Port of Long Beach awarded $2.72 million security grant

As a recipient of the agency's Port Security Grant Program, the Port of Long Beach will use the funding to modernize its core security network, strengthen existing security systems and enhance resiliency and business continuity in the event of a disaster.

Officials welcomed the grant announcement as an opportunity to improve the Port's ability to prepare for, respond to and recover from large-scale emergencies.

"This grant will strengthen our ability to protect the workforce and critical infrastructure responsible for moving cargo valued at more than $200 billion annually," said Port of Long Beach CEO Mario Cordero. "We thank the Department of Homeland Security for helping enhance the security and resiliency of our operations in the event of an emergency."

The $2.72 million grant awarded to the Port of Long Beach will be divided across four projects:

• Maintenance for closed-circuit television and wireless security systems, including more than 750 cameras keeping watch across the Port.
• Support for existing security access control systems and information-sharing platforms connecting commercial agencies and law enforcement agencies at the federal, state, and local levels.
• Expansion of a cloud-based resiliency network in the event of terrorism, a cybersecurity attack, a natural disaster or other emergency outages.
• Modernization of the Port's core security network to protect the integrity of the systems monitored by its security headquarters, the Joint Command and Control Center.

As the premier U.S. gateway for trans-Pacific trade, the Port handles trade valued at $200 billion annually and supports 2.6 million jobs across the United States, including 575,000 in Southern California.