IMSN to provide training at Florida Keys Community College
IMSN to
provide training at Florida Keys Community College: International Maritime Security
Network, LLC (IMSN) in coordination with Florida Keys Community College (FKCC),
is pleased to announce the offering of IMSN's MSLEP Course. MSLEP is a
16-hour maritime security training course specifically developed for Military,
First Responder, and Law Enforcement Personnel with an understanding of
enhancements to security in the maritime arena as well as the unique
circumstances and operational conditions therein. Those who successfully
complete the course should better be able to undertake their duties and
responsibilities in the port, maritime, and intermodal environment.
The first round of training will be held at the main FKCC Campus in Key West,
Florida on January 16th and 17th.Anyone interested in attending this
training should contact Catherine Torres at 305.809.3250.
Is it possible to pirate-proof a yacht?
Securing a yacht is far more difficult than a cargo ship, because it is
slower, lower on the water, and unable to throw up a high wake to toss
advancing pirate skiffs.
But a number of US, UK and European companies have come to market with
products and services they say can reduce the risks for sailors
courageous - or foolhardy - enough to sail pirate-plagued waters.
Firms will supply armed guards who berth on the client boat or aboard
a high-powered escort vessel, train yacht owners and crews on how to
identify and respond to a pirate threat, and provide a range of kit to
keep the pirates at bay once they have neared the yacht.
US-based International Maritime Security Network is
developing a system for yachts that will shower approaching pirates with
slick, foul-smelling green liquid.
"The last thing they want to do now is shoot anything," said
chief executive officer Tim Nease. "They want to jump in the water, and
hopefully sharks are hungry. You just have to get away from it. You
can't breathe in, you can't breathe out. It burns, it stinks. It's
nasty." More at http://www.bbc.co.uk/news/world-us-canada-13057869
Daniel Nasaw -BBC
Caribbean ship testing new anti-piracy system
There are cameras that capture images clear
enough to distinguish between a fishing vessel and a boatload of pirates
10 miles away. There are cascades of water and noxious compounds to
repel invaders. And there are shields to withstand a rocket-propelled
grenade.
A container ship that steamed into a Puerto
Rican port Friday was old by commercial shipping standards but it had
the latest in security measures, upgrades that convert it into a
floating fortress designed to be impregnable to piracy.
The 720-foot Horizon Producer was
temporarily outfitted as a training exercise for the crew, a
demonstration for officials from Panama and Belize both with major
global shipping registries and as an informercial for journalists. It
also offers a window into the shipping industry's debate about what
measures to take amid a surge in pirate attacks.
The Republic of Panama, as the first registry of the world, along with ship-owners, is testing the usage of new technologies to prevent recurrent attacks from pirates along the Somali Coast and Gulf of Aden.
The Panama Maritime Authority informed that it would be implementing non-lethal weapons for use against pirates that approach vessels with the intention of hijacking it. The new implementation of non-lethal weapons will be in accordance to approval from the International Maritime Organization, which recommends:
The use of piping around the vessel to create a wall of water
Electrifying the rail
Use of barbed wire
Panama has the largest registry of vessels in the world. There are over 8,800 Panamanian flagged ships in the world, making them more vulnerable. The most affected vessels are those that operate in Europe because they must use the Suez Canal.
Recently, Panamanian flagged vessels have been hijacked off the coast of Somalia, such as the MV Hannibal II, taken last Thursday with 31 crew members. That same day Chinese crew members were released from another vessel, where they were kept for months. They were released for an undisclosed amount of money, but some suggest it could be in the several millions.
Of the 70 U.S. vessels that frequently operate in these high
risk waters, 34 have armed security details. "The cost of these details runs
about $20,000 per day," estimated Zukunft. "Frequently in our outreach we fend
off overtures that this should be a militarized mission, but considering the
value of these cargoes, having these details is simply the cost of doing
business."
Having state of the art deterrence, surveillance and
detection equipment also helps to protect vessels against attacks.
International Maritime Security Network LLC (IMSN) has designed the Triton
Shield Anti-Piracy System, a non-lethal device that creates an active deterrent
around the perimeter of a ship. The product was developed as a multilayered
defense package that incorporates training and education, hard security to
enhance the ability to detect, deter and defend against piracy.
"Working with IMSN has provided valuable insight for Horizon
Lines and allowed us to take immediate action to enhance our vessel and
facility security posture and our ability to mitigate the risk of either a
pirate or terrorist attack," said Mike Bohlman, the director of marine services
at Horizon Lines, a U.S. container ship operator that handles cargo bound for
Asia. Read more...
Written by Mark Fitzgerald
PMA to Evaluate Anti-Piracy Defense Course
Panama City-
September 10, 2010- The Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) has approved
our Anti-Piracy Defense Course for evaluation. A pilot Anti-Piracy
course will be taught September 20th-22nd to Panama Maritime Authority
officials in Panama City.
