Long Island Maritime Workers Begin Port Security Credential Enrollment
Port and longshore workers, truckers and others operating within Long Island Sound and the nearby area have begun to enroll in the Department of Homeland Security's Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) program, which started on July 24. The program's goal is to ensure that any individual who has unescorted access to secure areas of port facilities and vessels has received a thorough background check and is not a security threat.
"The start of enrollment here is one more step in our effort to prevent persons who are a threat from gaining access to secure areas of port facilities," said Maurine Fanguy, TWIC program director for the Transportation Security Administration. "We appreciate the support of our partners in Long Island for helping to make one of the world's most advanced interoperable biometric systems a reality."
More than 140 ports have begun enrollment in the nationwide program. Ultimately, the program will be rolled out to 147 enrollment centers and will vet more than 1.2 million maritime transportation system workers through April 2009.
"TWIC is a crucial part of our multi-layered risk-based approach to maritime security," said Captain Dan Ronan, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Long Island Sound. "It will strengthen security at the ports and maritime-related facilities and vessels like the ones located here on Long Island."
For more information, or to pre-enroll, go to www.tsa.gov/twic or the Coast Guard's Web site, http://homeport.uscg.mil.