Long Beach wins $3.4 million for security

The Federal Emergency Management Agency has awarded the Port of Long Beach’s Security Division $3.4 million in grants to fund ongoing projects that protect the Port. The grants will enhance port security systems such as physical security equipment and monitoring and detection systems, including the Virtual Port System, and improve the resiliency of port security systems. “Protecting workers and the community, as well as ensuring business continuity, are top priorities at the Port of Long Beach,” said Lori Ann Guzmán, President of the Long Beach Board of Harbor Commissioners. “FEMA’s grant money will help us carry out important security projects and enhance our abilities to work with our security partners at the Port. FEMA, which is part of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security, offers the grants for port security initiatives, and recipients like the Port of Long Beach must provide at least 25 percent of the cost of the project. The trade that flows through the Port of Long Beach sustains about 1.4 million jobs across the United States, making the Port a valuable economic resource. To safeguard that resource, security operations at the Port have been greatly enhanced by $136 million in grants received since Sept. 11, 2001. The Long Beach Harbor Department’s Security Division partners with local, state and federal law enforcement and security and emergency-response agencies including the Long Beach Police and Fire departments, FBI, U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the U.S. Coast Guard. The Port of Long Beach is one of the world’s premier seaports, a gateway for trans-Pacific trade and a trailblazer in goods movement and environmental stewardship. With 175 shipping lines connecting Long Beach to 217 seaports, the Port handles $180 billion in trade annually, supporting hundreds of thousands of Southern California jobs.