NEW ORLEANS - Coast Guard Sector New Orleans and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA)  will facilitate a Port Security Training Exercises Program (PortSTEP) here, scheduled for June 21, 2007 in New Orleans.

The exercise will involve the entire port community, including private industry and government agencies.  

The goal of the exercise is to evaluate the maritime community's current preparedness and their ability to respond to and recover from a terrorist-related incident.

"PortSTEP is designed to benefit maritime and surface transportation security communities throughout the U.S. via a suite of training exercises, evaluations and accompanying information technology products," said Noreen Brown, TSA's PortSTEP project officer.  "This information will prove invaluable as we work to balance freedom of commerce and protection of our nation's transportation system."

"Protecting the maritime infrastructure is a team effort," said Coast Guard Captain Lincoln Stroh, the federal maritime security coordinator for Sector New Orleans.  "This exercise will test how well we are prepared to work together and will help us identify areas for improvement."

Sector New Orleans is one of 40 seaports from around the nation to participate in PortSTEP over the last three years.

Federal PortSTEP participants for this exercise include the Coast Guard, TSA, the Federal Highway Administration and the Maritime Administration. 

The exercise is closed to the general public.

For more information see Contact Mr. Roy Ford at (504) 565-5092.

###