MPA receives $1.18m in FEMA grants

The Maryland Port Administration (MPA) received grant funds from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) for port security upgrades at Baltimore’s public marine terminals.    The Maryland Department of Transportation Maryland Port Administration (MDOT MPA) received over $1.18 million in grants through the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) federal port security grant program to improve security initiatives at the Helen Delich Bentley Port of Baltimore’s public marine terminals, MPA announced on Tuesday. 
   The funding is for three separate projects: cybersecurity, technology upgrades, and updating the facility security plan for the port’s public terminals, MPA said. The first grant will improve cybersecurity initiatives including data classification standards and strengthen incident response and recovery activities. The second grant will help improve and upgrade physical and software security measures at the primary entrance to the port’s Dundalk Marine Terminal, while the third grant will fund a specialized company to perform security assessments at the port’s six public marine terminals and update the federally-required Facility Security Plan, which is overseen by Coast Guard Sector Baltimore.
   “It is critically important for the Port of Baltimore to continue to implement the latest security measures to ensure the safety and security of the people who work there and the cargo the port handles,” said MDOT MPA Executive Director James J. White. “Creating a successful balance between productive cargo-handling and a strong security program is something we will continue to pursue.”   
   Combining both the public and private marine terminals, the Port of Baltimore saw 31.8 million tons of international cargo valued at approximately $49.9 billion cross its docks last year. Overall Baltimore is ranked ninth for the total dollar value of cargo and 14th for cargo tonnage for all U.S. ports, MPA said. MDOT MPA has implemented newer and stronger security initiatives in recent years as cargo volumes increase and as a result, the Coast Guard has awarded the MDOT MPA a top rating of ‘Excellent’ on annual security assessments of the port’s public marine terminal for six consecutive years.