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On guard: by sea, by air
By CURTIS KRUEGER
© St. Petersburg Times, ST. PETERSBURG -- Say "Coast Guard," and most people think of the sailors and pilots who brave fierce seas to rescue the crews of sinking ships. But the military service that was showcased in the movie The Perfect Storm has changed swiftly and significantly in the past month. Since the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, the U.S. Coast Guard has zeroed in on security -- keeping ships and ports safe from terrorism and other dangers. Coast Guard cutters and small boats have begun escorting large ships into Tampa Bay that are considered potential terrorist targets. The Coast Guard now requires 96-hour notice for incoming vessels, compared to a 24-hour requirement that previously applied only to ships flying foreign flags. It also has increased patrols, boarded more ships than normal and declared itself to be in its "highest state of alert and readiness since World War II." "We've always had a multitude of missions," said Petty Officer Paul Rhynard, public affairs specialist at the Coast Guard's St. Petersburg station. "At the forefront has always been, somewhat unofficially, search and rescue. Now, port security and waterway security was one of those missions, but now it's the mission. It's right at the forefront." Rhynard stressed the Coast Guard is still doing 100 percent of its search-and-rescue operations, as well as drug interdiction and other missions, even as it has beefed up its security role. Just as airport officials across the nation are rethinking airline safety after seeing that hijackers could essentially turn commercial jets into bombs, a similar amount of brainstorming is going on at seaports across Florida, with good reason. "Ninety percent of the commerce coming in and out of this country is by water," said Port of Tampa director George Williamson. Cruise ships carrying hundreds of people go in and out of Tampa Bay, and so do ships with huge quantities of dangerous materials such as petroleum and ammonia. These ships are considered potential terrorist targets, and if any were attacked, it could not only be devastating to those on board, but also would clog shipping channels. In some ports those channels lead to military bases. That makes the Coast Guard's efforts at the ports in Tampa Bay and elsewhere "a direct part of the United States homeland defense," said U.S. Sen. Bill Nelson. As an example, he cited Florida's Cape Canaveral, which is home to both a seaport and a spaceport. The need for tight security there is evident when you consider that all satellites launched into equatorial orbit are launched from that site, he said. "Our national ability to have access to space and equatorial orbit is Cape Canaveral ... and so the Coast Guard is out there patrolling now," Nelson said. Port Security Unit 307, a reserve Coast Guard unit based in St. Petersburg, is a good example of how important this mission has become. This type of unit generally is activated in wartime. When ships and troops are deployed overseas, the Coast Guard goes, too, to protect the soldiers, sailors and ships in foreign ports. But now that the United States has suffered an attack on its own land, PSU 307 is on a domestic mission. Within a week of the terrorist attacks, the unit had been activated and sent to Boston, with about 120 reservists. Several cruise ships were removed from New York Harbor and taken to Boston, which explains the need for increased security there. The unit's normal strategy has "always been based on a war threat, mines and submarines," said Lt. Dan Eagan, who is in Boston with the unit, and who normally works in Clearwater as a certified public accountant. But considering the possibility of a terrorist attack, "there's a lot more targets out there than you would have in a normal warfare situation. The big one being civilians." In Tampa and other commercial ports, the new rule requiring 96-hour notice for incoming ships "just helps us understand what's on the ship, who's on it, where it's going and coordination of other vessels that are already in the port," said Lt. Steve Ward, of the Coast Guard's Marine Safety Office in Tampa. He said cruise ships are under special watch both when docked and when under way, to ensure passenger safety. Harbor pilots, the people who pilot large ships through the waters of Tampa Bay, have noted the changes and are generally pleased, said Kathy Dalpiaz, operations manager for the Tampa Bay Pilots Association. "Any increase in what they're doing will definitely make a difference," she said. Nelson said he has heard from top Coast Guard officials about their moves toward increasing port security. "They have all testified to us about their increased surveillance, their stepped-up heightened readiness, but that's something you've got to constantly monitor," he said.
 © 2006 • All Rights Reserved • St. Petersburg Times
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