Complex security challenge in Florida

Your morning orange juice may be in part courtesy of Mosaic, which mines, manufactures, and distributes fertilizer and livestock supplements. In Florida alone, Mosaic has seven mining facilities, five concentrates plants, two marine terminals, and a number of sites undergoing reclamation. 75% of America’s phosphate fertilizer and 25% of the world’s comes from Mosaic’s operations in Florida and Louisiana.

Protecting operations, 104 Securitas officers provide round-the-clock access control, patrols, port security, emergency response, wildlife protection, and strike planning. Florida law requires security officers to have 40 hours of training, clear federal background checks, and be trained first responders for medical emergencies.

For example, Securitas officers ensure only trained personnel enter mining areas, as required by U.S. law. Officers provide various services for shipments, including access control and receiving and weighing materials. “Since training can take six to eight weeks, we want to retain people,” says Jim Anderson, superintendent of security for Mosaic. “Securitas selects the right officers the first time.”
 
Securitas oversees shipping of finished products at Mosaic’s port, meeting Department of Homeland Security regulations. “We’re under pressure,” says Hamp Plowden, security manager for Mosaic’s Florida and Louisiana sites. “Securitas officers at the ports are committed to getting it right.”

Securitas provides value-added services by hiring people like Troy Weeks, who uses his law enforcement and computer background in his role of access control manager, and Harley Krusey, who writes Marine Security (MARSEC)-required policies and procedures.

An Uncommon Environment
Charles Lowe, Securitas’ only U.S. game warden, patrols Mosaic’s central Florida holdings, using four-wheel drives, radio, and GPS. The holdings attract recreationists, poachers, and thieves, so guards must be vigilant. The old mining ponds provide great fishing, and the 200-foot-tall gypsum stacks are inviting challenges. Anderson says, “You could be dealing with a sightseer or a felon dumping a stolen car.”
 
Over 700 people use Mosaic land as members of the company’s Fin and Feather Fishing Club. Membership is limited to Mosaic employees and retirees, for liability reasons, and Lowe ensures members are licensed and obey safety rules. Anderson says, “Charles perfectly mixes tact and persistence when dealing with the public or former members.”
 
Checking identification and contacting law enforcement to remove trespassers occurs up to 20 times on a weekend. While most are fishermen or people dumping trash, theft is growing. “They steal power cables for copper and sell it to a scrap dealer,” Plowden notes. “One theft may net $2,000 for the thief, but we lose $50,000.”

Mosaic and Securitas have formed a strong partnership and work together in the development of security solutions to handle this unique environment.

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