The course was designed for officers
and crew of commercial shipping vessels. It will provide students with
various concepts related to compliance with anti-piracy laws and how to
handle a possible pirate attack.The course consists of classroom
training as well as drills, defensive tactics and other exercises.
The Anti-Piracy Defense Course has already been approved and certified by the Maine Maritime Academy in Castine Maine.
IMSN Signs Contract with Columbus University
IMSN recently signed a contract with Columbus University in
Panama City, Panama to provide the Anti-Piracy Defense Course to cadets.
The cadets will be some of the first to take the APDC online
through Holland College after the course is released in early September. Cadets will complete their training
with drills on a ship anchored near Panama City.
"I'm glad that the first people to take this class will be
the students at Columbus," IMSN CEO Captain Timothy Nease said. "We are doing everything we can to make
sure that the next generation of mariners knows how to protect themselves from
piracy."
The course covers several topics including the motivations,
tactics and profiles of pirates worldwide, international rules and best
practice, vulnerabilities of ship types, practical guidance on how to survive a
hostage situation, and various methods to detect, deter, and defend against
pirate attacks. Hands-on sections
include self-defense and anti-piracy drills.
Based in West Virginia and operating worldwide, IMSN is a
full-service maritime security company offering quality training, ship security
assessments and audits, ship security plan writing, third party due diligence
security testing, and the Triton Shield APS.
IMSN at Maine Maritme Academy
Source: WLBZ2
Second Transportation and Logistics Forum
Captain Ralph Pundt,
Chair of the Marine Transportation Department at Maine Maritime Academy, and co-founder of International Maritime Security Network spoke today at the Second
Transportation and Logistics Forum. The Forum was hosted by The Pontifical
Catholic University of Puerto Rico and held at the Conrad San Juan Condado
Plaza.Captain Pundt a maritime
security expert, who continually works to develop solutions to make the seas
safer for mariners, spoke on Piracy: a threat for International Transportation.His speech focused on piracy as it affects
trade in the Caribbean and South America.Other speakers included
Mr. Charlie Hermosa VP- General Manager IslandWide Logistics, Dr. Ralph Otero,
CPP CEE, Mr. Edmundo Rodriguez, CHB President & CEO Nestor Reyes, INC, and
Atty. Rhonda Castillo Gammill, Executive Director Port of the Americas.Captain Pundt worked closely
with IMSN in developing the Anti-Piracy Defense course and Triton Shield
Anti-Piracy System.
Combating Maritime Piracy: A Policy Brief
Maritime piracy continues, especially off the Somali coasts, despite significant
efforts by shipping companies, captains, and crews; major international surveillance and
prevention efforts by naval and air task forces; and growing intelligence about the pirates
onshore and offshore. In 2009, pirates attacked a total of 217ships (22,000 ships passed
through the Gulf of Aden alone, and others traversed the wider waters of the Indian
Ocean), with 47 successful hijackings and the collection, in 2009, of more than $60
million in ransom payments. Some of the captured merchant ships and crew were held off
the Somali coast for as long as nine months before being ransomed. One large oil tanker
was ransomed in 2009 for about $5 million, the largest ransom payment on recorduntil
the reported $5.5 to $7 million ransom paid fora Greek-owned oil tanker in early 2010.
In 2008, only 111 ships were attacked, up from approximately 50 in 2007. Of the 2008
attempted hijackings, 32 were successful. About $55 million was delivered to the pirates
for ransom in 2008. The profits foregone and losses entailed by being hijacked in both
2008 and 2009 probably equaled the amounts paid in ransom. Thus the costs to the
industry each year due to Somali piracy were at least $100 million.
Rotberg, Robert I. COMBATING MARITIME PIRACY. Rep. no. 11
IMSN Test and Unveils New Anti-Piracy System
Recently, International Maritime Security Network LLC. (IMSN) conducted their first phase testing of the originally-designed, non-lethal Triton Shield Anti-Piracy System (pat. pending).
The Triton Shield APS was developed as a multi-layered defense package to give mariners the ability to DETECT, DETER and DEFEND against piracy. The package incorporates training and education, hard security, and the originally-designed, custom made, Triton Shield anti-piracy non-lethal device.
Horizon Lines, LLC, a US flagged container ship operator serving US domestic routes and Asia, offered their resources and assets to the project. Aboard the container vessel HORIZON CRUSADER, IMSN conducted APS system tests and safety drills with Horizon crewmembers.
"Working with IMSN has provided valuable insight for Horizon Lines and allowed us to take immediate action to enhance our vessel and facility security posture and our ability to mitigate the risk of either a pirate or terrorist attack," Mike Bohlman, Director of Marine Services at Horizon Lines, said.
Application of the system starts in the classroom with IMSN's Piracy Defense Course and with technological upgrades to the ship. With the Triton Shield APS, a ship will be able to detect an incoming ship and determine the difference between a fishing boat and a pirate craft, day or night.
