Fire departments across the nation have developed many specialized response teams over the past 15-20 years to handle the complexities associated with responding to hazmat and technical rescue incidents – the latter differ from so-called “routine” operations because they usually involve very highly trained and specialized rescue teams and/or special types of equipment. Today, largely because of the tragic events of 11 September 2001, the development and use of specialized law enforcement and fire-rescue response teams is becoming commonplace even in smaller fire departments. In addition, a concentration on homeland security, and especially port security, has opened new grant funding sources for departments to receive additional training and purchase the much needed equipment required for specialized responses, particularly in the port environment.

As worldwide trade continues to grow, hazardous materials and chemicals are routinely shipped through ports around the globe. The fire departments that protect those ports require specialized training and equipment to manage many complex rescue scenarios. The U.S. government started the Port Security Grant Program (PSGP) after the events of 11 September 2001 to provide additional funding for local agencies dealing with port security and response duties. The PSGP already has provided approximately $2.5 billion of grant funding for state and local agencies, as well as private industry, to improve their port security and rescue response capabilities.

“The federal port security grant program … has been a great program to help my department obtain additional equipment and training to effectively respond to incidents in the Port of Seattle,” comments Assistant Chief Alan Vickery, a 45-year veteran of the Seattle Fire Department in Washington State. “Through the PSGP, we have a level of preparedness and response we would not have without the program to better protect the residents of Seattle.” Port incident responses require a more complex set of capabilities than are needed for non-port incidents. To manage the numerous issues that must be taken into account, fire departments as well as other state and federal agencies must all respond and work together when an incident occurs at and within a port. “We train on a regular basis with law enforcement agencies and the Coast Guard on port response scenarios,” comments Captain Mike Nugent of the Fire-Rescue Department’s technical rescue team (TRT) in the Sheriff’s office of Broward County, Florida. “It is extremely important for our department to understand the response capabilities of the other neighboring agencies and the U.S. Coast Guard.” Nugent and Captain James Napp started the county’s technical rescue team almost 20 years ago, in 1992. Since the team’s inception, they have responded to thousands of TRT-related calls both in and out of the port.

High Angles, Confined Spaces & Trench Rescue Operations

The story is much the same 3,000 miles away, in the state of Washington, where the Seattle Fire Department responds to approximately 60-70 incidents per year in and around the port. That daunting workload includes at least one major shipboard fire response each year, according to Chief Vickery. “We have four fireboats that range in size from 40 feet to 125 feet, and two of those vessels have the capability to respond to CBRNE [chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, explosives] incidents on the water or in the port,” he commented. “We also have a technical rescue team that responds, along with our waterside assets, to specialized rescue calls in the port such as high-angle or confined-space rescues.”

Vickery and Nugent agree that frequent and effective training is key to the success of dealing with port response incidents. After firefighters are accepted for the TRT in Broward County, they attend and participate in approximately 350 hours of initial training – which is followed thereafter by 40 hours of additional monthly training. Vickery says his department has almost 1,000 firefighters trained in the basics of technical rescue operations – including the highly specialized skills required for dealing with collapse, trench-rescue, and hazmat situations. “We currently conduct quarterly drills, and yearly exercises, with the surrounding agencies, the U.S. Coast Guard, and the port businesses,” says Vickery. “It is extremely important for us to include our industry partners in these drills because they know their facilities better than we do and can help facilitate a much better response.”

Vickery himself sits on the Coast Guard’s Area Maritime Security Committee (AMSC) to help improve the close coordination needed between the Seattle Fire Department and the U.S. Coast Guard. “The Coast Guard monitors our radio system in their command center so they can respond to our calls for assistance in the port,” he said. “It is important we understand each other’s capabilities so we can provide the best response.”

Significant Challenges in Meeting “Every Possible Scenario”

Nugent’s team responded to a deadly gas leak in Port Everglades in 2008 when three port workers were killed by Argon gas in the hold of a ship. “We had immediate concerns of a hazardous environment when we first received the call, and we knew we needed to get into the hold as quickly as possible to get the workers out,” Nugent recalls. The workers had been immediately overcome by the Argon gas, however, and all three died before the would-be rescuers arrived on the scene. “When we respond to the port, there are a number of things to consider: what type of vessel, passenger or cargo; if it is cargo, what type of cargo is onboard; where on the ship is the incident; how many potential victims are there; and how do we best access the area of the incident.”

