Security software soothes suspicious minds

Port Security Awareness is immersive 3D interactive training software which enables Rotterdam Port safety personnel to train for detection of suspicious activity in the port, both on water and on shore.

It was developed for the Port of Rotterdam by VSTEP and is a fusion of its RescueSim virtual incident trainer and NAUTIS Maritime Simulators. PSA puts users on board a Rotterdam Port Authority patrol vessel during a routine patrol through the Port of Rotterdam. As the trainee actively sails the vessel through the port, he has to carefully observe the activity both on water and on shore. Trainees can use binoculars to zoom in on activity on shore and water.

Prior to the exercise, the instructor can create different ‘suspicious’ and ‘not suspicious’ scenarios and actions by using the scenario editor. These activities will trigger at a selected time during the exercise. The trainee then has to determine whether to qualify the detected activity as suspicious or not suspicious. Each time the trainee notices an activity, he notes this in the interactive logbook, which can then be reviewed after the exercise to discuss the different detected activities with the instructor.

Training is possible both individually or in class as trainees discuss the different detected situations and review follow-up action. PSA allows for the creation and training of many different ‘normal’ and ‘suspicious’ scenarios, including scenarios that are difficult to train in real life. The entire port of Rotterdam is included in the training software in full 3D, and any possible scenario can be added or created on customer demand. PSA can be created and customized for any port worldwide, using specific vessels and scenarios.

Examples of the ‘suspicious’ scenarios included in the PSA version developed for the Port of Rotterdam include divers in the water submerging and rising near a moored vessel, a fast craft mooring to another vessel, people on the shore opening a container and loading the contents into their cars, people on the shore transferring goods from one car to another, a diver trying to board a navy or civilian vessel, a VLCC entering a restricted port area, a RIB entering the port, an individual dropping and leaving a bag unattended on shore, and many other scenarios.