Fast boat to boost security of port
Vessel can handle wide variety of tasks Wednesday, August 03, 2005 By Allen Powell II River Parishes bureau Today's dedication of a new state-of-the-art security vessel at the Port of South Louisiana marks another step in the port's multimillion-dollar plan to revamp security. The port will officially dedicate the 49-foot, $850,000 Accardo at a 9:30 a.m. ceremony at the Globalplex Intermodal Terminal in Reserve. The vessel, which can reach speeds in excess of 30 knots, about 34 mph, was paid for with a combination of federal and port money. Although the Accardo, named in honor of the port's former executive director, Joe Accardo, will be officially dedicated today, the port has been using it for patrols since July 21. <http://ads.nola.com/RealMedia/ads/click_nx.ads/www.nola.com/xml/story/N/NP1 /@StoryAd?x> Port Operations Director Mitch Smith said the new vessel will join two other ships in maintaining security and safety along the 52-mile stretch of the Mississippi River that includes St. John the Baptist, St. Charles and St. James parishes. The Port of South Louisiana is the largest tonnage port in the nation, handling about 250 million tons of cargo annually. The port owns an 80-foot fire boat and a 40-foot multipurpose vessel, but both ships are much older and less capable on security patrols than the new vessel, Smith said. The Accardo will be in operation on a 24-hour basis, and crew members will conduct periodic patrols of the river. The vessel, specially built for the port by an Arkansas company, will be used primarily for patrols by port employees, but it can also handle search and rescue missions, hazardous material missions and several other duties, Smith said. The Accardo is capable of carrying armaments, although Smith said it will not typically be armed. The Accardo will also be available for use by federal, state and local law enforcement agencies, he said. "This definitely enhances our ability to provide security," said Smith, who added that port officials would eventually like to purchase two more vessels similar to the Accardo. "We are constantly searching for ways to improve security in the port and the maritime industry." Smith said the new vessel is part of about $10 million worth of security improvements recommended for the port by a private firm as part of a risk/vulnerability assessment from 2002 to 2003. That assessment, part of a federal mandate, recommended upgrades to the port's surveillance equipment, storage facilities and security vessels, among other things, Smith said. But Smith said the port lacks the money to complete most of the changes and is almost totally dependent on federal money to make improvements. Smith noted that the marine operations division of the port has a budget of about $1 million. Unfortunately, federal money for projects has not kept pace with federal requirements, he said. "The individual ports are not able to fund the mandated needs of port security," Smith said. . . . . . . . Allen Powell II can be reached at [EMAIL PROTECTED] or (985) 652-0952. [Non-text portions of this message have been removed] ------------------------ Yahoo! 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