with participants
In an effort to be on par with the international safety and security standards of the International Maritime Organization (IMO), the Board of Directors and management of the Anguilla Air and Sea Ports Authority (AASPA) enlisted the assistance of Mr. Collin Cleare, Port Facility Security Officer at Nassau Container Port, Bahamas, to conduct Port Facility Security Officer (PFSO) training for security officers at the seaports of the AASPA.
Mr. Cleare is also the owner of Interforce Maritime Services which is a certified company that facilitates training in the International Ship and Port Facility Security (ISPS) Code – an amendment to the Safety of Life at Sea (SOLAS) Convention under the IMO.
Over 10 days, including Saturdays and Sundays from 6 – 16 July 2018, sixteen (16) security officers from AASPA’s seaports, namely, the Blowing Point Ferry Port and the Road Bay Cargo Port, respectively, underwent training to become certified Port Facility Security Officers (PFSOs). All officers were successful in the training in accordance with SOLAS CH XI-2 & Sections 18.1 PARTS A & B of the International Ship and Port Security (ISPS) Code, and in particular IMO Model Course 3.21 (2011 Edition).
While on island, Mr. Cleare also conducted refresher training with five (5) current PFSOs within the AASPA, as well as offered some guidance on the preparation and the broad scope of port plans and on other standard operating procedures of the seaports.
The Board, management and staff of the AASPA are extremely grateful for the services of Mr. Cleare. However, it is the strengthening of staff competencies and the further expansion and development of their full potential that are most satisfying.
The overall aim of the AASPA is to build a robust and highly skilled PFSO unit within the Security Department at the seaports that will better serve the AASPA and, by extension, Anguilla, especially as the demand for port services continues to be increased.
Anguilla’s seaports are international ports. As such, the AASPA must ensure that the human resources that operate, guard and secure ports remain skilled, motivated and proficient.
As regards the training, Mr. Cleare stated, “The AASPA students were very intelligent.” He added, “They had a hunger and eagerness for knowledge and asked a lot of questions. Even after a class would be dismissed, the questions kept coming. The proactive approach that the AASPA is taking to be compliant with the ISPS is very impressive.” Mr. Cleare ended by saying, “I am looking forward to working with future PFSO certifiers from this group.”
The Chairman of the AASPA commented: “I am very pleased that we were able to deliver this training to our security officers at this point, after having to delay it in the wake of Hurricane Irma. And I am particularly delighted that all 16 Security Officers were successful. We thank Mr. Cleare profoundly and look forward to his return in the near future, and from time to time, to conduct other training to further enhance the skill and competencies of our port security staff.”
