Security & Safety Briefs - Sept. 23 - Sept. 29
The Latest Headlines:
- Trucks May Be Allowed to Use High-Speed Ferry to Cross Border
- Ridge Says U.S.-Mexico Border Won't be Militarized
- Homeland Security to Turn N.M. Into Anti-Terror Location
- Ridge Says U.S.-Mexico Border Won't be Militarized
Trucks May Be Allowed to Use High-Speed Ferry to Cross Border
The U.S. Customs and Border Patrol determined that trucks certified through the FAST and C-TPAT border-inspection programs could be allowed on a high-speed ferry traveling between Rochester, N.Y. and Toronto, the Associated Press reported.The ferry, which was orginally opened only for car service, was suspended was halted in September after only three months of operation due to financial problems and government regulations, AP said.
Trucks not cleared through the border programs would be directed to the Greater Rochester International Airport for examination and be subject to additional fees, AP said.
Ridge Says U.S.-Mexico Border Won't be Militarized
Homeland Security Secretary Tom Ridge said Monday the United States did not have plans to militarize the U.S.-Mexican border, the Associated Press reported.Ridge made the statement in Nogales, Az., where he was announcing the creation of two high-tech lanes for cutting waiting times for trucks, AP said.
He said he had seen nothing suggesting that terrorists have tried to cross the border with Mexico. Transport Topics
Homeland Security to Turn N.M. Into Anti-Terror Location
The Department of Homeland Security plans to give $5 million to the New Mexico Institute of Mining and Technology, which will buy the entire town of Playas, N.M., and turn it into one of the country's top locations for anti-terrorism training, the New York Times reported.The university has trained more than 90,000 emergency workers to respond to terror attacks since the Oklahoma City bombing of 1995. Altogether, it is receiving $20 million in grants from the Department of Homeland Security for anti-terrorism programs.
The city of Playas used to have about 1,000 residents, but its population is currently about 50, and they view purchase as a way to keep the town alive, the Times said. Playas has struggled after the Phelps Dodge mining company went out of business in the late 1990s.
Despite its small size, Playas has an airstrip capable of handling small jets and underground electric wiring connecting every home to the grid, the Times said. Transport Topics