Vickery agrees with Nugent that there are a number of complexities in the port and shipboard environments that are not present in most “land-side” responses. “A ship is like a high-rise building laying on its side in the water with only a few access points,” he points out. “We face significant challenges of access when trying to get onboard a vessel. That is why it is important for us to train, on both ship design and layout, on an ongoing basis.”

The dangers associated with port responses will undoubtedly continue to increase along with the complexities of shipboard and port rescue operations. More than 90 percent of the goods and materials coming into the United States each year are carried by ships, and that level is likely to increase for many years to come. Meanwhile, cargo ships not only are growing in both size and efficiency, but also are more complex in many ways than their predecessors – and therefore will continue to challenge the resources and capabilities of local fire departments (and local Coast Guard units). “When we respond to the port,” Nugent commented, “we bring all the resources we think we might need to make sure we cover any and every possible scenario.”

These types of swarm attacks increase the level of danger against vessels and their embarked security teams.  An analysis of the attack reports would indicate that the pirates are using these attacks at potential training missions to gauge the reaction of the ship and security teams to determine how to best defeat the tactics and hijack a ship with a security team onboard.  If a ship with an embarked security team is hijacked the ramifications on the worldwide shipping industry could be potentially devastating.    

Naval forces in the region can not keep up with the number of attacks over the wide operational area.  Ships transiting through these areas need to have plans and procedures in place to deal with the potential threat.  Ships with solid plans and security teams onboard have a much higher chance of defeating a potential pirate attack then ships with no plans or security.  Ships and shipping companies need to develop a good set of intelligence resources to understand where threats are located in real time.  Security teams need to have plans in place to deal with swarm attacks and also understand the pirates will eventually be moving attacks from daylight to night.

It is estimated that the PSGP has provided close to $2.5 billion for ports and facilities to improve their operations.  However the process for agencies and private industry to receive their funding is taking over two years once the funds are awarded.  Facilities and government agencies were required to provide matching funds of up to 25% for projects until recently where the matching requirements were removed. 

The Coast Guard along with other federal agencies have completed the initial implementation of the Transportation Worker Identification Credential or TWIC.  However they are still working to develop a standard for the electronic TWIC readers that will allow security personnel direct access to law enforcement databases and determine if the person entering the facility with the TWIC is a threat and also if the TWIC is a valid credential.  Many facilities have received grant funding for the TWIC readers, but have not purchased the readers because they are waiting for the Coast Guard approved list.

Regulations continue to become more complex for both facilities and vessels.  The Coast Guard is moving from a position of educating facilities and vessels on the regulations to enforcement of these regulations.  A number of facilities have been closed with MTSA related security issues.  Facilities should consider working with experienced MTSA consultants and security companies to help them mitigate their risk and fine/closure exposure.  There are very few security companies that can provide the security plan consulting along with the people and technology to implement the security plan.  Facilities and vessels should always check the company they hire to ensure they understand the regulations and have conducted inspections and have written plans in the past.  If a company has prior Coast Guard as part of their staff, ensure they understand the regulations, because not everyone in the Coast Guard understands or deals with MTSA.

These shipboard security systems rival systems used to protect politicians and dignitaries in secure facilities.  High-tech and complex security systems come with a high price and are expensive to install.  There are some simple plans yacht owners can put in place to protect their vessel and crew without all the expense of a technical system.  Ship owners and captains should always consult with a reputable company like Secure Waters Security Group, before purchasing or installing a security system.  Security companies provide a level of expertise that owners and captains sometimes do not possess and can provide an overall view of the threats and vulnerabilities of the vessel and the steps to take to protect the vessel.  Security equipment manufacturers are very knowledgeable about their equipment, but do not always understand the total security picture.

