Course Objective - Assess the importance of Port Management Security. Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 350 words. Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be a minimum of 150 words and include direct questions. Initial Post Due: Thursday, by 11:55pm ET Responses Due: Sunday, by 11:55pm ET Respond to the discussion question. Use additional research, critical thinking, analysis, what you have learned in previous courses, the media, and in your professional lives to craft the answer Define the subject; make references to what you have read/researched in and our of class, what you have learned elsewhere, and then form a response. The following historical incidents happened over 60 plus years ago. Assess the lessons learned from these port incidents and discuss measures taken to mitigate these issues from happening again. Support your response in a paragraph or two for each of the following: Halifax Explosion - 1917 Pearl Harbor - 1941 Port of Chicago - 1944 Texas City - 1947 Documents are attached here and and can be found in the "Lessons" area of the classroom. Note this requirement - respond to at least two of your classmates' posts. The+Port+Chicago+Disaster+July+1944.pdf Halifax+Explosion+-++Halifax,+Nova+Scotia,+Canada+December+1917.pdf Texas+City+Disaster+April+1947.pdf Attack+at+Pearl+Harbor+December+1941.pdf Importance of Port Security Management Port Disasters and the Lessons Learned For the last lesson topic discussion of the course we will assess four catastrophic maritime events that occurred in times past.  Matter of fact, these disasters happened over 60 years ago, and are excellent events to assess and review for lessons learned.  Moreover, we can take from these incidents and conclude what measures have been implemented over the years to correct and prevent these types of catastrophes from ever happening again. The Halifax Explosion The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6, 1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova, Scotia was devastated by the detonation of the French vessel SS Mont-Blanc cargo ship that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The Mont-Blanc detonated after colliding with the Norwegian SS Imo. Casualty reports indicated that almost 2,000 people were killed by the explosion and approximately 9,000 + were injured. The Halifax Explosion of 1917 was quite possible one of the deadliest accidents to have ever occurred. One of the first glaring mistakes appears to be lack of explosive material safety. A failure in safety precautions is due to just pure ignorance. In 1917, a lot of the technology was not available to utilize when testing and fielding explosives—regardless of commercial or military applications. Picric acid is a highly sensitive material that can be detonated with small applications of heat, friction or shock. Obviously, carrying 2,300 tons of picric acid is not the best idea in the world. There are also some serious issues with compat.

1. Course Objective - Assess the importance of Port Management
Security.
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 350 words.
Please respond to at least 2 other students. Responses should be
a minimum of 150 words and include direct questions.
Initial Post Due: Thursday, by 11:55pm ET
Responses Due: Sunday, by 11:55pm ET
Respond to the discussion question. Use additional research,
critical thinking, analysis, what you have learned in previous
courses, the media, and in your professional lives to craft the
answer Define the subject; make references to what you have
read/researched in and our of class, what you have learned
elsewhere, and then form a response.
The following historical incidents happened over 60 plus years
ago. Assess the lessons learned from these port incidents and
discuss measures taken to mitigate these issues from happening
again. Support your response in a paragraph or two for each of
the following:
Halifax Explosion - 1917
Pearl Harbor - 1941
Port of Chicago - 1944
Texas City - 1947
Documents are attached here and and can be found in the
"Lessons" area of the classroom.
Note this requirement - respond to at least two of your
classmates' posts.

2. The+Port+Chicago+Disaster+July+1944.pdf
Halifax+Explosion+-
++Halifax,+Nova+Scotia,+Canada+December+1917.pdf
Texas+City+Disaster+April+1947.pdf
Attack+at+Pearl+Harbor+December+1941.pdf
Importance of Port Security Management
Port Disasters and the Lessons Learned
For the last lesson topic discussion of the course we will assess
four catastrophic maritime events that occurred in times past.
Matter of fact, these disasters happened over 60 years ago, and
are excellent events to assess and review for lessons learned.
Moreover, we can take from these incidents and conclude what
measures have been implemented over the years to correct and
prevent these types of catastrophes from ever happening again.
The Halifax Explosion
The Halifax Explosion occurred on Thursday, December 6,
1917, when the city of Halifax, Nova, Scotia was devastated by
the detonation of the French vessel SS Mont-Blanc cargo ship
that was fully loaded with wartime explosives. The Mont-Blanc
detonated after colliding with the Norwegian SS Imo. Casualty
reports indicated that almost 2,000 people were killed by the
explosion and approximately 9,000 + were injured. The Halifax
Explosion of 1917 was quite possible one of the deadliest
accidents to have ever occurred.

