The USCG Office of Port and Facility Compliance (USCG-FAC) issued its “2016 Year in Review” report, which summarizes its implementation and enforcement of maritime safety, security, and stewardship regulations and policies as regards US ports and facilities.
The highlights included in the year passed are:
- Common Assessment and Reporting Tool (CART): The Marine Transportation System Recovery Common Assessment and Reporting Tool (MTSR CART) program supports field personnel with port recovery and status reporting. The MTSR community received a modification to CART to include new categories of Essential Elements of Information (EEIs) this year, which will assist field units in accurately reporting the status of key operations within the port and provide senior leaders with a valid measurement of the health of the port- post incident.
- FAC Notes: In an effort to increase the flow of communication between the program office and field units, CG-FAC introduced FAC Notes, a monthly document consisting of policy updates, best practices, program announcements, and other pertinent information.
- Office of Cyberspace Forces: CG-FAC provided near full-time programmatic support to the CG- 791 Implementation Team (Office of Cyberspace Forces). The goal of this program office is to realign the C4ITSC, CG-6, TISCOM, and CG-791 to better address the CG Cyber Strategy and to weave the Cyber Workforce initiatives into the CG Human Capital Plan.
- iPad Program: CG-FAC-2 completed the distribution of 120 iPads to Facility Inspection teams throughout the Coast Guard, thereby reducing the need to carry large quantities of references and materials that could weigh nearly 30 – 40 pounds.
- Port Security Specialist (PSS) Program: A Front End Analysis was conducted for both the PSS & Security Specialist Port/Recovery (SS P/R) workforce, that developed a job requirement task list and helps to identify the performance support (e.g. training, e-training, job aids etc.) needed for PSS/SS P/ R personnel to perform at an optimal level in accordance with the duties and responsibilities as outlined by their position descriptions.
- Arctic, Caribbean, and other CG-FAC work on Prevention of Pollution of the Marine Environment: CG-FAC-2 staff has been working with the NOAA– led US Delegation to the Arctic Council Work Group on Protection of the Arctic Marine Environment (PAME) as routes over the North Polar seas open up. The work group is assessing increases in shipping traffic in the Arctic due to climate change and marine transportation infrastructure at Arctic and near Arctic ports, such as port reception facilities required by MARPOL.
- Coast Guard LNG Workgroup: CG-FAC continues to chair the Coast Guard’s Liquefied Natural Gas (LNG) Workgroup and, during this last year, provided program with numerous field notices issued by the Liquefied Gas Carrier National Center of Expertise.
- Updated Breach of Security & Suspicious Activity Reporting Procedures: CG-FAC published COMDTINST 16610.30A and CG-5P Policy Letter 08-16, which outlines the criteria and process for suspicious activity and breach of security reporting. Coast Guard Captains of the Port, Area Maritime Security Committees and the operators of vessels and facilities regulated by the MTSA may use this policy letter when evaluating SA and BoS incidents. This policy letter also covers reporting requirements and guidance on reporting cyber security related events.
USCG FAC also remains the lead office for implementing the Protect Infrastructure portion of the Strategy. The achievement this year was the completion of the draft Cyber Navigation Vessel Inspection Circular, that is to be released via the Federal Register in spring of 2017.
Further information may be found in the following report:
