• E-mail
• Print
• Comment
• Font Size
• Digg
• del.icio.us
• Discuss article

Port of Philadelphia Demonstrates New Seaport Operation Center - RAPID Center - a National Model for Information Sharing

Posted on: Tuesday, 12 July 2005, 12:01 CDT

PHILADELPHIA, July 12 /PRNewswire/ -- The Port of Philadelphia has rolled out RAPID (Regional Agile Port Intermodal Distribution) Center, a new seaport operation center, which was utilized during the current deployment of the 10th Mountain Division from Ft. Drum, New York.

RAPID Center is a collaborative effort between the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania, the Department of Defense (DOD), the United States Surface Deployment and Distribution Command, the United States Maritime Administration and the Delaware River Maritime Enterprise Council (DRMEC). This is the first DOD-funded seaport operations center.

RAPID Center is a neutral, secure, electronic communication system. It was developed by The Howland Group, a female-owned business enterprise, for the non-profit DRMEC, which was established to develop rapid and secure supply chains for DOD and commercial shippers.

RAPID Center leverages an existing global communication and electronic system that currently serves both DOD and the U.S. State Department through a partnership with the Institute for Defense Analyses (IDA) Studies and Analyses Center, a Virginia-based federally funded research and development center. This is a fast and less expensive development path for neutral, secure information sharing between the federal government and trusted partners.

"RAPID Center provides DOD with improved visibility of its shipments as they move between the US and the war theater," said Major General Charles Fletcher, Commanding General of the United States Military Surface Deployment and Distribution Command (SDDC). "With advanced information sharing we are able to move equipment and supplies between the U.S. and war theater faster and more securely and that's the name of the game. The commercial strategic Port of Philadelphia is helping to ensure that supplies and equipment get to the warfighters when they need it. That's a big job and the Port of Philadelphia is helping to make sure we meet that mission."

The new RAPID Center also provides advanced information sharing on the status of DOD shipments with local law enforcement, state emergency management organizations and other federal agencies like the United States Coast Guard (USCG).

Assistant Secretary of Defense for Homeland Defense Paul McHale sees the value of the new operation center: "This type of information sharing between DOD, other federal agencies and our commercial and state and local enforcement partners is how we ensure that supply chains are not only more efficient, but more secure." McHale added, "Information sharing is the key to making our seaports and other vital infrastructure more secure. What has been accomplished here in Pennsylvania is a model of cooperation and collaboration that can be replicated at other seaports."

Adrian King, Director of the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency, noted that Pennsylvania took pride in being the first state in the country to bring together all the parties involved in the complex network of vendors, military units, rail carriers, law enforcement, and seaport operators needed to move the massive amount of supplies and equipment necessary to ensure that the warfighter has what he or she needs when they need it.

King said, "Pennsylvania has more National Guard troops deployed than any other state. We have major military installations and vendors involved in repairing equipment and making sure it gets back to the soldiers in a timely manner. We have both a commitment and a responsibility to ensure that critical supplies and equipment move fast and move secure from the U.S. to the warfighters who are on the front line in places like Baghdad and Kabul."

DRMEC Chairman William Keller, a state representative whose district includes the Philadelphia Port, stated, "We worked hard to obtain the commercial strategic seaport designation for the Port of Philadelphia because we saw that the port's strategic location in close proximity to military forts and repair facilities was critical to DOD's mission of supporting the warfighter. Since achieving strategic seaport status in October 2002, we've been doing our part for the war effort. During calendar year 2004 up to the present time, the port has handled 11,698 pieces (1,867,048 million sq. ft.) of military equipment in support of Operation Enduring Freedom and Operation Iraqi Freedom. That shows the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania is engaged and committed to supporting our nation's troops abroad."

Philadelphia Regional Port Authority Board Chairman Brian Preski underscored the importance of RAPID Center to the Port of Philadelphia, "Clearly, this achievement helps enhance the overall competitive advantages we have over other seaports. This port's biggest success story, in the past several years, has been our ability to efficiently and effectively respond to DOD's logistical needs."

In addition to military and state officials, the Association of American Railroads (AAR) and CSX played a critical role in moving the goods and monitoring the movement of the train between Fort Drum and the Port of Philadelphia at the AAR Operation Center in Washington, D.C.

Edward Hamberger, AAR President, said the involvement of his organization in the RAPID Center effort is a model of cooperation between commercial rail carriers, DOD and state and local law enforcement. He said, "RAPID Center demonstrates that homeland security can be a shared responsibility of both business and government and enables each to contribute value to the overall mission of making sure that transportation is efficient and secure for the benefit of commercial and military shippers."

While the train moved and while the cargo was staged at the port, the Pennsylvania, New York, and New Jersey Wings of the Civil Air Patrol (CAP) provided overhead reconnaissance photos. One of CAP's strengths is being able to bring together assets from other wings (states) to provide an integrated reconnaissance support package.

The overhead, aerial images were seen at the CAP National Operations Center at Maxwell Air Force Base, the Pennsylvania Emergency Management Agency (PEMA) Center in Harrisburg and at RAPID Center at the seaport. CAP, a volunteer organization, has been supporting military operations at the Philadelphia seaport for the past two years. CAP National Commander, Brigadier General Antonio Pineda said, "This is a new mission for CAP. It enables us to grow our organization and redefine our mission since 9-11. That's good for our volunteers and for our country."

The successful creation and deployment of RAPID Center clearly shows how federal, state, local, and commercial partners can support our country's national defense requirements. The collaborative model developed as a result of this effort will directly benefit other information sharing processes being developed for other military, federal and commercial systems. What's being done in Philadelphia can be replicated at other strategic seaports and is a big step in protecting America and supporting our troops.

The Howland Group

CONTACT: Susan Howland of The Howland Group, +1-215-633-7312,showland@howlandgroupinc.com

Source: PRNewswire

More News in this Category