Captains and crews should also consider the facility security at the marinas they use worldwide.  Many facilities around the world, including those inside the U.S., do not provide adequate protection for the yacht and crews.  Security guards at many facilities are from companies that do not understand marine operations and how to adequately protect vessels.  Many facilities advertise adequate security but only have a few cameras and no shore-side or waterside security personnel.  Always check local crime statistics and ask the facility about the type of security they employ.  The captain, crew and owner can be confident in the facilities with Secure Waters personnel or the Secure Waters “Seal of Approval”. 

Owners and captains should work with a reputable company to put plans in place of how to deal with unwanted boardings and other common security situations.  Commonsense should always be part of the plan and a budget should be developed to help guide the discussions.  Once the program is in place the captain and crew should practice the plan just like other onboard drills and exercises.  There are some circumstances where yacht owners should consider hiring a private security team to escort the vessel through high risk areas of the world.  The security team should be well trained and understand maritime security related operations and international rules regarding vessel security.  Secure Waters can provide the training, consultation, security plan compliance and security personnel needed for any maritime security situation.  Piracy worldwide and unwanted boardings along with kidnappings will continue on this upward trend for the foreseeable future.  Be sure your vessel is protected.

Professional maritime security companies provide vessels of all types with an added layer of defense against pirate attacks and other unwanted boardings and are a must when transiting piracy prone areas worldwide.  There was a successful attack and hijacking reported against a vessel with a security team onboard.  However the security team was unarmed and was unable to protect the vessel from the attack.  If mariners plan to bring security onboard to protect the vessel, you are wasting your money and putting your crew in greater danger if you use an unarmed team.

There are numerous companies worldwide that profess expertise in maritime security, but do not have any background or experience in the industry.  When searching for a maritime security company, research their background and experience in the maritime security and law enforcement (public or private) and their shipboard procedures for their team members and the ship’s crew.  Also obtain a profile of each team member who will be coming onboard your vessel so you understand the background of who is protecting your ship.  Most experienced companies will have profiles on all of their personnel plus a basic standard operating procedure for both their personnel and the ship’s crew.  An experienced company will be an asset while an inexperienced security company will be a liability to your vessel and crew.

Although pirates have been plying the world’s oceans since the early days of shipping, modernday piracy is much more than the long-told tale of old when a pirate ship pulls alongsideanother vessel, enabling a few one-legged pirates with eye patches to swing onboard in aneffort to pilfer money or goods. Today, piracy is better understood as a growing and violentinternational crime that jeopardizes the shared economic security of all nations. And piratesare better understood as members of organized criminal gangs with international backingthrough rogue states, organized crime groups, and terrorist organizations such as al Qaeda –criminal elements with proven interests in harming America’s national security.

There are other differences as well. Many pirate ships today still manage to sneak up on victimships that did not see them coming, but they do it armed with RPGs and AK-47s. Today, theynot only steal goods, but they hold the crew, contents, and vessel ransom for millions of dollars(the last ransom paid to pirates was estimated to be close to $12 million USD). The most activearea for piracy is a region of operation extending from East Africa to India and south pastthe Seychelles Islands including the Red Sea, Gulf of Aden, and the Indian ocean (an area ofoperation almost as large as the continental U.S). While pirates still conduct random boardings,they also target ships for the best possible financial return – such as a Ukrainian ship capturedwith a cargo of weapons and Soviet-era tanks bound for south Sudan.

Our interconnected global economy is built on the ability to safely and efficiently transportgoods and products around the world – the loss of that capability endangers the economicwelfare of all countries. Worldwide shipping and economic experts believe that piracy isnow costing the world economy at least $12 billion (greater than the GDP of more than 66countries). But the true cost could far exceed that estimate. When pirates captured a Saudisupertanker loaded with two million barrels of crude oil, the value of oil went up a wholedollar in a few hours. Although a large proportion of the world’s petroleum passes through thepirate-infested Gulf of Aden, some companies have ordered oil tankers to sail the entire wayaround Africa to avoid the risk, despite the increased cost and time. Other shipping companiessail through risky areas, but do not report hijackings and ransoms paid for reputational andinsurance rate purposes. As this problem continues to grow, so too will the harm to the world’sshared economic security.

