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The Port of Baltimore
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May/June 2014
security requirements of CBP while processing
passengers in a manner that is attractive for tourists
who are utilizing the Port of Baltimore as a departure/
arrival point. “Our Port receives high ratings from
cruisers for the efficient way the facility handles
passengers,” noted Dave Thomas, MPA’s Director of
Operations.
REMAINING ALWAYS ON GUARD
Another critical partner in keeping the Port safe
and commerce flowing is the U.S. Coast Guard. Sector
Baltimore, headquartered in Curtis Bay, is responsible
for all Coast Guard activities in the Upper Chesapeake
Bay and its tributaries — an area that encompasses
some 1,200 miles of shoreline reaching all the way
to Washington, D.C. The mission of Sector Baltimore
includes everything from search and rescue to
icebreaking and supervision of vessel traffic in an
especially busy waterway. The Coast Guard is also
in charge of vessel and terminal inspections while
spearheading response and force protection — in
short, whatever it takes to keep the port safe.
“Facilitating safe, secure and environmentally
sound commerce is one of the Coast Guard’s highest
priorities,” said Captain Kevin Kiefer, Captain of the
Port, Sector Baltimore. “Here in Baltimore, we work
closely with numerous port stakeholders, including
the Association of Maryland Pilots, Baltimore Port
Alliance, Maryland Port Administration, Harbor Safety
Committee, Area Maritime Security Committee and
many others to mitigate competing priorities with an
eye toward keeping the waterways safely open.”
This past winter brought the heaviest ice
accumulation in the Upper Chesapeake Bay and C&D
Canal in 30 years. “Working with stakeholders, we
pooled Coast Guard, Maryland Department of Natural
Resources and industry assets to keep the waterways
open at all times with minimal restrictions,” Kiefer
said, adding, “In the event of a significant emergency,
such as a hurricane, we would follow prepared
contingencies already coordinated with all of our
stakeholders with a goal to minimize the impact on
the Port. ... This approach is not only good for the
economy, it has been proven to be the safest.”
While the Coast Guard is the enforcement arm for
the federal government’s Maritime Security Act, it has
PHOTOGRAPHY COURTESY OF U.S. COAST GUARD
