BCS automation (Belleville, Ontario, Canada) has developed and launched a new ship security system VigilantSea™ in response to the recently adopted International Ship and Port Facility Security Code (ISPS Code). The ISPS Code, which came into force 1st July 2004, provides a framework for evaluating risk for ships and port facilities and is intended to encourage measures preventing acts of terrorism against shipping. “As threat increases, the only logical counteraction is to reduce vulnerability,” the preamble to the code states. The VigilantSea™ system is designed in part to prevent acts of terrorism against the marine shipping industry and was recently installed on a new Canadian oil tanker the MT Algoscotia.

VigilantSea™ consists of two systems which together supply total intrusion protection. The VigilantSea 4000™ Surveillance System provides a constant watch on deck and surrounding area using weather-proof, stainless steel cameras. The cameras allow detailed inspection on the ship’s deck and surrounding areas. All video can be viewed and controlled from the bridge or a cargo control room. Cameras can be scheduled to record or programmed to begin recording when motion is detected. The VigilantSea 3000™ Controlled Access System grants the right of entry only to those who are authorized in restricted areas of the ship.

The controlled access system uses numeric keypads at access points into restricted areas. Marine approved PC based equipment allows crew to manage the system and maintain a log of access events.The system is designed to withstand the harshest conditions at sea, incorporating vibration dampening, marine grade cabling and rugged components.