4 DECEMBER 2017 • FOGHORN The Importance of Security and Training Spotlight on Security For quite a few months now, PVA volun- teers and staff have been working with the U.S. Coast Guard on the fourth revision of the PVA Alternative Security Program (ASP). PVA members in good standing who must have a Coast Guard-approved vessel security plan can use the ASP to conveniently satisfy their legal ob- ligation. Throughout this revision process, PVA worked to ensure that any changes to the existing ASP would be reasonable. We believe that we achieved this goal. PVA members have now received the revised ASP and are amending their plans accordingly. This review is necessary because the security landscape is constantly changing. Recent events have brought security to the forefront nationally. Mass shootings in Las Vegas and San Antonio, and a truck careening down a bicycle path in New York City have reminded all of us that we are vulnerable to these acts of violence. They are similar in that they inflicted multiple casualties, but from what we know at this moment, other than the fact they were committed by lone individuals, the similarities end there. The individual that utilized modified rifles in Las Vegas was known as a big-time gambler with no known ties to any terrorist orga- nization. He was an American, well known in the casinos, and his motives are still baffling the authorities. As of this writing, the facts surrounding the San Antonio, TX church shooting are still unfolding, but we do know that the shooter was also an American citizen. In New York, that individual was from Uzbekistan, proclaimed his allegiance to the Islamic State following the attack, and utilized a rented truck. Three very different people, all with the same objective to inflict great harm with mass casualties. If we had one conclusion to draw from these events it is that terrorism has no common face. These events are first criminal and have then been classified as terrorism depending on motivation. Does the motivation really matter? Not to the people at the receiving end. I remember years ago watching a movie and a crime had been committed. The burly Detective Lieutenant walked into the room and instructed his squad to bring in the “usual suspects”. If anything, we have been taught that there are no “usual suspects.” Emphasize Training Our security must be based on a person’s demeanor, actions, locations and timing. A person with unlawful in- tentions doesn’t necessarily look menacing. The human factor is, without doubt, the most difficult one to un- derstand and identify. We must train ourselves and our employees, and then train again. What is suspicious, why is it suspicious and what do you do? PVA, through its Alternative Security Program and the new PVA online learning portal, has supplied our membership with the structure and materials to succeed. Our industry’s safety and security record is excellent, but we must educate and train regularly if we are to continue to protect our passengers and crew. There will be a session on company security officer training at the PVAAnnual Convention at MariTrends 2018 in Savannah, GA. Security training is just as important as any other safety training we give to our employees. I encourage you to involve your crew in this important convention session. Welcome LCDR Fahrig This month, we welcome LCDR Amanda Fahrig to PVA as our first Coast Guard Industry Trainee since 1998. She will be with the Association in December and January and will work on slips, trips and falls training, among other things. She is a 2006 graduate of the U.S. Coast Guard Academy, and later received an MBA from the University of New Orleans. Her service has included assignments as the Deck Watch Officer on the Coast Guard Cutter Active. Assignments in New Orleans included Port State Control Examiner, Domestic Passenger Inspector, Assistant Chief of Inspections and Marine Casualty Investigator. She most recently served as the Port State Control and Facilities Branch Chief in San Diego. We are fortunate to have a person with these professional qualifications work within the Association, if only for a couple months. Hopefully most of our members will meet her in Savannah at the PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018. Coast Guard and PVA Partnership The PVA/U.S. Coast Guard Quality Partnership meeting inAnnapolis, MD was both well attended and full of information. Two hot-button topics were illegal charters, and mariner medical fitness and the marine employer. Although we are still awaiting a charter for the Illegal Charter Working Group, there has been good progress. The Coast Guard is addressing the problem. This past year, there have been enforcement initiatives in Miami, Chicago, and Seattle resulting in some significant penalties. We thank the Coast Guard. A session on this topic will be presented at the upcoming PVA Annual Convention at MariTrends 2018. What is the responsibility of the marine employer in addressing mariner fitness? For a licensed mariner that has no waivers, his or her medical fitness is good for five years (on paper). This means that the medical qualifica- tions were met at the particular moment the physician examined you. The Coast Guard stresses that these are LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT Jeff Whitaker LETTER FROM THE PRESIDENT, CONTINUED ON PAGE 38