In addition to economic security, piracy across the globe endangers national security at home.Today, it is not uncommon to find pirates with a political agenda and ties to terrorist groups.Facing frozen funding across the globe, Islamic terrorists (including various al Qaeda affiliates) have concluded piracy provides a strong funding stream as well as the ability to impede globaltransport routes of many goods and products – particularly the supply of oil and gas. Not onlyhave attacks been made on U.S. vessels, such as the USS Cole and the Maersk Alabama, butal Qaeda continues to attempt acts of terrorism here at home – such as the Christmas Daybombing of a Northwest flight headed for Detroit in 2009, thwarted by passengers tackling theterrorist before he detonated the bomb inside his clothes. Planning of this attack was linked toal Qaeda affiliates in the Arabian Peninsula and Yemen. Other pirates have formed organized crime syndicates and found backing by rogue states – other entities which pose grave danger to our national security.

Conferences, trade-shows, and piracy-related programs are popping up all over the world.New “expert” companies are entering the market space weekly with the newest protectivetechnology, chemical agents, or protective plan to repel pirate attacks. Some work and othersare dismal failures. The maritime security industry continues to put a band-aide on a severedlimb. Experts and government officials meet regularly to determine how best to mitigate thethreat of piracy but avoid the 800 pound gorilla in the room…the complete political instabilityand lawlessness in Somalia and surrounding countries. Until this issue is addressed and solved,piracy will continue to escalate regardless of the measures taken by shipping companies,governments, and private security contractors.

The approach to solving the piracy problem is going to involve worldwide public and privateresources including military, law enforcement, and private security experts. One obvious, butundesirable, solution is to stop paying the ransoms. However, this would initially cause majorloss of life for crew members, not to mention the loss of extremely expensive ships and cargo.Ultimately, this would cause complete chaos in the shipping industry.
Inserting naval forces has not worked because the naval forces have not been used properly.Currently naval forces conduct patrols and provide escorts to ships through this region.However, pirate attacks and successful hijackings continue to rise. Governments have notused naval assets to blockade the Somali coast (naval blockades have been successful in pastconflicts). The successful defeat of piracy will involve a coordinated effort between naval forcesand ground forces along with the cooperation of national and international law enforcement agencies.

Governments and international law enforcement organizations need to freeze bank accountsassociated with pirate support organizations and rogue states. They must issue legal andfinancial sanctions against groups and organizations whose support of ongoing pirateenterprises can be documented. Pirates who are captured must be prosecuted despite thelegal challenges and burdens that imposes. Efforts must be increased to deal harshly with rogue states who support or turn a blind eye to piracy including international economicsanctions.

Shipping and insurance companies must work with reputable security companies to developand implement policies, plans and procedures for dealing effectively with piracy. Thereare many ships that successfully avoid hijacking by developing, training, and implementingstrong counter-piracy plans, while actively maintaining a good sense of maritime domain andsituational awareness. It seems obvious, but many fail to do this. During the transit of highpiracy areas, all available crew members should be stationed as look-outs and be supplementedby technology-based detection systems. Additional contract security personnel should beconsidered to supplement crews of vessels carrying high value cargo, or those ships thatare very slow moving or unable to readily alter course. All vessels need to be in constantcommunication with the nearest naval assets and other coordinating authorities. Threatintelligence is essential as well. Shipping companies that put these measures in place have amuch lower chance of being hijacked.

By working together to form a well-planned, layered security and military approach, theworldwide epidemic of piracy can be effectively mitigated and our global economy and national security can be protected.

*Corey Ranslem is currently the Chief Executive Officer of Secure Waters Security Group, Inc. anda recognized maritime security expert. Mr. Ranslem has worked in the public and private sectorof maritime security for the past 16 years (eight of those years in the U.S. Coast Guard), focusingon worldwide port and maritime security. For more information please contact Secure WatersSecurity Group, INC, www.securewaters.com or +1 786 390 0196.

October 2010

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE

OCEAN MEDICAL INTERNATIONAL AND SECURE WATERS SECURITY GROUP TEAM UP TO OFFER A FULL RANGE OF SAFETY AND SECURITY SERVICES TO YACHTS

Ocean Medical International and Secure Waters Security Group are teaming up to provide safety and security to vessels worldwide.

