Bulletin 334: Ship Security Alert Systems (SSAS) Rev.1.0

Application: All ship-owners, operators, masters and officers of merchant ships and authorised Classification societies

1. Please be advised that Barbados Maritime Ship Registry (BMSR) will no longer receive SSAS alerts directly from any vessels.

2. Shipping companies are required to designate either an internal appointee (preferably the Company Security Officer (CSO) or Alternate Company Security Officer (ACSO) or an external, qualified third party to serve as the “Competent Authority” to receive all SSAS alerts and take appropriate action.

3. BMSR requires that to be considered qualified, a Competent Authority must:

• Be available at all times (on a 24/7 basis) to receive and act upon SSAS alerts;
• Be able to accurately identify and react to real, test, or false alerts;
• Understand the SSAS requirements (Part A) and recommendations (Part B) of the ISPS Code and the Administrator’s SSAS requirements contained in the attached notice;
• Maintain a current contact list of relevant authorities (Administrator, Maritime Rescue Coordination Centres (MRCCs), Coastal State Authorities, Information Sharing Centres) to be used in the event of an actual alert; and
• Participate in drills or exercises involving tests of the SSAS.
• The Competent Authority is to acknowledge and respond to all test messages directly, ensuring the proper functioning of SSAS equipment and verifying the accuracy of the transmitted data without the need for acknowledgement of receipt by the Administration.

4. Only the real SSAS alerts are to be forwarded by the Company to BMSR at: ops@barbadosmaritime.com

5. Third party Competent Authorities are not to contact the BMSR directly. All direct communication with BMSR must only be from the Company. Where a third party is appointed as Competent Authority, the third party is to inform the company and in turn company is responsible to notify the Administration immediately for cases of real SSAS alert.

6. SSAS alert messages must include the following ship information:

• Vessel Name;
• IMO Ship Identification Number;
• Call Sign;
• Maritime Mobile Service Identity (MMSI) Number;
• Date and Time (UTC);
• Global Navigation Satellite System (GNSS) position (latitude and longitude);
• Course and Speed;
• CSO 24/7 phone number; and
• Alternate CSO 24/7 phone number.

7. In view of above, it is recommended that Companies ensure that the SSAS unit is reprogrammed so that alerts are only transmitted to the designated Competent Authority and BMSR’s email address be removed from the unit’s program.

8. The CSO remain a recipient of all SSAS transmissions along with Company designated Competent Authority.

9. Testing of any newly programmed SSAS settings must be conducted to the satisfaction of the Competent Authority and any respective SSP amendment in regards to reprogramming of SSAS must be reviewed and same will be verified during the next scheduled ISPS Code verification audit after 1 January 2021.

BMSR 12/10/2020

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