Federal Maritime Security Coordinator
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The Federal Maritime Security Coordinater (FMSC), in United States water bodies, is a U.S. Coast Guard officer, usually of the rank of captain, who is responsible responsible to oversee and direct the necessary activities of maintaining security within the ports in his or her area of responsibility.
As stipulated in the Maritime Security Act of 2002, the Secretary designates a Coast Guard official to serve as the FMSC in each area to develop an area maritime security plan and coordinate actions under the National Transportation Security Plan.
In the United States, the Federal Maritime Security Coordinator is a Commanding Officer of a marine safety command and receives this authority from the Commandant of the Coast Guard via the chain of command. Each Commanding Officer holds four separate functional titles that are prescribed in law or treaty. These designations are:
- Captain of the Port (COTP)
- Officer in Charge Marine Inspections (OCMI)
- Federal On Scene Coordinator (FOSC)
- Federal Maritime Security Coordinator (FMSC).
In the event of an emergency, the Federal On Scene Coordinater has the authority (and additionaly as COTP and FOSC) to act as necessary without additional authorization and has power over all of the other major Federal agencies in his area of responsibility. However, he or she must consider federal laws and the Code of Federal Regulations in making decisions in non-emergencies.
