b'Continued from page 4: Letter from the PresidentAT THE HELM coupleontheoutsidedeckseemedraised enough of a red flag to contactwerentplottinganythingnefarious; fixatedonadifferentsubject:thethe company security officer. theyweresimplyenthusiastscaptur-bridges overhead. ing close-up photos of the unique de-The security officer wasted no timesignfeaturesofPittsburghshistoric The pair waited patiently until the ves- involvingtheproperauthorities,bridges. They were promptly cleared sel passed under the Smithfield StreetincludingtheU.S.CoastGuardof any wrongdoing.Bridge,thefirstbridgeonourtour,andthelocalFBIfieldoffice.The thenjumpedupandstartedtakingsituationescalatedquickly,movingThisanecdoteservesasaprimeex-pictures. Once they passed, theyd sitfromapassengerobservationtoaampleoftheseesomething,say back down, only to repeat the ritual atmulti-agency investigation. something principle in action, high-the next bridge, the Fort Pitt, and ev- lightingthecrucialroleofeveryday ery subsequent bridge along the route. Thankstothevesselsonboardse- citizens in maintaining collective se-curitycamerasandthepassengercurity. Situational awareness isnt just Theobserver,feelingconcerned,manifest,authoritieswereabletoforsecuritypersonnel;itstartswith alerted the crew. The crew, in turn, re- quickly identify the individuals. Theyobservant passengers looking out for ported the odd pattern to the captain.contacted the couple, and the mysteryeach other.This wasnt the usual tourist behavior,wassoonsolvedwitharathermun-and the captain, erring on the side ofdane explanation: the two were struc- In the small passenger vessel industry, caution and guided by the principlestural engineers attending a conferencetechnologyisausefulaid,butthe ofsituationalawareness,decideditat the nearby convention center. Theyhuman element remains the primary securitysensor.Cultivatingstrong situational awareness among all crew members is the most cost-effective and crucial security measure an operator can implement.Tour Operators. Weve got your back.Byfosteringaculturewhereobser-Board Faster. vationisparamountandcrewfeel empowered to report anomalies, small vessel operators transform their staff Sell More. into a cohesive, proactive defense sys-tem. Security is not just about physi-cal barriers; it is fundamentally about Stress Less. paying attention to the world around you and having the readiness to act.I wish all our members a New Year RocketRezs leading all-in-one software keeps your boat toursfilled with smooth seas and favorable moving with lightning-fast check-in, even for hundreds of guests.winds.Happyholidays,andavery Manage online sales, OTAs, walk-ups, and kiosks from one system.prosperous 2026!Upsell and boost revenue every trip with dynamic pricing and add-PHOTO: ELLIOTT BAY DESIGN GROUPons, while staying in control with real-time reporting. Sincerely,Find out what smooth sailing looks like with our modern ticketing platform. Stephen JonesPVA President, 2025FOGHORN 68'