Port of Oakland to develop emergency ops center using FEMA grant

The grant, awarded under FEMA’s Port Security Grant Program, requires not only that the Port of Oakland pay 25 percent of the cost, but that the project be completed within three years.    The Port of Oakland will use $1.8 million in newly awarded federal Port Security Grant Program funding to help implement two new port security projects, including the creation of an emergency operations center, the port said Sept. 14.
   The security initiatives, according to the port, include the upgrading of its port truck management system to “heighten awareness” of the large commercial vehicles entering and exiting Oakland marine terminals and the development of a multi-agency emergency operations center to support emergency operations in the event of a disaster or terrorist incident.
   “This federal funding supports critical security initiatives that serve port workers, our community and our business partners,” Port of Oakland Facilities Security Officer Troy Hosmer explained in a statement. “These projects will improve our ability to prevent, respond and recover from incidents at our seaport.”
   The total cost of the two new security projects, according to the port, is $2.4 million, with the feds’ $1.8 million share representing 75 percent of the total cost. The port will pick up the remaining amount, $600,000.
   The grant requires not only that the Port of Oakland pay 25 percent of the $2.4 million, but that the projects be completed within three years.
   Oakland is one of 33 U.S. seaports that the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency awarded a total of $100 million grant funds to earlier this month.