and seaport facilities were set by the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) of 2002, as well as the International Maritime Organization’s International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS Code). Among the specific measures in these codes are requirements that all facilities and vessels have assigned security officers, and that all maritime employees undergo security awareness training. In addition, Facility Security Assessments (FSAs) and Facility Security Plans (FSPs) had to be filed with the U.S. Coast Guard.
To help it meet these requirements, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority (PRPA), the state agency that oversees the port, contracted with security consultant Miles Lehmann in late 2001. Lehmann quickly began to develop security plans and to establish security committees required by the new codes. He also applied for a military designation for the port and for berthing rights for U.S. Navy supply ships.
“In 2002, there were 12 Strategic Military Ports in the country,” Lehmann says. Both the Surface Deployment Distribution Command and the Department of Transportation’s Maritime Administration (MARAD) decided they needed additional ports. We applied to be considered.”
Military teams then inspected the port, looking at its infrastructure, such as road and rail networks. The teams also looked at the security measures then in place. “We had been a frontrunner for U.S. ports for security planning,” Lehmann says, “and had already completed a vulnerability analysis and a comprehensive security plan before we applied for the military designation.”
In October, 2002, the port was designated as a Strategic Military Port (SMP) by the U.S. Defense Department, making it just one of 14 nationwide. The designation means the port is allowed to handle military cargo.
Then, in January, 2003, the Philadelphia Regional Port Authority was chosen to be a home port for two U.S. Navy Large, Medium-Speed Roll On-Roll-Off (LMSR) ships, the USNS Mendonca and USNS Seay. The vessels, close to 1,100 feet long and 125 to 150 feet wide, have seven decks and, when docked, use a crew of Merchant Marine and civilian contractors.
An official visit by Vice Admiral David L. Brewer III, United States Navy, at the beginning of the year, signaled the importance of the port’s military designation to U.S. operations.
Military designations help win grants
Since receiving the military designations, the port has been particularly successful in its bids for federal grants to upgrade its security.
The port authority received approximately $2 million for security improvements from the Department of Homeland Security’s Transportation Security Administration and the Office of Domestic Preparedness in 2003.
Lehmann, who had previously served for more than 32 years in the United States Army, believes the military designations significantly enhanced the port’s ability to secure the federal grants. “The increased military presence generated [by the projects],” he says, “bodes well as we seek to establish a seaport second to none in the areas of safety and security.”
With these funds, the port is installing a comprehensive security system which includes technologically ad-vanced video surveillance, perimeter barriers for pedestrians and vehicles, an access control system to work in conjunction with the barriers, and installation of high-mast lighting. Not surprisingly, these installations are focused on the largest, busiest and most strategic terminals and piers at the port — including the 106-acre Packer Avenue Terminal and the 96.5-acre Tioga Marine Terminal.
Thorough security planning aids grant opportunities
Following the new security guidelines and procedures closely has been another factor leading to the success of the grant applications, Lehmann contends.
The security plan, in keeping with the MTSA requirements, “covered both the port, and vessels that would be coming into it,” he says. “The plan gave a general overview of security operations, describing how access and cargo would be controlled. It also discussed barriers, alarms, lighting, guard force operations, information security and security training.”
Establishment of a port authority Seaport Security Committee has also significantly enhanced the development and implementation of security plans, Lehmann says. Its ranks include members of various waterfront agencies and operations, including the Pilots Association and the Naval Criminal Investigative Service (NCIS). The committee works closely with the U.S. Coast Guard.
The Philadelphia Regional Port Authority’s security study and overall plan, developed in conjunction with the Seaport Security Committee, has been used as an important resource as the Coast Guard has developed security guidelines.
Automated video surveillance provides perimeter coverage
The video surveillance system by Guardian Solutions Inc., Bradenton, Fla., uses a wireless architecture with pan/tilt/zoom (PTZ) cameras placed strategically around the perimeter of several terminals to provide complete water and landside coverage. The GuardianWATCH software, installed in a head-end PC, can detect movements that differ, even to a small degree, from the port’s security model.
The cameras are powered by electricity, but their connection to the main PC is wireless. The cameras have been mounted on existing towers or structures where possible, but a few towers had to be erected. To transmit signals, each camera has a wireless receiver/transmitter that transmits the signal to the GuardianWATCH software. These signals can also be transmitted from one camera to another. The transmitter/receivers are manufactured by YDI Wireless Inc., Washington, D.C.
“We were dealing with several port terminals that, combined, comprise several hundred acres,” explains Paul Hutchison, president of PSX Inc., the Kennett Square, Pa., security systems integrator that installed the video surveillance system. “For this reason, we chose a wireless infrastructure that is more cost-effective than one requiring fiber optics.”
With this architecture, a series of self-contained camera/PC units are used. The unique system uses the SEE PTZ camera packaged with its PUMP Station, a mini-computer with a Linux-based operating system, from San Jose, Calif.-based RVision LLC.