Ft Lauderdale, Florida – Secure Waters Security Group, a recognized leader in maritime security, and Ocean Medical International, an industry leader in providing medical kits, equipment and training, are teaming up to offer their combined services to vessels worldwide.

Yachts continue to get larger with more advanced technologies and an ever increasing variety of recreational “toys” carried onboard including submarines and helicopters. Owners expect their yachts to take them to the four corners of the earth, while providing all of the comforts of home. Vessels must now be equipped to handle advanced life safety and security issues, often while traveling in some of the most remote parts of the world.

“This is a great partnership for both companies because safety and security go hand in hand,” comments Corey Ranslem, Chief Executive Officer of Secure Waters Security Group. “Vessel security is very unique because of the requirements of vessel owners and crew. Many of our security personnel are dually trained as EMT’s and Paramedics.”

Dr. Ian Marshall, Medical Director of Ocean Medical International confirmed the need for maximizing medical safety and security: “There are increased health risks associated with international travel and these can be compounded when at sea and in remote areas. Health and safety are critical areas to have maximum protection”.

The Ocean Medical International medical system goes far beyond the basic drugs and bandages in a box needed to pass inspection. Medical information is provided in a user friendly and concise format, with clearly marked medication and equipment easily located, inventory management and, of course, MCA compliancy.

“The most cost effective solution to help secure large vessels and provide medical services is a solid combination of trained personnel, reliable equipment and technology that enhances the abilities of the crew and security personnel,” said Ranslem. “This type of partnership fits well within our area of security expertise.”

“Both companies are committed to excellence in service, and our association with Secure Waters Security Group continues Ocean Medical International’s philosophy of partnering with only the very best in the industry,” added Dr Marshall.

About Secure Waters Security Group
Secure Waters Security Group, Inc provides a variety of value-based security services including security personnel (land and waterside), electronic systems (CCTV, access control, and intrusion detection) maritime security planning and consulting (ISPS/MTSA compliance), threat/risk-based analysis, security training, and special operations personnel. The company is based in South Florida with offices in Southern California, and Seattle, Washington. For more information call +1 786-390-0196 or visit www.securewaters.com.

About Ocean Medical International
Ocean Medical International has been supplying medical kits & equipment, radio/telephone medical advice and crew medical training since 1993. Their medical kits can be found on many of the largest and most high profile yachts in the world, with a range of medical kits suitable for use on any size vessel from day-cruiser to the super-yacht.

The medical kits are manufactured in the UK & USA, using licensed equipment and medications with all instructions in English. Owned and run by former MCA doctors and staffed by trained medical professionals, they have offices in Fort Lauderdale and Palma de Mallorca, Spain as well as agents in France, Holland, Italy, Malta, Turkey, St. Maarten and Australia. For more information call +1-954-767-1046 or visit www.omi2.com.

The 12 January earthquake in Haiti destroyed many of the buildings, including infrastructure facilities not only in Port au Prince, the Haitian capital, but also in the numerous towns and villages surrounding that city; millions of people were left homeless and hundreds of thousands were killed (and/or missing and presumed dead). The buildings and infrastructure of the main cargo port in Port Au Prince also sustained major damage and were closed indefinitely. Most of the piers in the port also were destroyed and most if not quite all of the port’s cargo cranes had toppled into the water. In short, the port was useless, and likely to remain so for a long time to come.

Joseph E. Farrell Jr., president of the Resolve Marine Group, saw the damage that had been done to the port, and to the city, and felt compelled to act. “We had a ship heading from Fort Lauderdale to its homeport in Alabama, and decided to turn it around and bring it back to Port Everglades to take on fuel and supplies before heading to Port au Prince,” Farrell later commented. “I had seen this type of damage before and didn’t want to waste any valuable time.”

Farrell had no contract at the time, and had not been hired by any private or government agency, but he decided to fuel his ship, load it with salvage equipment and relief supplies, and get underway for Port au Prince as soon as possible. He knew that the port had to be opened in order for the huge shipments of relief supplies needed – and many tons of it already loaded aboard on an ad hoc flotilla of relief ships — to get into the hands of the suffering Haitian people. Farrell and his Resolve team had previously been involved in other large-scale disasters, and had spent considerable time working in New Orleans in the aftermath of Hurricane Katrina.

