PASS Provides Comprehensive Security For Marine Facilities And Boats

PASS Security has been providing commercial and industrial security solutions in the St. Louis area since 1969. The marine and terminal segment is a big and growing part of its business. PASS’s systems serve several barge terminals in the St. Louis area and boats up and down the Mississippi River.

PASS Security spent years developing and perfecting its Maritime OverSite program. The company evaluated hardware and software solutions to take advantage of the latest technology and innovations and combined all these into a rugged, reliable package. Its technology partners and equipment suppliers are all leaders in their fields. The result, PASS says, is a suite of components that work together seamlessly to give customers a level of management oversight that just wasn’t possible before.

According to PASS Security’s website, a company can have “eyes” on its vessels: from bow to stern, and their facilities: from docks to warehouses. The company says this oversight improves a company’s ability to manage risk as well as resources, by giving immediate information regarding logistics and incidents. Cameras can also allow remote inspection of equipment and alert the company when there is an issue or problem.

Myron McDonough, vice president at SCF Services in St. Louis, agrees and uses a PASS Security system. The main draws, he told The Waterways Journal, are its ease of use and the recording feature.

“We have used incidents recorded as a training tool in our safety training,” he said.

Improving Security And Productivity

The most obvious benefit of video monitoring and surveillance is that it enhances security. Highly visible cameras and clear signage serve as a powerful deterrent, said Brad Pickett, strategic account manager for PASS Security. Pickett worked with SCF to develop its system: “Folks tend to behave better when they know somebody is watching and recording their activity. So theft, vandalism and other illegal or reckless behaviors happen less frequently. And when they do happen, they tend to be less severe.”

“But it’s more than just a safety and security thing,” said Pickett. “Many of our maritime users tell us that their employee productivity goes up when our systems are installed.”

Pickett said the resolution of the digital images can be adjusted to suit the client’s needs. “Digital footage has to meet all kinds of requirements for all kinds of uses. If you just want to sweep the area and keep an eye on things, that’s fine. And if you want that facial recognition video quality, we can do that too.”

PASS’s video systems can achieve resolutions of up to 7K and meet all relevant standards for accurate timestamping.

Facilities that install security systems often get a break on their insurance rates, and vessels that regularly use yards or terminals with security camera systems can see their rates go down as well.

Pickett said that judging by the steady growth in demand, systems like Maritime OverSite are coming to be regarded as standard industry practice on docks, shipyards and terminals.

Safety Culture

Video monitoring and surveillance systems can be a powerful tool to improve safety for maritime operators. The American Waterways Operators believes that video can be a powerful, effective teaching tool. Showing crew members video of safe and unsafe practices can help them to better understand and adopt procedures that improve safety and reduce risk.

Video records can help defend a company against false injury allegations, for example, by showing that a crewmember disembarked the vessel at the end of a shift in good health.

When cameras move indoors, issues get a little more complex, but the logic still stands that cameras are allowed in areas where a person does not have a reasonable expectation of privacy. Privacy experts recommend against surveilling areas where employees might have a reasonable expectation of privacy—like locker rooms—unless there is a serious and ongoing concern. If an indoor area needs to be monitored, staff and visitors should be warned by signs that surveillance cameras are in use.

PASS Security will be at the Inland Marine Expo in St. Louis at the America’s Center, May 20-22. Visit them at booth 811.