The Oxnard Harbor District, in partnership with the Naval Post Graduate School Center for Asymmetric Warfare (CAW) (www.cawnps.org) hosted the annual Coastal Trident Port Security and Response Exercise, "Coastal Trident 2011" on Wednesday March 23rd. The exercise involved more than 38 agencies partnering with the Port Security Committee including the Ventura County Sheriff’s Bomb Squad, California Highway Patrol, the Coast Guard, TSA and CBP.

The CT-11 exercise represented a continuation of the lessons learned from the 2007 through 2010 Coastal Trident Trainings and Exercises.

CT-11 consisted of training in EOC Action Planning and the activation of the District’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) in support of live field play. The field play took place at two other locations on Port property involving the Ventura County Regional HAZMAT Team and the California National Guard 9th Civil Support Team.  Participants responded to the discovery of simulated smuggled radioactive material on the Port and at a District-owned vehicle lot on Arcturus Avenue in Oxnard.
 

This exercise is an annual event sponsored by the Oxnard Harbor District. Although the exercise was not based on any known threat to the Port of Hueneme or the County of Ventura, the exercise was nonetheless conducted under tightly controlled conditions to test the Port’s facilities security plan and emergency response plan.
 

The event included a simulated response to a hazardous material and/or weapon of mass destruction at both the Vehicle Lot and at the Port. The response included the movement of fire, police, military and hazardous materials response units typically associated with a hazardous materials scenario.

In order to make public attendance more convenient the Board of Harbor Commissioners passed ordinance No. 240 setting 5:30 P.M. as the new meeting time for the Board.  Previously the meeting time was 5:00.

http://www.portofhueneme.org/home.php

The Main Gate Security project was authorized in early 2009 by the Board of Harbor Commissioners to realign and improve the District’s Central Gate, to better respond to security needs of the District, enable deployment of TWIC card readers, and accommodate Department of Homeland Security mandates through the Customs and Border Protection (“CBP”) group which called for installation of Radiation Monitors (“RPM”) at U.S. Seaports.  The project was divided into three phases.  Phase one called for the re-alignment of the gate area and construction of a new security booth.  Phase two included the application physical improvements including a slurry seal, traffic striping, fencing, and completion of the electrical and communications system at the Port’s entrance booth.   The District is now prepared to move into the third phase of this capital project. 
 

Phase three continues the upgrades and improvements and is broken down into two parts; physical and, technological improvements.  Physical improvements include more asphalt, slurry seal, roadway striping, signage, gate arms, lights and removable guard posts.  The technological improvements include multiple cameras, video analytics and license plate readers.  One of the other portions of the technological improvements includes installation of a Port-Wide Fiber Optic Network providing a communication backbone linking cameras, TWIC card readers and other related uses.  For this final port-wide Fiber Optic Network (FON) Tetra Tech Construction submitted the winning bid and construction is expected to begin sometime in April 2011.

http://www.portofhueneme.org/documents/agenda-022811/j.2-022811.pdf

Officers and other volunteers from the Salvation Army recognized volunteers from the Oxnard Harbor District for their participation in the Army’s 2010 Kettle Challenge.  Six teams of volunteers competed to solicit the highest amount of money in the Kettle Challenge and the District’s volunteers won first prize, bringing in the most dollars.  Representatives from the Salvation Army attending the Board Meeting included Officer Eric Sonstegard with the Oxnard Police Department, Glee Lewis Advisory Board Chair, Oxnard/Port Hueneme Salvation Army, Pauline Daerr- Red Kettle Campaign Coordinator and Advisory Board member Oxnard/Port Hueneme Salvation Army.

The automobile, imports for February 2011 compared to February 2010 posted a 16.1% increase. Leading all cargo however was High & Heavy General Cargo including heavy equipment, tractors and farm equipment.  Track vessels calling at the port at:

http://www.portofhueneme.org/documents/201103251354-vessel_schedule.pdf