Maine to host maritime security course for first responders
Classes will take place at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine; the 100 expected participants were chosen by local emergency authorities; pilot program may establish Maine course as the nationwide gold standard
Maine is known as the “Pine Tree State” — 90 percent of the state is covered with forest — but it is to the sea that security officials there are paying the most attention. The deep-water ports of Bar Harbor, Eastport, Searsport, and Portland, while not the massive hubs seen in Long Beach or Miami, are a critical element of the state’s infrastructure, and as officials nationwide turn their attention to port security, Maine is right there alongside them. Beginning this week and extending into next, the Maritime Security for Military, First Responder, and Law Enforcement Personnel pilot two-day program will educate partipants as to the unique circumstances, operational conditions, and potential enhancements to security in the maritime arena.
The course will be held at the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine in conjunction with its maritime security training partner, M-P.A.C.T. Organizers expect 100 first responders and emergency personnel — all of whom were selected by their respective county Emergency Management Agency directors — to participate. Should the program be a success, the Federal Office of Grants and Training will begin offering federally subsidized versions of the prgram around the country.
-read more in this Ellsworth American report
