The Office of Port and Facility Compliance is pleased to announce the availability of Navigation and Vessel Inspection Circular 09-02, change 5, “Guidelines for the Area Maritime Security Committees (AMSC) and Area Maritime Security Plans (AMSP) for U.S. Ports.” Assistant Commandant for Prevention Policy Rear Adm. John Nadeau signed the NVIC April 19, 2019.

The updated NVIC provides guidance to Coast Guard operational commanders, Area Maritime Security Committee members, and the maritime community with the development and maintenance of Area Maritime Security (AMS) Assessments, Area Maritime Security Plans, and promotes unity of effort among all stakeholders with maritime security interests at the port level. In addition, the NVIC provides a user friendly, step-by-step template to ensure AMSP consistency nationwide, but allows flexibility due to different variables port to port.

NVIC 09-02 change 5 revisions include a new enclosure 5 that provides a Cyber Incident Response Template modeled after the Department of Homeland Security’s National Cyber Incident Response Plan. Enclosure 5 was previously the place holder for the Marine Transportation System Recovery Plan, which was removed from NVIC 09-02 and is now located in NVIC 04-18.

The Maritime Security Transportation Act requires Coast Guard Captains of the Port, as the Federal Maritime Security Coordinators, to implement and exercise AMSPs annually and, with the advice and assistance of their AMSCs, to conduct a formal detailed review of the AMSPs every five years. There are 43 AMSCs nationwide that are cornerstones to bolstering port security and safeguarding the nation’s critical Marine Transportation System, which drives $5.4 trillion dollars of annual economic activity.

For full details, view or download NVIC 09-02 change 5.

This blog is not a replacement or substitute for the formal posting of regulations and updates or existing processes for receiving formal feedback of the same. Links provided on this blog will direct the reader to official source documents, such as the Federal Register, Homeport and the Code of Federal Regulations. These documents remain the official source for regulatory information published by the Coast Guard.