Effort aimed at coordinating response to port security threats
APIA, Samoa (Samoa Observer, March 23, 2013) – Officers from the United States Coast Guard as well as Australia’s Department of Transport were in Apia this week.
They conducted a joint port security training and a table top exercise with local government and maritime security stakeholders.
Present at the training were 39 Samoan participants, representing the Ministry of Works, Transport, and Infrastructure, Samoa Ports Authority, the Ministry of Police, Samoa Shipping Corporation, and the Fire and Emergency Services Association.
The training and exercise presented a unique opportunity for the various agencies, working with the U.S. and Australian governments, to coordinate potential responses to port security threats in the South Pacific region.
The training focused on helping Samoa strengthen its sector wide incident response capabilities and improving coordination with neighbouring...