Antwerpen introduces “Serious Game” to boost port security
The Port Authority has introduced a “Serious Game” in which port users can learn in an entertaining way how they can make their own individual contribution towards making the port more safe and secure, said in the press release. During the game, players are confronted with various situations that present a potential threat. For example, people behaving suspiciously in or around port installations, or items turning up in places where they do not belong. In this way the Port Authority seeks to make all port users aware of their responsibility to report suspicious situations, take the correct actions and inform the right people.
To combat criminality in the port, the Port Authority collaborates closely with the police, the criminal justice system, the Customs department and the private sector. These players got together in 2012 to set up a project entitled “Integrated approach to criminality and by extension implementing integrated security within the port.” The aims of the project are among other things to make things more difficult for criminals and to raise the chances of being able to gather more evidence and so obtain convictions. “With the Serious Game we are tackling these challenges directly”, declared Port Authority CEO Eddy Bruyninckx. “We seek to make our employees and other port users aware of potentially unsafe situations, and explain what action they have to take. This will enable the security services to arrive at the scene more quickly and deal with situations more closely.”
The game is set in a virtual industrial environment in which 30 situations are generated at 6 different levels. For instance, there are gaming levels for awareness, perimeter control, security and evacuation. Each of the situations demands particular reactions on the part of the player. After completing a particular level, the player is given an explanation of why these particular actions should have been taken.
To make the game more accessible it has been developed both in a Dutch and in an English version. There is also a version for mobile applications. The game can be downloaded from the website http://www.portofantwerp.com/en/port-antwerp-security-game-0 and will also be available from the iTunes App Store from Apple as of 22 March.
Serious Games use computer simulations for training, refresher courses and/or keeping skills up to the necessary level. They are used very widely by security and emergency services in particular. Their great advantage is that they enable people to learn in an active way that is also entertaining and stimulating. Furthermore, the training activity is not limited to a particular time of place: you can play the game whenever it suits you.
