The Port of Long Beach has been awarded more than $2.6 million by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Federal Emergency Management Agency to protect critical infrastructure and ensure the safe movement of trade at the nation’s second-busiest seaport.
Long Beach, as the third-largest recipient of funds from the agency’s Port Security Grant Program, plans to strengthen cybersecurity, improve drone detection capabilities and upgrade network infrastructure that supports the efficient flow of cargo.
The Southern California port saw record container traffic in September and in the third quarter.
Homeland Security also awarded $4.2 million to six terminals at the port, the Long Beach Police Department’s Port Police Division and the Long Beach Fire Department.
“We thank the Department of Homeland Security for driving innovative security practices and heightening the port’s ability to protect the people and the infrastructure responsible for moving cargo valued at more than $200 billion annually,” said Port of Long Beach Chief Executive Mario Cordero in a release. “This grant will bolster the port’s existing security systems and enhance the resiliency of our operations in the event of an emergency.”
The grant will also help “secure the livelihoods of more than 2.6 million people whose jobs depend on port operations,” Long Beach Harbor Commission President Bonnie Lowenthal said in the release, and will strengthen the gateway for trans-Pacific trade.
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