New Facility Houses Offices for U.S. Coast Guard and Brevard County Sheriff’s Operations
At a ceremonial ribbon cutting today, Port Canaveral officially opened the doors to a new Port Security Operations Center. Located on the Port’s north side, the new facility is adjacent to Canaveral Fire Rescue Station 54 and the Port’s Interagency Maritime Operations Center. The recently opened facility houses the operations of the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment Center, and consolidates the Canaveral Port Authority TSA and Badging Office with the Brevard County Sheriff’s office port security operations.
Port Canaveral CEO Captain John Murray led the ribbon cutting ceremony joined by Port Canaveral Commissioner Wayne Justice, U.S. Coast Guard Sector Jacksonville Commanding Officer Captain Todd Wiemers and Brevard County Sheriff’s Office Commander Linda Moros.
“Public safety and port security are complex missions at Port Canaveral. As a strategic gateway, our seaport is a vital entry point for commerce and trade,” said Captain John Murray, Port CEO. “The safety and security of our port is not happenstance. It takes a tremendous amount of training and teamwork among and between all the professionals dedicated to the safety of our facilities, our employees, partners and guests, as well as our surrounding community,” stated Murray.
As a result of damage sustained during Hurricane Matthew last year, the U.S. Coast Guard Marine Safety Detachment was in need of a new work location. The Port’s state of the art facility will now combine agencies with the common, unified goal of keeping Port Canaveral safe and secure.
Captain Todd Wiemers thanked the Canaveral Port Authority for allowing the Marine Safety Detachment to be located with their core partners. “This facility assists the Coast Guard to further our missions as we provide national security, border security and economic security.”
Commander Linda Moros of the Brevard County Sheriff’s Office spoke about the collaboration among agencies. “It’s a team effort to assure we keep our port the safest port in the country. We are blessed to have our partners right beside us.”
Port Canaveral Commissioner Wayne Justice was on hand to welcome the Coast Guard to their new facility. Commissioner Justice retired from the Coast Guard as a two star admiral after 37 years and stressed the importance of co-locating the agencies at Port Canaveral. “This facility highlights how agencies integrate to keep Port Canaveral safe for the millions of visitors who pass through our port and for the people who live and work here,” said Justice.
The 20,135 square foot complex consists of emergency operations, training facilities, operations center, fire training and response, badging and TSA offices.
Pictured: (L to R: Commander Linda Moros, Brevard Sheriff’s Office; Sector Jacksonville Commanding Officer Captain Todd Wiemers, U.S. Coast Guard; Captain John Murray, Port CEO; Port Canaveral Commissioner Wayne Justice)
ABOUT PORT CANAVERAL
Led by the elected five-member Canaveral Port Authority Board of Commissioners and Port Director and CEO, Captain John Murray, Port Canaveral is one of the world’s most dynamic and exciting ports. A world-class gateway for cruises, cargo, recreation and logistics, as well as a gateway to new frontiers, including space, Port Canaveral hosts more than 4 million revenue cruise passengers through its state-of-the-art terminals and 5.5 million of tons of cargo annually, including bulk, break-bulk, project, and containerized. The Port is strategically located to service all Florida markets, as well as the Southeastern United States. In addition to world class cruise facilities and diverse cargo operations, Port Canaveral offers more recreational opportunities than all other Florida deep-water seaports combined, including public parks, free public boat ramps, marinas, an entertainment district, and the seven-story interactive exhibit and event venue Exploration Tower. For more information, visit www.PortCanaveral.com.