Posted on 04/01/2006 7:31:27 AM PST by Matt Bruce
SARASOTA, FL. (NS) -
Just recently a neighbor and myself were talking at lunch about what the United States could do to make our Nation's Seaports SAFER...
After about 15 minutes, the following idea emerged which I then sent on to the Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) in my capacity as an Operation Highway Watch CoOrdinator and Instructor...
Here is OUR idea, at least a starting point from my meighbor and me, for our Nation's Seaports...
To: The DHS Washington, DC
Below is an idea for you to consider in keeping our Nation's Seaports safer for ALL of us...
Freight companies would hire trained inspectors... These inspectors would be certified by DHS... or who ever has the Port authority... The cost would be that of the freight companies who go in & out of our Seaport's, subsidized by freight tariff’s... The number of inspectors at each port would be based on the amount of freight each freight company moves through the Port each day... Therefore, the largest carrier would bare the brunt of the cost... 1 person for each 100 containers inbound/out bound could be less. These inspectors check only the freight in another companies containers... never their own...rotating each day.. assigned by Port security. If they find something suspicious, they would contact the port authorities to pull the container for a deeper probing and DHS or the next level of security would continue the investigation....
And so it would go on a big cycle of inspections... I would try this out in a smaller port 1st like Tampa... or Miami... but if all are trained properly... we could move freight safer at a faster rate...like airplanes flying with air marshals... We could have these people doing the grunt work grass roots... pulling what does not look right and freeing up the major security for the top priority cases...
Does any of this make sense to you at DHS? The Inspectors can probably inspect more like 100-200 containers each, 7 hours=15-28 containers an hour...
The goal would be the actual inspection of MORE containers with the expense going to the Trucking Companies hauling the containers...
Respectfully,
Capt. Matt Bruce, Ret. Operation Highway Watch CoOrdinator & Instructor Sarasota, FL.
So that's a copy of the letter that I sent to the DHS. If anyone else has got any better ideas, please send them along by going to the DHS website and getting their contact info...
For Now, That's Just 'OUR' Opinion...
Matt Bruce News Sarasota.com
Just recently a neighbor and myself were talking at lunch about what the United States could do to make our Nation's Seaports SAFER...
After about 15 minutes, the following idea emerged which I then sent on to the Department Of Homeland Security (DHS) in my capacity as an Operation Highway Watch CoOrdinator and Instructor...
Here is OUR idea, at least a starting point from my meighbor and me, for our Nation's Seaports...
To: The DHS Washington, DC
Below is an idea for you to consider in keeping our Nation's Seaports safer for ALL of us...
Freight companies would hire trained inspectors... These inspectors would be certified by DHS... or who ever has the Port authority... The cost would be that of the freight companies who go in & out of our Seaport's, subsidized by freight tariff’s... The number of inspectors at each port would be based on the amount of freight each freight company moves through the Port each day... Therefore, the largest carrier would bare the brunt of the cost... 1 person for each 100 containers inbound/out bound could be less. These inspectors check only the freight in another companies containers... never their own...rotating each day.. assigned by Port security. If they find something suspicious, they would contact the port authorities to pull the container for a deeper probing and DHS or the next level of security would continue the investigation....
And so it would go on a big cycle of inspections... I would try this out in a smaller port 1st like Tampa... or Miami... but if all are trained properly... we could move freight safer at a faster rate...like airplanes flying with air marshals... We could have these people doing the grunt work grass roots... pulling what does not look right and freeing up the major security for the top priority cases...
Does any of this make sense to you at DHS? The Inspectors can probably inspect more like 100-200 containers each, 7 hours=15-28 containers an hour...
The goal would be the actual inspection of MORE containers with the expense going to the Trucking Companies hauling the containers...
Respectfully,
Capt. Matt Bruce, Ret. Operation Highway Watch CoOrdinator & Instructor Sarasota, FL.
So that's a copy of the letter that I sent to the DHS. If anyone else has got any better ideas, please send them along by going to the DHS website and getting their contact info...
For Now, That's Just 'OUR' Opinion...
Matt Bruce News Sarasota.com
You're addressing this to people that are afraid of a dirty bomb? You're a retired capitain of what, industry? I'm a retired submarine reactor test engineer and I still pay $1.65 for a coffee.
Could you decipher this for me. Is it supposed to have any meaning or point?
Excuse my ignorance, but how does the comment relate to his post?
I respond as a trained inspector who looks at containers for foreign governments who require all containers everywhere be inspected before importation. I inspect them nearly every working day.
It is a tremendously expensive and disruptive operation.The inspections are mandated by the foreign governments to prevent various tax fraud in extremely corrupt countries.
At the outset you assumed a problem that does not exist. There is no container security problem. There has been no terrorist activity with sea borne containers. You are advocating an extremely expensive and unnecessary procedure.
If you must worry about terrorist use of transport, worry about air planes. A cargo plane fillled with gasoline in bladders is a far greater possible worry than a container.
For a good book on this subject I heartily recommend the book "By Order of The President" by WEB Griffin. Many FReepers have read and enjoyed this book.
Although I am a friend of the Dubai/UAE Arabs, I know you will worry when I tell you thae Emirates Air runs one of the best air cargo lines in the world and fly 747 cargo liners into the USA every day.
Well, Natt, you and your meighbor have spent valuable time thinking about this subject and were I you, I would give full credit to the meighbor or maybe even the whole meighborhood. But I myself, Natt, would stay clear of it..
Subsequent posters found and stated the relation in their own nice words. Are y'all still reading?
This is as mystifying to me as #2.
Retired 25 Year Fire Rescue Captain, FDNY
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