Devastation, Destruction, and Both Short- and Long-Term Damage
Nonetheless, they simply could not believe what they saw when they arrived in Port au Prince. “We arrived … [there] on January 23rd and were astounded at the devastation we saw,” Farrell said. “The private port and the main public port in Port au Prince … [had been] rendered completely useless and the city’s infrastructure was completely destroyed. We knew we needed to get the ports operational as quickly as possible.”

The Resolve team, led by Farrell, started immediately working on Port Varreux, just north of the city’s main port. Once on scene Resolve was hired by the owners or Port Varreux. Within five days Port Varreux was semi-operational and able to receive a limited amount of fuel and other cargo. The Resolve team established a 400 foot landing zone along the beach to accept cargo from small landing craft. The Farrell-led team working on contract with Crowley Marine and Titan through the U.S. military/Transcom turned its attention to the main port to organize the short- and long-term repair process. It was impossible to drive on the docks in the main port, Farrell later recalled, “because most of the pilings were sheered, the docks were broken apart, and the major cargo offloading crane also had fallen into the water.” An estimated 95 percent of the docks in the port, he continued, had been damaged or destroyed, “so we knew … [it] was going to be a long-term project to get the port operational.”

An All-American Effort & Private-Sector Assistance
Farrell and his Resolve Group team and Crowley/Titan worked closely with the U.S. Coast Guard and other American naval and military units that had been deployed to Haiti to determine what would be the most effective plan of action.

“Once we had the landing zone in place in Port Varreuxx,” Farrell said, “we started working to clear the containers and cranes from the water and [to] repair the damaged docks in the main port. We [also] worked with Crowley Marine and Seacor to get the port and fuel system online.”

Security has been a major concern of almost all of the relief agencies and private-sector companies working in Port au Prince and the surrounding area. The Resolve Group team experienced no security problems in the early stages, though, Farrell said, and the Haitian people have been extremely appreciative of the job the Resolve team and other organizations are doing. His team realizes, Farrell said, that full recovery is going to be a long-term project and will require a partnership with the Haitian government, and the Haitian people, because the long-term “fix” could take up to ten years.

“This is not going to be a short-term fix,” Farrell said. The Haitian government should “consider building a new port,” he added, “because it is going to be very difficult to repair the damage” caused by the earthquake to the former port and its surroundings.

Resolve Marine Group is currently working with Crowley Marine and other companies to get the current port’s main cargo crane out of the water sometime in late February. Most of the companies and government agencies involved in the port-recovery effort are using barges to offload cargo into the still crippled port, and at the same time are seeking to get more barges in place to offload as much additional cargo as possible. Through their efforts, more than 1,000 containers loaded with relief supplies had already been moved ashore by the second week of February. So a great deal of progress has in fact been made – but everyone involved recognizes that much, much more remains to be done.

Please click here to read the entire article

Members of The Heritage Foundation’s Maritime Security Working Group
James Jay Carafano, Ph.D., The Heritage Foundation
Jim Dolbow, Contributor, An Unofficial Coast Guard Blog
Mackenzie M. Eaglen, The Heritage Foundation
Shelly Gardiner, U.S. Coast Guard (Consultant)
Mark Gaspar, Director, Maritime Systems, Lockheed Martin Corporation
Daniel Gouré, Vice President, The Lexington Institute
James D. Hull, Independent Consultant
Michael W. Kichman, U.S. Coast Guard (Consultant)
Robbin F. Laird, Ph.D., Gryphon Technologies
Kevin R. McCarthy, Catalyst Partners
Jena Baker McNeill, The Heritage Foundation
David Olive, Olive, Edwards, & Cooper LLC
James Phillips, The Heritage Foundation
Rob Quartel, FreightDesk Technologies
Corey D. Ranslem, Secure Waters LLC
Luke Ritter, Ridge Global LLC
Jeffrey C. Robertson, U.S. Department of Homeland Security
Brett D. Schaefer, The Heritage Foundation
Irvin Varkonyi, George Mason University

Send a nice boy from Iowa to Florida in wintertime and he may decide to stay. Corey Ranslem left -10° weather in Iowa, landed in Orlando, Florida and discovered not only a new career, but also a whole new life. “It was 74°, a little cloudy, and just beautiful,” he recalled. “All of a sudden, I was in paradise in summertime. I looked around and said ‘I am never leaving this.’” And he hasn’t; but we digress.