“With automated video surveillance, the software analyzes the video according to a security model. When you’re using wireless technology, you’re compressing that video and sending clips of it. But, with automated video surveillance, video must be in its purest form. Therefore, each camera has its PC, which analyzes video live as it occurs and functions as a one-channel video recorder.”
Lehmann adds that, “Both the mini-PC and the head-end store the video footage. The camera/PUMP Station can store 20 days worth of footage.”
“The guards do not have to watch the camera constantly,” Hutchison says. “When the system detects a threat, it begins sending video in full-scale mode to the head-end. Ordinarily, in non-alarm mode, video is sent a couple of frames a second. Once the alarm mode is identified, a full stream of 30 frames-per-second can be sent back to the head-end.
“In programming the software,” he continues, “a satellite image of the facility is taken, and the cameras are calibrated to their longitude and latitude positions. This enables the system to pinpoint an exact location of the threat as it occurs. The camera automatically tracks that threat and identifies its position on the satellite image of the facility.
“The threat can be passed from camera to camera to keep it within the system,” Hutchison continues. “This allows security to know not only where the breach originated but where it is when they respond.”
System analyzes data according to security parameters
The video surveillance software responds to “rule sets,” or security parameters, set by the operator. For instance, it can be programmed to ignore certain naturally occurring obstructions, such as seagulls; and to focus on others based on size, speed, direction, altitude and distance.
According to Lehmann, “When there has been movement in the camera’s field-of-view that meets certain parameters, an alarm will be sent.” Explaining the precision and sensitivity of the program, he continues, “The camera can detect a threat as little as 6 pixels. It can differentiate between the movement of trees in the wind and a person moving through trees. It can get used to wave patterns and will send an alarm if something non-routine occurs in the water, such as a swimmer.
“The video cameras and software allow you to do a comparison of what was and what is, in real-time. It continues comparing the original picture with what it’s looking at now,” Lehmann continues.
Another advantage of the Guardian Solutions system, Lehmann says, is that it can achieve accurate surveillance with less equipment than used in traditional surveillance camera systems.
Lehmann explains that the port authority acts as a landlord that leases cargo terminals to private firms, but does not operate the terminals itself. The GuardWATCH system is monitored by a privately-employed guard force. If an alarm should occur, it would automatically transmit to the head-end PC and/or monitoring stations. Designated individuals are then notified of the breach through means such as e-mails, faxes, cell phones and beepers.
Installation of the system began in the spring of 2004 and was expected to be completed by winter of 2004 at three terminals.
Traditional camera system guards LMSR ships
PSX has also installed a traditional camera system at the LMSR Berth, where the two Navy ships are docked. “This system was installed in August 2003,” Lehmann says. “It uses a combination of fixed and PTZ cameras, both permanently mounted and portable. The cameras are both hard-wired and wireless, and are monitored by the LMSR guard force. They use a CVideo multiplexer/DVR with fixed and Enviro Dome PTZ color cameras from Bosch.
The Enviro Dome cameras are mounted on the waterside of the ships. The video is then transmitted wirelessly on a point-to-point system manufactured by SmartSight, Quebec.
The guard force is comprised of civilian guards employed by the port authority. “This is the only operation PRPA runs directly,” Lehmann says of the LMSR berth. “This berth is owned and operated by PRPA and rented to the Military Sealift Command on a long-term basis.”
Access control installed at large terminals
At the Port’s Packer Avenue and Tioga Marine Terminals, chain-linked fencing is being replaced with access-controlled vehicle barriers and pedestrian turnstiles. The port will use an access control system from the Anaheim, Calif.-based MAXxess, and all entrances at the Packer Avenue Terminal will be monitored. The MAXxess system, which uses AXxess software, will be monitored from a terminal guard station.
“The system is part of a larger barrier plan,” Lehmann says. “The fence line will be topped with barbed wire, and there will be a guard rail inside the fence line around the 106-acre Packer terminal. All access points will be controlled by HID cards and readers at the Packer and Tioga terminals. There will be mantrap-style turnstiles at pedestrian entrances, and electronic rolling gates for vehicles. The gates, which will be portals through the fence line, are being built on-site. They will retract alongside the fence line.”
Workers including union members, permanent employees and vendors will be issued cards. Lehmann said the system is capable of handling up to 100,000 cards. The barriers and access control installation were expected to be completed in November.
Advanced detection equipment to be increased
For several years now, the port has used advanced detection equipment designed to detect weapons of mass destruction (WMD’s), Lehmann says. “More are being installed,” he said. “The equipment will look at truck cargo and use radiation detection techniques. We are using the VACIS Inspection System products from Science Applications International Corp. (SAIC).” The system is operated at the port by the U.S. Customs Service.
Other plans for the future include biometric authentication of identification of everyone who passes through the port. “All the systems we’re now installing support biometric input.”
This year, PRPA received additional TSA funds of several hundred thousand dollars to complete installation of video surveillance and alarm systems on some smaller portions of the port.
