Virginia Port Authority Uses Situator Technology To Enhance Security At Marine Terminals

  • Nov 27, 2007

Orsus has been awarded a contract for its Situator product suite with the Virginia Port Authority. The project spans three locations and provides the Virginia Port Authority with a system that integrates video and access control with command and control response capabilities.

The deployment began in early November. Part of the financing for this project came from a $3 million federal security grant awarded by the Department of Homeland Security to enhance security at three state-owned marine terminals.

Situator enables the Virginia Port Authority to integrate internal and external data and video communications, police dispatch systems, and command center alert and display systems for three of its facilities -- Norfolk International Terminals, Newport News Marine Terminal and Portsmouth Marine Terminal -- in one location. It also supports emergency response and continuity of operations, real-time information exchange within the maritime domain, credentialing, and C-TPAT (Customs-Trade Partnership Against Terrorism) compliance.

Ed Merkle, Virginia Port Authority's Director of Port Security and Emergency Operations stated, "the port has been on an extensive and exhaustive search of the right technology for our emerging command and control center, while we found many solutions, Situator proved to be the best value in the market."

Situator is a security and safety situation management software for integrated control rooms. It creates an environment where all current and future technologies, people and actionable procedures are fused into a unified control and management platform. Situator leverages existing security investments and empowers security personnel to focus on exception management. Situator helps transform routine and emergency plans into actionable, adaptive tasks and procedures and integrate them with virtually any security and safety devices, management systems, dynamic data sources and communication systems.

The Virginia Port Authority owns four general cargo terminals -- Norfolk International Terminals, Newport News Marine Terminal, Portsmouth Marine Terminal and the Virginia Inland Port, in Front Royal. In 2006, these ports transported 16.5 million tons of cargo. The Virginia Port Authority's terminals span multiple cities and include distribution warehouses, cargo terminals, and an intermodal facility that connects truck and rail to transport ocean-going containers.

With Orsus' Situator, the port authority can integrate incident reporting, simulate security related events for training purposes and deploy system analysis tools to provide a comprehensive security approach. It enables the port to also improve risk management, minimize vulnerability and comply with security regulations governing port facilities.

Featured

  • Security Industry Association Announces the 2026 Security Megatrends

    The Security Industry Association (SIA) has identified and forecasted the 2026 Security Megatrends, which form the basis of SIA’s signature annual Security Megatrends report defining the top 10 factors influencing both near- and long-term change in the global security industry. Read Now

  • The Future of Access Control: Cloud-Based Solutions for Safer Workplaces

    Access controls have revolutionized the way we protect our people, assets and operations. Gone are the days of cumbersome keychains and the security liabilities they introduced, but it’s a mistake to think that their evolution has reached its peak. Read Now

  • A Look at AI

    Large language models (LLMs) have taken the world by storm. Within months of OpenAI launching its AI chatbot, ChatGPT, it amassed more than 100 million users, making it the fastest-growing consumer application in history. Read Now

  • First, Do No Harm: Responsibly Applying Artificial Intelligence

    It was 2022 when early LLMs (Large Language Models) brought the term “AI” into mainstream public consciousness and since then, we’ve seen security corporations and integrators attempt to develop their solutions and sales pitches around the biggest tech boom of the 21st century. However, not all “artificial intelligence” is equally suitable for security applications, and it’s essential for end users to remain vigilant in understanding how their solutions are utilizing AI. Read Now

  • Improve Incident Response With Intelligent Cloud Video Surveillance

    Video surveillance is a vital part of business security, helping institutions protect against everyday threats for increased employee, customer, and student safety. However, many outdated surveillance solutions lack the ability to offer immediate insights into critical incidents. This slows down investigations and limits how effectively teams can respond to situations, creating greater risks for the organization. Read Now

Most   Popular

New Products

  • Luma x20

    Luma x20

    Snap One has announced its popular Luma x20 family of surveillance products now offers even greater security and privacy for home and business owners across the globe by giving them full control over integrators’ system access to view live and recorded video. According to Snap One Product Manager Derek Webb, the new “customer handoff” feature provides enhanced user control after initial installation, allowing the owners to have total privacy while also making it easy to reinstate integrator access when maintenance or assistance is required. This new feature is now available to all Luma x20 users globally. “The Luma x20 family of surveillance solutions provides excellent image and audio capture, and with the new customer handoff feature, it now offers absolute privacy for camera feeds and recordings,” Webb said. “With notifications and integrator access controlled through the powerful OvrC remote system management platform, it’s easy for integrators to give their clients full control of their footage and then to get temporary access from the client for any troubleshooting needs.”

  • HD2055 Modular Barricade

    Delta Scientific’s electric HD2055 modular shallow foundation barricade is tested to ASTM M50/P1 with negative penetration from the vehicle upon impact. With a shallow foundation of only 24 inches, the HD2055 can be installed without worrying about buried power lines and other below grade obstructions. The modular make-up of the barrier also allows you to cover wider roadways by adding additional modules to the system. The HD2055 boasts an Emergency Fast Operation of 1.5 seconds giving the guard ample time to deploy under a high threat situation.

  • Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden CV-7600 High Security Card Readers

    Camden Door Controls has relaunched its CV-7600 card readers in response to growing market demand for a more secure alternative to standard proximity credentials that can be easily cloned. CV-7600 readers support MIFARE DESFire EV1 & EV2 encryption technology credentials, making them virtually clone-proof and highly secure.