July 2004
Well, Once again I am
on the Anastasis for the summer. This time I will be
upgrading the locks and security systems on the ships so we can meet
regulations that go into effect July 1st. It has been quite a
challenge to secure a 51 year old ship that was not designed in an
age where security was important or necessary. I was upto the
challenge and had some good help along the way. Abbie Reese
describes it best below in the short story she writes: |
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Don
Wolven, right, checks crew member Wanda Gray's identity card at
the ship's security kiosk. |
Hospital Ship Ups
Security
04
July 2004 | Liverpool, England
The
Anastasis, a 51-year-old converted cruise liner, has been
equipped to be more secure in an age of terrorism even as the Mercy
Ships flagship continues offering life-saving and life-changing aid
in developing countries.
All crew, guests and visitors now must scan the identification
badges at a kiosk – the Mercy Ships Security System – before they
can board the vessel. Code locks have been installed on all weather
deck doors leading into the ship’s accommodation areas. And all
supplies loaded onboard now are subject to thorough checks.
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Code
locks have been installed on all weather deck doors leading into
the ship's accommodation areas. |
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The additions help bring the
ship into compliance with the International Ship and Port Facility
Security Code (ISPS), which took effect on July 1. From inception to
regulation, ISPS was the quickest international code ever
implemented, said Don Wolven, Anastasis Security Officer. The
new measures were adopted during a meeting in December 2002 at the
International Maritime Organization (IMO) and designed to
“strengthen maritime security and prevent and suppress acts of
terrorism against shipping”, according to the IMO. Ships and ports
have been charged with creating security plans to define how they
will assess the risks, determine their security level and respond
accordingly.
The Anastasis recently was approved for a five-year ISPS
certificate by the hospital ship’s authorizing agency, Lloyd’s of
London. Crew should take comfort, Wolven said, that the more
rigorous security measures affords them with more vigilant
protection. “We’ll have an increased level of certainty the ship is
secure from external influences – adverse influences,” Wolven said.
Before the code came into effect, the Anastasis had already
upped its security with a metal detector and Ghurkas, Nepalese
security officers trained by the British military, manning the
gangway.
–
Abbie Reese
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