Safety and security the word at the container port

The Fariview Container Port will provide a larger scale of security than Prince Ruper residents have seen on our waterfront ever. With viedo cameras, large scale fencing and security patrols, the days of wandering down to the docks to see what's happening have apparently come to an end.

In it's friday paper The Daily News featured the new empahsis on security and how it will be provided.

Port’s world-class security system offers a safer future
By Leanne Ritchie
The Daily News
Friday, April 20, 2007
Pages one and three


When it comes to human trafficking and sexual exploitation, the new Fairview Container Terminal will have a security system that will improve on an already good safety record, said a representative of the Prince Rupert Port Authority.

Barry Bartlett, the port’s manager of Corporate Communications and Public Affairs for the Port of Prince Rupert spoke at the Youth Safe Conference on human trafficking and sexual exploitation this week. He said the port corporation is taking advantage of the opportunity to build the new security system from the ground up with the terminal, not only to attract international shippers but ensure the safety of community and region.

“The port and people at the port are just as concerned and supportive of preventing this kind of exploitation from occurring. I’ve got two kids. Most people here have kids. We are all in this together,” said Bartlett.

“Relative to what’s happening to the port, we are spending millions of dollars in 2007 on security. What will happen is the all-around security will be far superior and far more effective than it has ever been in the past.”

The port is spending millions of dollars, at least more than $2 million in 2007 alone, to implement a new security system.

Specifically, they are setting up a wireless video surveillance so they will have the complete harbour covered, from where the berths are, up to Tuck Inlet and down to the harbour mouth.
“Anything and everything that moves within the harbour will be under surveillance,” said Bartlett.

In addition, Fairview Terminal will be fully enclosed with a fence and will have 24-hour security guards.

“In terms of people coming onto the terminal and off the terminal, it will be pretty hard to get on or off unauthorized and then we still have the security cameras complementing the guards and security system.

“In the past, when it was a break bulk facility it was like anybody could go down there. That will no longer happen.”

There was a perception at the conference that the new port could bring a massive increase in migrants, the city burgeoning over with people, a lot more ships in the harbour and crews in town.

But Bartlett said that’s not accurate.

“One of the attractions to Prince Rupert with the port we are building is it’s intermodal — our ability to load and unload ships and trains cycling at the rate that makes us one of the most productive terminals in North America,” he said.

There will be two to three ships coming in per week. For two days, they will work non-stop to load and unload and then they are gone.

It is a totally different situation from what occurs now with ships waiting at berth in the harbour for week before loading.

“They’ll be berthing unloading, loading and gone. You will see very few of the crews around town.”

In terms of the projection for the population increase, Prince Rupert, Port Edward Economic Development is projecting by 2011, another 2,200 direct, indirect and induced new jobs created including through projects like the gaming centre and mall.

The population increase should be fairly comparable to Prince Rupert in the past.

“That perception that the town is going to be overflowing, I don’t think that is really going to occur,” said Bartlett.

As for migrants being smuggled through the ports in containers, Bartlett said he has checked with his counterparts at other ports in North America and it’s a non issue.

Even last week when Canadian Border Services were expecting the possibility of 100 to 200 stowaways arriving on a container vessel coming to Halifax from Lisbon, one trafficking expert noted it was unlikely as the people would not survive in the nearly airtight refrigerated containers.