(Vallejo, Calif. — June 26, 2008) — The California Maritime Academy (Cal Maritime), a campus of The California State University, has received U.S. Department of Homeland Security approval for three Maritime Security training courses offered through Cal Maritime’s Sponsored Projects and Extended Learning Department. Cal Maritime is the only training organization in the country delivering Maritime Security Courses certified by the Coast Guard, The U.S. Maritime Administration (MARAD), and the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) as meeting the requirements of the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA), the International Maritime Organization’s (IMO) International Ship and Port Security Code (ISPS), and State and Federal emergency management standards. As such, the courses are eligible for DHS grant reimbursement under the Homeland Security and Port Security Grant Programs.
Cal Maritime’s new security courses are offered through the university’s Extended Learning Division on a scheduled basis, and some have been integrated into elective upper-division undergraduate courses as well. In addition to sessions on regulatory aspects, security assessments and plan development/auditing, the courses also include sessions on Weapons of Mass Destruction, Hazardous Material Releases, and the Incident Command System (ICS)/National Incident Management System (NIMS). The state and federal approvals underscore Cal Maritime’s leadership in maritime security training and education in the Pacific Rim. The courses include:
• Combined Company, Vessel, and Facility Security Officer: Also approved by the Coast Guard and MARAD, this course meets the STCW training requirements for Vessel Security Officer. It provides professionals involved with port vessel/facility operations, or likely to be designated as Company/Vessel/Facility Security Officers, an excellent foundational training to perform their specific roles and responsibilities. Conforming to IMO Course Models 3.19, 3.20, and 3.21, the course addresses all subject areas specified in the Maritime Transportation Security Act (MTSA) 2002. Qualified instructors deliver this course as either a three-day instructor-led professional development course for maritime professionals, or a 22-hour classroom lecture for license-track undergraduate cadets.
• Basic Maritime Security Awareness: A complete and comprehensive Maritime Security Awareness training package. It provides personnel not assigned specific maritime security duties with an excellent introduction to the specific roles and responsibilities within maritime security regulations, operational restrictions, and plans. The course conforms to, and addresses all the subject areas contained in the MARAD-developed MTSA 04-03 Model Course. The course is four hours in length, is scheduled at the Academy, and can be delivered at any suitable location.
• First Responder Operational Maritime Security (FROMS): This course is targeted for delivery to all first responders with responsibilities in the domestic maritime domain, including fire service, law enforcement, emergency management, emergency medical services, and private security. Adapted from the Maritime Administration Model Course MTSA 05-01, Maritime Security for Military, First Responder, and Law Enforcement Personnel (MSLEP) dated October 2005, the course is an excellent introduction to the maritime security/port security arena. It provides outstanding examples of real-world events that have influenced national and international policies and cooperative efforts. Students can gain an excellent appreciation for the complex nature, importance, and impacts of maritime threats in a port or harbor/waterside industrial complex.
For more information on Cal Maritime’s new state/federal-approved security training courses, please contact Veronica Boe at 707-654-1156 or at vboe@csum.edu. Information on the full range of Cal Maritime’s Extended Learning Courses, including a full course catalog, can be found at http://www.maritime-education.com/index.html
