DfT engages with other government departments to provide an assurance that an effective response to maritime threats can be implemented. Specifically, DfT is contributing to security planning for major events and participating in drills and exercises at national, regional and local levels. Maritime contingency plans are kept under review by industry to ensure that they are effective and can be activated at all times. DfT is reviewing its procedures for promptly and accurately promulgating security level changes and supporting information to industry, especially at heightened and critical levels of security. It is also facilitating the introduction of multi-agency threat and risk assessments within ports. One of the challenges facing the programme is to deliver practical security requirements that can be applied by ships and ports at times of a critical security level and sustained by them for the duration that state of alert. DfT also has oversight of the arrangements for handling ship security alerts (SSA) for UK and Red Ensign Group ships. Under the ISPS Code all ISPS ships have to be fitted with a SSA system which allows them to send an emergency message in the event of a security threat or incident. DfT has developed and implemented robust procedures for receiving SSAs and alerting UK response agencies. The Maritime and Coastguard Agency maintains a number of search and rescue centres around the UK.