HONOLULU – Federal grant money, approximating $3.5 million, has been awarded to several entities throughout Hawaii, Guam and American Samoa through the 2022 Port Security Grant Program (PSGP), a little known yet critical federal program that ensures supply chain resiliency within the Hawaiian Islands, Guam, Mariana Islands, and American Samoa.
The PSGP is one of four grant programs under the Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) that focuses on strengthening the nation’s critical transportation security infrastructure. The purpose of the PSGP is to provide necessary funds to not only state partners, but local, territorial, and private sector partners to enhance security measures and resilience to critical maritime infrastructure and build threat readiness.
“Many businesses and agencies in Hawaii, Guam, and American Samoa have been successful in applying for these Port Security Grants over the years, which has certainly helped in bolstering our supply-chain resiliency,” said John Manganaro II, Coast Guard Sector Honolulu port security specialist. “The Coast Guard continues to work with our port partners and within the Cyber and Infrastructure Security Agency within the Department of Homeland Security to ensure a robust cyber security port infrastructure.”
The PSGP is vital to maintaining a modernized and secure port and uninterrupted flow of commerce. Regional health, safety, and prosperity is inextricably linked to the maritime enabled flow of goods and services, especially realized within the Pacific Islands. This program is one of the ways the Coast Guard works with private and public sector partners to secure the regional maritime transportation system from disruption, cyber enabled or otherwise.
“In my role as the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator for Hawaii and American Samoa, I am encouraged to see our industry and agency port partners join together in enhancing port security with these available grant funds,” said Captain Aja Kirksey, sector commander of Coast Guard Sector Honolulu. “It is through partnerships like these between federal government and local entities that we can achieve a more secure and resilient port complex.”
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