The fourth edition of the opinion space of the Port of Tarragona, created in November 2020, was held last Wednesday afternoon to participate and speak on a new topic that concerns the relations of the Port of Tarragona with the Territory. The objective of this meeting was to discuss with port actors about security and emergency management in the port environment.
The Open Discussion Group for Civil Society Participation in Tarragona, baptized as “Espaí de Aubigno Port Tarragona” meets periodically, twice a year, about twenty representatives of the social and cultural fabric of Tarragona, Villa Seca and other cities in the port’s influence. On this occasion, nine new people who participated in the meeting for the first time were integrated into the venue.
The aim of yesterday’s discussion was to deal with the security perception in the port of Tarragona and to know the emergency management plans and protocols of the port authority. Committee members answered a brief questionnaire through a mobile application to find out the group’s view on issues such as facility security, types of emergencies that could occur at the port, or plans designed to deal with them.
Port Chief, Josep May Crosett, explained that the improvement plan and implementation of a new paradigm in emergency management started a few years ago and has spread since 2019. This process has taken into account the improvement in resources, training and practical exercises in collaboration with other emergency teams, especially the firefighters and marine rescuers in Generalitat. Crossett highlighted that the new emergency management model is already called the “Tarragona port model,” as it is unique emergency management in the port system and is explained and adopted by other port facilities.”
Visit the new emergency management room
Once the seminar ended, members enjoyed a guided tour of the new emergency management room located on the fifth floor of APDO’s corporate headquarters. It is a unique room in the government port system due to its concept, equipment and connections. This new space is another step forward in the deployment and implementation of its emergency management model designed by the Port of Tarragona for 3 years.
The emergency management room has an area of 70 square meters and is equipped with video walls and 15 monitors allowing access to updated information to make better decisions in emergency situations. The video walls It facilitates access to more than 300 surveillance cameras located within the port area and coordinated from the port police surveillance control center, while the rest of the monitors provide useful information for resolving emergency situations.
The displays show live meteorological data, simulations, electricity and water network parameters, high performance firefighting network status, and industrial machinery and equipment counts, among other useful information in case of danger.
The room also contains screens with real-time information on ship calls, products stored in the Chemistry Dock and Hydrocarbon yard, as well as other information from other relevant agencies (Civil Protection, Sasemar, etc.) to facilitate coordination and decision-making.
The space also has a separate telephone line and has the latest communication systems through a simple, attractive and intuitive interface that makes it easy for the people in charge of the room to quickly access the necessary information in each case.
Visit Port Control
The visit ended in the port control room on the third floor of the corporate headquarters. This space serves as a monitoring and control center for maritime and port traffic. It is a coordinated service between the Port Authority, responsible for the safety of port operations, and maritime rescue, responsible for saving human life at sea, preventing and combating pollution of the marine environment, providing monitoring and support services for maritime traffic, and maritime security. and navigation, among other things. A technician from the Port Authority and two technicians from Maritime Rescue are permanently in this room 24 hours a day to ensure safety in the internal and external waters of Tarragona Port.
