Security & Safety Briefs — October 5 - October 11

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The Latest Headlines:

• Security Test Completed at Port of Seattle
• New Generation of Radiation Detectors to be Installed at N.J. Port
• Troopers to Conduct Safety Inspections on Ohio 4
• Atlantic Hurricane Season Draws to a Close

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Security Test Completed at Port of Seattle

Ocean carrier APL, the Port of Seattle and a number of public safety agencies completed last Thursday a test of security procedures at the port.

The exercise saw APL, the Port of Seattle, the FBI, Customs and Border Protection, the Coast Guard and the Seattle police and fire departments band together to test their collective response to a simulated bomb threat, the port said in a statement.

As part of the exercise, which also tested an “integrated command structure” involving APL, the port and local and federal response agencies, the crew of an APL cargo vessel and dockworkers at the port’s Terminal 5 were evacuated. Transport Topics

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New Generation of Radiation Detectors to be Installed at N.J. Port

New Jersey’s Port Newark will install this month a new generation of radiation detectors to bolster security, the Associated Press reported Tuesday.

The new detectors will be capable of more accurately distinguishing between the amounts of radiation sometimes found in natural products, such as granite and ceramic tile, and dangerous radioactive materials used in weapons, AP said.

The new vehicle-mounted units, known as advanced spectroscopic portals, would replace the hand-held units currently used by workers to scan containers that trigger the port’s radiation detectors, AP reported.

If the new detectors prove successful, the technology could be rolled out at other U.S. ports, AP said. Transport Topics

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Troopers to Conduct Safety Inspections on Ohio 4

Ohio State Highway Patrol troopers will conduct random safety inspections Friday on Ohio’s route 4 highway, local newspaper the Marion Star reported.

The checks will include lights, wipers, brakes, horns, tire tread and exhaust systems. Inspectors will also check driver's licenses, vehicle registration and proof of insurance, the newspaper said.

In addition, troopers will set up an inspection site on the highway north of Marion, Ohio. Transport Topics

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Atlantic Hurricane Season Draws to a Close

A forecast team at Colorado State University said there will be no more major hurricanes during the remainder of this year’s Atlantic hurricane season, Reuters reported.

The team expects two more tropical storms to form in the Atlantic as El Nino conditions develop in the Pacific.

William Gary, head of the Colorado State team, told AP that the effects of El Nino typically mellow hurricane activity in the Atlantic. Transport Topics

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