Terrorism prevention seminar supports joint training effort

Terrorism prevention seminar supports joint training effort

BY B.J. ALMOND
Rice News staff

About 200 members of the Port of Houston public safety community spent two days at the James A. Baker III Institute for Public Policy last month to receive training on terrorism prevention, response and post-incident issues as well as an overview of new regulations under the Maritime Transportation Security Act.

The Maritime Awareness, Security and Terrorism Training seminar May 31-June 1 was designed for security managers and officers of public and private facilities along the Port of Houston as well as fire, health, hazardous-materials, law enforcement, military and government officials, other first responders and members of public safety/health organizations. The Area Maritime Security Committee organized the seminar and invited experienced international, federal, state and local officials who are familiar with the waterways and/or terrorist threats to share their expertise.

“As the Sept. 11 and U.S.S. Cole attacks taught us, ports are both vulnerable to direct attacks and utilized as a key component in the movement of people and materials to support terrorist and criminal activities,” said Joan Neuhaus, the Thomas Cook and Mary Elizabeth Edwards Fellow at the Baker Institute and executive director of the Houston-Harris County Regional Homeland Security Advisory Council, which was one of the sponsoring agencies of the seminar along with Rice University. “Safeguarding our port and the key infrastructures that are dependent on the port is a top priority for national security.”

Neuhaus noted that because of the critical need for teamwork among health, safety, law enforcement and private industry, a joint comprehensive training program and an organized joint-response effort of first responders and private industry professionals best addresses the challenges facing maritime ports.

Other sponsors of the seminar were the U.S. Coast Guard, U.S. Attorney for the Southern District of Texas, Port of Houston Authority, Federal Bureau of Investigation, Houston Department of Health and Human Services, Harris County Hazmat Response, U.S. Department of Homeland Security and Texas Motor Transportation Association.