3. One of the first glaring mistakes appears to be lack of explosive
material safety. A failure in safety precautions is due to just
pure ignorance. In 1917, a lot of the technology was not
available to utilize when testing and fielding explosives—
regardless of commercial or military applications. Picric acid is
a highly sensitive material that can be detonated with small
applications of heat, friction or shock. Obviously, carrying
2,300 tons of picric acid is not the best idea in the world. There
are also some serious issues with compatibility and storage
based on the type and quantity of explosive material on the
ship.
There were also numerous communication issues between ships.
First off, the SS Mont-Blanc not being appropriately identified
as carrying explosives was a tragic error. Even if all other
communication broke down between the vessels than the SS Imo
would have known to give the right of way to the Mont-Blanc
based wholly on the load that was being carried. Currently, 49
CFR (Code of Federal Regulations) outlines what hazardous
(and explosive) material can be carried together as well as in
what quantities.
Overall, 1,900+ people were killed with over 325 acres of
property destroyed (History). Ultimately, the place where the
accident occurred was a big reason why so many individuals
were killed. Today, approval to transport and even to obtain the
authorization to enter a port would never pass the 49 CFR. As a
result of this accident, critical procedures were developed that
addressed cargo ships that transport explosives or hazardous
materials.
Lastly, this incident definitely suggest that cities, counties, and
townships need a mass public notification system. Had a public
address system been in-place to provide mass notification, the
public could have been given specific instructions to avoid
additional loss of life. This measure alone could have prevented
many deaths.
Obviously, this tragedy is now used as a “lesson learned” event
and many rules and regulations on what and how much

4. hazardous or explosive material can be transported in cargo
ships. Current operating procedures have resulted in greater
safety and security in today’s current maritime transport
environment.
Pearl Harbor
December 7, 1941, as President Roosevelt so aptly put it, is a
“date which will live in infamy”. The empire of Japan launched
a sneak attack of the naval base at Pearl Harbor, Hawaii shortly
before 8 am on a Sunday morning. The Japanese Zeros
successfully damaged or destroyed 8 battleships which made up
the totality of the battleship contingent in the Pacific fleet.
More than 2,000 servicemen and civilians lost their lives that
day in addition to more than 1,000 who were wounded in the
attack (Lord, 1957).
In his book, “Reflections of Pearl Harbor”, Admiral Chester W.
Nimitz explained that while the attack on Pearl Harbor was
devastating, the Japanese made three critical mistakes. The
first, was to attack on a Sunday morning when the majority of
the sailors were ashore on leave. Had the ships been out at sea,
the death toll would have been significantly higher. The
second, was the fact that the Japanese did not damage the dry
docks located in the same area. Had the Japanese destroyed the
dry dock/repair facilities, the damaged ships would have had to
of been towed all the way back to the continental US for
repairs. The third, and arguably one of the biggest, was the
entire fuel supply for the Pacific fleet was stored only a short
distance from battleship row, was not touched. Nimitz argued
that a single fighter plane could have decimated the fuel supply
for the entire Pacific theater (Ewing, 1971).
From a port security management perspective, it is hard to
imagine having to tell the military how it should be run.
However, I believe it is safe to say that having your entire
arsenal co-located in such a way as to invite its destruction is
probably one of the biggest lessons learned from the attack at
Pearl Harbor. Just because you are not at war with someone,
does not necessarily mean they do not wish you harm.

5. Maintaining a heightened situational awareness and situational
readiness may have provided advanced warning of a pending
attack.
Port of Chicago Disaster
The Port Chicago disaster was a deadly munitions explosion
that occurred on July 17, 1944, at the Port of Chicago Naval
Magazine in Port Chicago, California. The munitions detonated
when they were being loaded onto a cargo ship bound for the
Pacific Theater. Over 320 sailors and civilians were killed and
about 390 others were injured.
The explosion occurred when the Liberty Ships E.A. Bryan and
nearby Quinalt Victory loaded with 4,600+ tons of ammunition
and explosives blew up. The explosion killed just over 300 men
instantly. A little less than 400 men were wounded in the
explosion. An estimated 12 million dollars in property damage
resulted from the explosion. After an investigation that
suggested a cover up by the Navy, it is suggested that a
“competition” was being waged by commanders to see who
could load ships faster against the junior officer and enlisted
men’s protest (POC, p.4-5). Coupled with this is the reportedly
“rough handling” of the explosives as the enlisted men were
assured that the munitions were “safe as they did not have
detonators” (POC, p.2). It was also suggested during the
investigation that the Port of Chicago, having mostly black
sailors, was a “testing ground” for a nuclear bomb prior to its
deployment on the battlefield. The resulting explosion is
thought to be the first atomic detonation outside of the
Manhattan Project. The Port of Chicago explosion was also
filmed, lending further credence to the notion that this
explosion was a planned event (POC, p.9).
In reviewing the facts as we know them, had a safety officer
been in place to ensure proper equipment and cargo transfer
protocols were being followed, it is reasonable to assume, if the
detonation was in fact accidental, that the explosion that took
place could have been avoided. Also, the concerns of the junior
officers and enlisted men were patently ignored by the

