FEMA awards security grant to Port of Baltimore

The Port of Baltimore will receive a boost in security funding in part by a $703,116 grant from the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA), state officials announced yesterday.

The grant will help pay for strengthening access control points and cybersecurity efforts at the port's state-owned public marine terminals.

"As the Port of Baltimore continues to break cargo records and generate higher numbers of jobs, we want to make certain it remains one of the most secure seaports in the nation,” said Gov. Larry Hogan in a press release. "This funding will help further our mission to ensure the security of the men and women who work at the port, as well as the inbound and outbound cargo that comes through the port.”

The FEMA grant will be used for three projects: upgrading and adding security features to software that prevents unauthorized access to public marine terminals; adding three access control booths to the terminals; and incorporating additional mechanisms and upgrades to cybersecurity platforms.

In 2018, the port's combined state-owned public and privately owned marine terminals handled a record 43 million tons of international cargo. Also last year, the state-owned public terminals handled a record 10.9 million tons of general cargo and more than 20-foot equivalent containers of cargo.