AdvanFort Counter-Piracy Operations Ready For Tougher EU Standards and Regulations

As European nations move to put in place far greater standards and regulations for armed guards on vessels flying their countries’ flags, the maritime security leader AdvanFort Company is pleased to announce that it already has a quality management system in place that exceeds the increasingly stiff requirements.

“When it comes to counter-piracy operations, a lot of our competitors—faced with these new challenges—still seem to require others' faith in their words,” said Captain William H. Watson, AdvanFort president.

“At AdvanFort, what count are deeds — and I am very happy to report that our company welcomes the increasing scrutiny by some of the most important European Union countries of the offerings of private maritime security companies (PMSCs).”

German legislation about to be passed is both detailed and will surpass most standards and regulations already governing the market, observers say. Belgium and Cyprus, too, now employ highly pro-active systems to ensure that state-of-the-art standards are in place.

“Piracy,” noted Captain Watson, “has at a critical time increased the cost of shipping, particularly in terms of vessel insurance. Those PMSCs that remain unprepared will find the costs of the accreditation procedure not only worrisome, but something that they will likely seek to pass on to their customers.

“AdvanFort has led the field in making sure that its security teams meet or exceed the types of IMO- Guidance(s) that will form part of the new German model, and our other best practices make the additional training required by the new legislation truly a moot point for us.”

Captain Watson pointed out that the Panama Maritime Authority (PMA) just approved AdvanFort’s counter-piracy operations for the world's largest ship registry.

In addition, this month a number of AdvanFort vessel security officers are participating in a first-ever counter-piracy training program for corporations working in the merchant marine environment.

Offered by the National Maritime Law Enforcement Academy (NMLEA) and supported by the Maritime Institute of Technology and Graduate Studies (MITAGS), the course is a big step forward in meeting growing international demands for standardizing (and professionalizing) counter-piracy security teams.

AdvanFort’s continuing dedication to quality management means it is also going through International Organization for Standardization (ISO) 9001 certification (and looking forward to ISO 2800-7), while currently seeking similar approval by the Security Association for the Maritime Industry (SAMI).