6. commanders. The ignorance and indifference to the survivors
and the dismissal of these gripes demonstrated a lack of
leadership from upper management that directly impacted the
outcome of the events at the Port of Chicago. A key lesson
learned from this event is that in order to have a well -run port,
upper management must place a premium on the safety of all
port workers. Moreover, this would require the port authority
to have a comprehensive FSP in place to mitigate risks to the
port and all those who work in and around sensitive areas.
Texas City
The Texas City Disaster was the deadliest industrial accident in
the history of the United States. This incident took place on
April 16, 1947, and began that morning with a fire on board the
French vessel SS Grand Camp docked at the Port of Texas City.
The fire set off some 2,300 tons of ammonium nitrate and this
caused a chain reaction of fires and explosions that killed some
581 people, including all but one member of the Texas City fire
department. Over 5000 people were injured as well.
The explosion shattered glass windows 10 miles distant the
center of the blast. The damage cost was estimated between 35
and 40 million dollars (Staff, 1947 p.3-4). The explosion
involved the former Liberty ship SS Grandcamp and the SS
High Flyer. The SS Grandcamp was loaded with 2300 tons of
ammonium nitrate which was discovered on the morning of
April 16th to be on fire as a result of a cigarette (Staff, 1947
p.8). The dockworkers who attempted to extinguish the fire
were told not to use water as it would damage the cargo. At
around 830 am, the dockworkers were ordered to abandon ship.
Firefighters were called to the scene and began work to control
the fire. All 26 firemen and four pieces of equipment were lost
in the explosion to come (Staff, 1947 p.8). On April 17th, the
SS High Flyer, was loaded with 2000 tons of Sulphur and nearly
1000 tons of ammonium nitrate. The cause of the SS High Flyer
explosion is unknown, but likely resulted to have been caused
by the explosion of the SS Grandcamp.
The SS Grandcamp explosion did however tear the SS High

7. Flyer, who’s engines were down for repair, from its moorings
causing it to be entangled with a third ship, the SS Wilson B.
Keene. Tugboats had to be used to separate the two ships. The
explosion aboard the SS High Flyer occurred as it was being
moved away from the SS Wilson B. Keene, which was also
destroyed by the explosion (Staff, 1947 p. 10).
Some major lessons learned from this disaster is to ensure
proper cargo handling and storage procedures are known and
followed. The fact that an errant cigarette thrown into a hold
containing explosives is something that would not have
happened if the dock workers were educated regarding the
proper handling procedures. Also, having mutual aid
agreements with surrounding emergency services in the event of
an accident, can prevent incidents like this from becoming
larger, more dangerous events.
References
EyeWitness to History.com. (1997). Attack at Pearl Harbor,
1941.
(2010, September 27). Texas City Disaster, 1947. Moore
Memorial Public Library
History.com. The Great Halifax Explosion. A&E Television
Networks, LLC.
Naval Historic Center. (2005, June 1). Port Chicago Naval
Magazine Explosion, 1944. Department of the Navy.
In week one, you were asked to describe two strengths and two
weaknesses you’ve discovered about homeland security in your
previous studies. Now that you completed your program with
the completion of this course, has your opinion been altered on
any perceived strengths or weaknesses of DHS? Explain your
answer by sharing your insights?
Instructions: Your initial post should be at least 350 words.
Week 1 post
Strengths and Weaknesses of Homeland Security

8. The department of homeland security was formed on a real and
very urgent issue that was security from internal threats and
since its inception is has done a commendable job attracting
many critics and supporters. The department became operational
post September eleven attacks in the Unites States and was
tasked from protecting the country from terror attempts and
activities by securing its boundaries and responding to natural
calamities. Since then it has grown tremendously to become a
very huge department in the US federal government.
The department like many other has looked very immaculate on
paper in how it has carried out its operations though underneath,
a critical and unbiased surgical review of its operations will
unveil weaknesses and strength’s about the department. Some of
the strengths about the department have included the following:
· Improved communication. Being one of the largest
departments in the government dealing with over 150, 000
employees and 22 departments requires some superb
communication protocol that is simplified yet sufficient enough
to allow flexible and efficient collaboration amongst all the
departments, agencies and personnel. The department has done
exactly that, it has come up with a very improved
communication protocol and strategy that serves it efficiently.
· Regional management. The DHS has come up with 10 regional
offices spread out through the country and has therefore
devolved its functions instead of centralizing them over
Washington DC. This has given more opportunities for
centralizing of employees. Southern employees are well versed
and are trained in dealing with hurricanes and other natural
disasters while those in the North West are trained more on port
security.
The department has also demonstrated several weaknesses that
include:
· One of the most pertinent problems today with all intelligence
and security agencies and of which the DHS is not exempted is
gathering of intelligence. Sme of the intelligence and security
operations of the department requires that it gathers intelligence

9. and this has promoted a surveillance society since the post
September eleven attack.
Operational and technological wantonness within the
organization has made the organization not sufficient to in
carrying out its activities in protecting borders and ports. The
department is facing several internal logistical, operational and
financial challenges. As a result this has hampered the
effectiveness of the department and it has been cited for lacking
the necessary structure and personnel for carrying out its
mission.