In December 1994, Corey spent his first US Coast Guard tour based at Cape Canaveral, Florida, patrolling Caribbean waters looking for drug and immigrant smugglers. He had intended to use his Coast Guard service as an entrance into government service, with his sights on the Federal Bureau of Investigation or perhaps the Drug Enforcement Administration. With his Coast Guard enlistment coming to a close, Corey was ready to move towards that goal.

Fate intervened. He was recalled to active duty and sent to Ground Zero in New York after the terrorist attacks on 9-11. His 25-member unit assisted New York police and fire forces and port patrols, riding the chemical tankers and securing the harbor. “It was like a war zone,” he said. The pile of wreckage seven stories tall and the makeshift memorials around the perimeter moved him to tears more than once. “I just couldn’t believe someone would do this to my country.” He still remembers the smell – the horrible, acrid smell of burnt metal and burning fuel. Corey knew he would never again view security the same way.

After leaving the Coast Guard in 2002, Corey accepted a job with Smiths Detection, a manufacturer of the x-ray machines often used in airport security. “We also used Smiths’ electronic equipment in the Coast Guard to detect narcotics,” he said. “You can see down to a billionth of a gram. It’s really fascinating.” He completed Smiths’ security training program and became a project manager for aviation security checkpoints in developing countries in Africa. Constantly traveling for the next 16 months, he steadily advanced within the company, becoming a regional manger based in Washington, DC.

“My job was exciting; I was working on security issues for the White House, but I wanted to be back in Florida and back in the maritime environment.” Right on cue, he met the team at Secure Waters, a maritime security and consulting firm that focused on commercial and government clients and was ready for expansion. When he joined the company in 2006, Corey brought with him a wealth of solid, real life experience, specialized military training and expertise, a BS in Communication with a minor in Political Science, and an MBA in International Business from Georgetown University. Using his skills and credentials, he helped expand Secure Waters into the recreational marine sector, focusing on providing security for large yachts and providing maritime consulting on an international operational level. Now the CEO and part owner of Secure Waters, his team is impressive. His business partners are former US Coast Guard, they hire only experienced professionals, and they are among the elite in the business. Their approach to security is logical, comprehensive, and focused on the client’s specific needs – from planning through implementation.

Corey is a masterful juggler of time, energy, and talent. Each month he flies to Washington for meetings with government clients. He keeps a steady pulse on the yachting industry through his work at Secure Waters. An expert in port and ship security matters, he travels extensively and recently presented security updates to yacht captains in St. Maarten. He chairs the Marine Industries Association of South Florida Security Committee, and is involved with the Marina Mile Association, Maritime Security Council, U.S. Superyacht Association, ASIS International, and the Broward Navy Days. Through the Broward Navy Days and the Miami Chapter of ASIS International, he’s currently raising money to build the Fisher House at the Miami Veterans Hospital. He attends Calvary Chapel in Ft. Lauderdale, and volunteers as an usher during Saturday night services, in the men’s ministry, and in the Impact Singles ministry. Whew!

“I love South Florida,” Corey says, “It’s the only place other than Iowa that feels like home to me.” Wanting to be even closer to the heart of the yachting industry, Corey plans on moving his office from North Miami Beach to Fort Lauderdale …. a move his dog, Bruno, heartily agrees with!

Honest, highly energetic, with an unwavering “can do” attitude, Corey (and his team) provide reliable security to an array of clients, never forgetting his military experiences or 9-11, and determined no one will cause destruction to anything or anyone on his watch. I believe him.

Corey Ranslem
Secure Waters LLC
PO Box 530291
Miami, FL 33153
786-390-0196
info@securewaters.com

www.securewaters.com