The Triton Shield APS was developed with maximum deterrence in mind. IMSN provides several options to harden vulnerable areas by updating passive security measures onboard a ship. The innovative Triton Shield device will also create an active deterrent, a wall of water, around the perimeter of a ship. The use of water is nothing new, but the device maximizes the protective potential without risking the lives and safety of the ship's crew.
Finally, should deterrence fail, the Triton Shield APS includes an armed security team as the last line of defense. IMSN hard security teams will operate under the guidelines of force continuum which provide them with the tools and training needed to evaluate a potential threat and determine the proper amount of force needed for any given situation.
"Our system will give every opportunity to fend off the pirates before the need for deadly force. Deadly force will only be considered when every option has been exhausted, and there is no other recourse to save the lives of the crew and maintain the safety of the ship" Captain Timothy D. Nease, founder of IMSN, said.
IMSS Sign's deal with UMIP
Panama City- June 12, 2009 - The Universidad Maritima Internacional de Panama signed a training agreement with International Maritime Security Services, a division of International Maritime Security Network LLC, and will soon offer the courses developed by the Hickory-based company.
As part of the deal, UMIP will receive all of IMSN's certified maritime security courses. Anti piracy specialist Capt. Tim Nease and hard security director Lt. Ryan Mechtel are currently in Panama training members of the UMIP to effectively convey the material to their students.
"With the amount of traffic through the canal, Panama is a prime target for piracy," Nease said. "The students at UMIP will be ahead of the game with this training."
IMSS will add several maritime security courses to the UMIP curriculum, including Port Facility Security Officer, Ship Security Officer, a first responder course, a fast boat course and the new anti-piracy course.
The partnership between IMSS and the Panamanian maritime university is the first of many expected contracts for IMSN.
"We're really proud to finalize this contract with UMIP," Mechtel said. "It's great for us and it's going to be a great investment for them."
Pirate attacks are nothing new in the world of overseas shipping and international trade
BANGOR, Maine - Pirate attacks are nothing new in the world of overseas shipping and international trade, but when Somali pirates attacked and tried to hijack the U.S.-flagged Maersk Alabama early in April' a new spotlight was aimed directly at the problem.
Capt. Ralph Pundt, chairman of the William F. Thompson School of Marine Transportation at Maine Maritime Academy in Castine, told the Bangor Rotary Club on Tuesday that nonlethal vessel security plans need to be put into place to prevent future attacks.
"This has been going on for a very long time," he said, standing in front of a map of the world speckled with white dots. "Every one of these dots is a high spot for piracy."
The dots were located all over the world, but were concentrate around the edges of the Indian Ocean and the long coast of Africa.
In the east African country of Somalia, where the average annual wage is a mere $600, many of the pirates are hungry and trying to feed their families, Pundt said. Pirates in that area simply throw a grapple line onto the deck of passing ships and climb aboard, he said.
"The key is to keep them off the ship," the sea captain said.
Once they're on board and take a crew member captive, "the ship stops" and the pirates usually get what they want, in many cases a ransom, he said.
"It does them no good to kill you," he said, adding that there are some "nasty little buggers" who do kill.
In the area off the east African coast where the Alabama was attacked in April, attempts have been made by ship captains to avoid the pirates by going farther out to sea and traveling in convoys.
"The bigger ships decided to go 400 miles off the coast and are still getting attacked," Pundt said, adding, "We've had ships attacked in convoys.
"A vast amount of water needs to be patrolled" to protect ships, he said. The issue is "very complex when you're dealing with international waters."
After graduating from MMA in 1977, Pundt spent nearly two decades aboard tankers and cargo vessels that traveled the world, sometimes through pirate-infested waters, before returning to Maine in 1999 to become an MMA professor.
As an MMA teacher, he understands firsthand the importance of keeping his students, who are the next round of new ship captains and crew members, safe.
"This threat, it changes everything," he said.
Pundt co-founded the International Maritime Security Network in 2007 and is developing nonlethal anti-piracy vessel security plans, training and defense systems that he hopes to promote to the International Maritime Organization.
He suggested vessel operators "use what they have access to," even if it's a fire hose, to prevent being boarded.
"The only thing you can really do is try to make it as difficult as possible to get on board," Pundt said.
Ricker, Nok-Noi. "MMA professor addresses Rotary on preventing piracy." Bangor Daily News 5 May 2009. 7 May 2009 .
SOCP
Pittsburgh- Capt. Ralph Pundt and Capt. Tim Nease of IMSN were invited
to speak on modern anti-piracy tactics at the Ship Operations
Cooperative Program (SOCP) in Panama on March 31, 2009.
The SOCP is an industry-government partnership that was formed in
1993 to share ideas and development in the industry. The International
Maritime University of Panama and the Panama Canal Authority hosted the
SOCP Spring meeting. The meeting, which was held from March 31 to April
2, included expert speakers from the shipping industry. Topics begin
discusses include Maritime Code, Piracy and Security, Green Ship
Operations, Panama Canal Expansion, and Training and Education.
