The following links have been found to be very useful in researching vessels, fire protection standards, cargo security standards, locating marine surveyors, etc. No warranty is made as to the accuracy or currency of the information from these websites.
Transported Assets Protection Association (TAPA): This is the leader in global cargo security standards, publishes the Facility Security Requirements (FSR), Trucking Security Requirements (TSR), Parking Security Requirements (regional), Cybersecurity Requirements, and with additional standards under development. www.tapaonline.org
National Fire Protection Association (NFPA): NFPA is the premier fire protection organization in the world, and publishes numerous standards. These are available for free viewing at this link: https://www.nfpa.org/for-professionals/codes-and-standards/list-of-codes-and-standards/free-access
National Association of Marine Surveyors (NAMS): NAMS is the premier Marine Surveyor organization in the world. With a focus on professionalism, NAMS conducts training, seminars, annual conferences, and administers the testing program for NAMS members/applicants, including the prestigious NAMS-Certified Marine Surveyor Designation. https://www.namsglobal.org/
U.S. Coast Guard-Port State Information Exchange (PSIX): The purpose of the Coast Guard Maritime Information Exchange (CGMIX) website is to make Coast Guard maritime information available on the public internet in the form of searchable databases. Much of the information on the CGMIX website comes from the Coast Guard’s Marine Information for Safety and Law Enforcement (MISLE) system. This site covers U.S. flag commercial vessels, as well as foreign flag vessels that call/have called at U.S. Ports: https://cgmix.uscg.mil/psix/psixsearch.aspx
Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration SAFER: The FMCSA Safety and Fitness Electronic Records (SAFER) System offers company safety data and related services to industry and the public over the Internet. Note: Due to security flaws in the current system, legitimate carrier’s and freight broker’s profiles are frequently hijacked by criminals, and use the hijacked profiles to fraudulently obtain loads. Due to these issues, SAFER should not be used as a sole source for vetting carriers and freight brokers. There are a number of paid subscription services that are better suited for carrier/freight broker vetting. https://safer.fmcsa.dot.gov/