Safety and Environmental
Jacobsen Pilot Service (JPS) has long been recognized as a leader in safety, technology, and innovation. In 1949, JPS was the first nongovernmental entity in the United States to install shore-side radar at the Port of Long Beach. This cutting-edge technology, for its time, helped improve safe vessel movements in all weather conditions. As the company evolved, JPS expanded radar technology even further by utilizing fiber optics and microwave for remote radars. Today, JPS continues to honor its long-held goal of moving ships safely and efficiently. In 1996, JPS spearheaded the development of the first high-precision Differential Global Positioning System, the carry-on-board “PilotMate.”
Known as “risk mitigation experts,” JPS safely navigates goods totaling more than $155 billion annually. All of its ship movements are pre-planned and coordinated carefully. Some larger ships require precise calculation of tide windows to allow for safe ship transits in any kind of weather. Using this type of technology and careful coordination can reduce the chance of any delay, even during the fog or heavy weather.
Synonymous with “safety” for all of Southern California, JPS partnered with the United States Coast Guard (USCG) and the Marine Exchange of Southern California to develop a unique Vessel Traffic Service (VTS) in the late 1990s. JPS is now the Long Beach sector of the Vessel Traffic Service and shares all of its radar and tracked targets with the entire VTS system for San Pedro Bay, plus Long Beach security and the USCG.
JPS goes beyond safety with a sincere focus on the environment. In line with the Port of Long Beach’s reputation as the number one “green” port in the United States, JPS is dedicated to environmentalism, acting as “green stewards”—with the goal of making the port the most sustainable in the world. JPS invested over a quarter of a million dollars on a “green” pilot boat, the ALTAIR, that utilizes two four-stroke outboard engines. The boat won several environmental awards by eliminating diesel particulates and reducing harmful emissions by over 80%.
