APL, the container shipping arm of Singapore's Neptune orient Lines, the FBI together with other law enforcement agencies, have carried out a full-scale security exercise at the carrier's Seattle terminal.

    The day-long drill involved 200 people with representatives from the US Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, port police and fire department. All helped evaluate APL's collaboration with the public sector in countering threats to the supply chain. APL invited competing terminal operators as observers.

    The event was a live simulation, staring with a call to the FBI about a suspicious device found aboard a vessel in port. The carrier summoned federal investigators and local public safety officials who took charge of the exercise which included a complete vessel search, radioactive screening of cargo containers, evacuation of terminal personnel, equipment and communication between the carrier, law enforcement and APL's customers.

    "The cooperation we received from law enforcement was outstanding and the exercise was useful in showing us what works and what needs to be improved on," said NOL Group vice president of security Earl Agron.

    "Every time we go through one of these exercises, we become that much more effective in mitigating security risk and improving resilience," he said in a company statement, adding that this was the seventh such exercise.

    APL has held full-day security exercises in Singapore, Yokohama, Los Angeles, Oakland, California and Kaohsiung. It has been five years since it conducted a test in Seattle.

(source:http://www.shippingonline.cn/news/newsList.asp?classname=News)