Public, military and private sector leaders met to discuss how the Port of Long Beach (PoLB) model of a surface and subsurface situational awareness network can be a template for other ports to help increase America's resilience during the first 72 hours of a national or large-scale crisis, informs the ReadyCommunities Partnership (RCP).
The RCP Military Base and Port Community Resiliency Initiative Hon. Chairman is Sen. Mary L. Landrieu (pictured) and the Initiative Hon. Co-Chairman is Hon. Asa Hutchinson.
The symposium continues a national series organized by RCP that highlights the importance of America's strategic military base and port communities to national resiliency and how public/partnerships are essential in a climate of increased competition for diminishing resources.
The ReadyCommunities Partnership (RCP) Military Base and Port Community Resiliency symposium was attended by over 60 stakeholders to outline their best practices that harness readily available commercial off-the-shelf technologies to reinforce a situational awareness network that includes suppliers, contractors, vendors, military, law enforcement and first responders. The main theme was an interest to harness private sector resources to augment the local public sector response capacity.
PoLB's Assistant Director of Security CAPT. Steve Ruggiero (USN Reserve) described plans and progress to further develop its maritime domain awareness picture through collaboration with its partners including the Port of Los Angeles, longshoremen, law enforcement, first responders, and the private sector. Ruggiero said "The uninterrupted operation of America's 513 ports and 136 military installations is essential to America's economy and resiliency."
U.S. Coast Guard Los Angeles–Long Beach Sector Commander, Capt. James D. Jenkins provided the keynote address, stating that "The PoLB has a strong security apparatus with great partnerships, capability and capacity – and its partnerships are built on trust-based relationships and continued interaction working towards a common purpose of keeping it safe and secure and commerce flowing."