Serving as an honest broker by providing technology, information, assistance, and expertise to the nation’s law enforcement, corrections, and criminal justice communities

Intermodal Security Done Right

The security of the intermodal supply chain must be maintained for the U.S. economy to thrive. Brave men and women put their lives on the line every day to protect this critical component of our Nation’s economic engine from terrorism, and they deserve the best tools available to assist them in accomplishing this extremely complex task.

As the prime integrator for the National Model for Interagency Operations Centers, SCRA stands at the forefront of intermodal security. We understand the complexities of bringing together multiple federal, state, and local agencies to share the information necessary to unify intermodal security. It requires knowledge of the cultures, the technologies, and the processes used by each of the agencies.

We have worked in partnership with the major organizations responsible for securing the Port of Charleston and its intermodal transportation linkages, including United States Coast Guard, Customs and Border Protection, Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, Department of Justice, state, local, and private agencies to help make them successful in this critical mission.

SCRA installed and now manages several systems that have increased the situational awareness of intermodal transportation and the risk it poses to Charleston. SCRA has implemented an information sharing system that allows Maritime Domain Awareness information to be securely shared between cross-jurisdictional agencies.

Transforming Information into Intelligence

SCRA understands all too well that delivering accurate information in a timely manner is essential to developing the intelligence needed to assess the risks. Numerous government agencies as well as many commercial companies all have pieces of data that can contribute to determining the potential risks to the Nation’s intermodal supply chain. However, these individual pieces of data must be fused to create the maritime domain awareness knowledge needed to keep the intermodal supply chain secure.

SCRA has been at the forefront of developing, integrating, and implementing the tools, technologies, and processes needed to facilitate the information sharing and data fusion in the Maritime Security and Law Enforcement domains for several years. Our clients look to us to bring disparate data together to form the necessary information required to maintain the safety and security of our ports.

Poised to Expand

As a result of efforts in support of the Port of Charleston, SCRA has gained extensive expertise in implementing intermodal security solutions. This includes the design, development, and implementation of highly flexible enterprise system architectures, interagency operations, and fusion centers as specified in the Safe Port Act of 2006, interagency information sharing portals, networked sensors for providing intermodal domain awareness, interoperable communications systems, application of standards, and conduct of technology assessments and training exercises. We are poised to leverage our experience in establishing interagency operations centers and data fusion centers to achieve the level of maritime domain awareness needed to assist other ports around the country to protect these critical economic and strategic assets.

Project SeaHawk - The National Model for Multi-Agency Operational Integration The Department of Justice was tasked by Congress to stand up an interagency task force and operations center in Charleston, South Carolina. They needed assistance from a partner with operational law enforcement, interagency information sharing, and engineering experience. In response to this challenge, SCRA developed a robust enterprise architecture that enables information to be shared among all agencies, thus ensuring that the risks associated with the intermodal transportation links are known by the right individuals when they need it. We designed and integrated systems that allow officers from each of the agencies to share intelligence via secure communications, and wireless and wired networks that form the IT infrastructure for the interagency operations center. And we integrated various sensors that provide the level of maritime domain awareness needed to ensure that the port and its intermodal transportation linkages are secure. But perhaps our greatest accomplishment was working closely and tirelessly with each participating organization to navigate the cultural waters, bypassing or tearing down the political dams that routinely stop the flow of critical intelligence and law enforcement information. The resulting SeaHawk Task Force Interagency Operations Center is one of a kind in the nation.

Technology for Better Emergency Response Palmetto 800 MegaHertz, the South Carolina interoperable public safety radio system, includes state, local, and federal government users; private sector utility users; and private sector ownership and management. This technology was procured and delivered by SCRA. The system grew out of concerns that law enforcement and emergency workers raised after Hurricane Hugo struck the Charleston area 16 years ago. During natural or man-made disasters, it is important for law enforcement, fire, EMS, public works, and emergency preparedness agencies and officials to be connected. A simple and timely connection will result in faster response times, which can potentially save lives. Palmetto 800 helped direct traffic during Hurricane Charley and, because it allows agencies with dissimilar radio and communications equipment to talk to each other, it played a significant role in helping law enforcement and emergency workers more effectively respond to the Graniteville train wreck and subsequent chlorine spill.