TSA Weekly, June 29 - July 3, 2009
A Message from Gale:
'The Meaning of Independence - Freedom'
Independence Day heralds the beginning of hot summer fun and travel for many American families. Families will come together over barbecues and baseball; they will take trains, planes and automobiles to embark on much anticipated vacations.
This is possible because of the freedom that we enjoy as Americans, as enshrined in the Declaration of Independence written 233 years ago. Our founding fathers never could have imagined that enormous steel machines would be flying through the air and taking us across oceans; that super-powered trains would race along tracks moving people from one side of the country to the other. They couldn’t have fathomed the amount of energy consumed every day or that it could be propelled by gas pipelines. They could not have imagined that a single American city could be home to 3.8 million people and span over 498 square miles.
The founders of our great country could not have known these things, but they knew that the fundamental right to “life, liberty, and pursuit of happiness” would propel us into a brighter future. This is the proud heritage that we have inherited, that we sacrifice to protect and commemorate on Independence Day.
The magnificent words of the Declaration of Independence – to protect and preserve – have so much meaning for what we do at TSA – protect the freedoms and achievements that represent Democracy, that represent every one of us and our neighbors and our way of life.
My wish is for each of you to have a safe and Happy 4th. While enjoying friends and family, I ask you to also stop for a moment and thank your colleagues for what we collectively do every day – preserve the independence of our way of life. Today and every day we fulfill our mission to protect the freedom of movement of people and commerce across our vast and valuable transportation systems. By fulfilling that mission, we do our part to protect the American way of life.
Thank you for what you do as stewards of the freedom that Independence Day symbolizes.
At Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, TSO Pretangia Mims, pictured with Supervisory TSO Terry Carroll, discovered a cell phone stun gun in a passenger's carry-on and received an Eagle Eye award. Read more. Photo by Ernest Carter
News
Vigilance at the Checkpoint:More News
- TSA Employees Advocate for Women in Law Enforcement
- TSA Collaborates on Resilient Tunnel Project
- Collaborative Training Key to TSA Iowa's Outreach
- TSA Reminds Summer Travelers to be Prepared for Security
Column
Evolution Practices at Work…
Practices at Work highlights Evolution sustainment practices created by and for field employees and taken from a catalog of Evolution field practices.
This week's installment, Critical Thinking, is from TSO Brenda Bowman and LTSO Tersha Cox, Raleigh-Durham (N.C.) International Airport. The practice involves using scenarios to give officers an opportunity to practice decision-making skills in a risk-free and low-stress environment.
To view the submission, go to the iShare home page, click on the Offices tab at the top and select Security Operations. Then click Evolution Field Practices on the left-side menu.
Engage the Evolution team with your questions and suggestions at CheckpointEvolution@dhs.gov.
Analysis of a Smile's Effect
By Angel Greetan, Expert Behavior Detection Officer, Seattle-Tacoma International Airport
We all have one of those days – when you gaze across the lobby of the airport, into a sea of people and realize it's heading your way. Days when waves of travelers descend upon your checkpoint and appear to multiply before your eyes. Times when the ache in your feet becomes the throbbing reminder that you won't be sitting down anytime soon. Whatever the situation, a deep sigh will escape your lips, your cheeks will briefly puff out, and you will experience the "anywhere, but here" moment. Then you will resign yourself to the daunting task ahead of you.
Could it get worse? Potentially. Could it get better? Absolutely!
As you prepare yourself to just get through it, you catch a glimpse, a flash of the unexpected. What was that? There it is again! Did your eyes deceive you? No, someone has just smiled at you. A smile so bright and friendly, it triggers a response. You find that you're smiling too. Watch out! What if it's contagious? All of a sudden, things seem a bit easier to manage. Work becomes a bit less daunting. You decided to practice a few smiles of your own on others. One smile captures the eye of a co-worker. It's then passed on to an approaching passenger. That passenger is inspired to send on one of his own. Smiles are showing up all over the place. You take one with you on break and lunch. Amazing!
The atmosphere around you has just brightened. Your morale has lifted a bit higher. Gloom is gone. What just happened? You find you have just been part of an epidemic, an epidemic of sunny smiles. Smiles that are not just traveling around the airport, but are destined to travel the world. Smiles will be boarding planes and landing in cities, even countries around the globe. So, when you realize you are about to have one of "those days," try initiating one or two test grins as you start your shift. You just might find that a little smile can travel a long way.
News
Artfully Concealed Knife Intercepted
Photo by Starla Kuettner
A passenger traveling through Tampa (Fla.) International Airport was arrested after a knife with a 7 ¼ -inch blade was discovered hidden inside the lining of the pull-handle in his carry-on. TSO Jose Arroyo, who was operating the X-ray and saw the image, immediately informed Lead TSO Macleeland Rodriguez. Airport police responded and arrested the passenger. The man was charged with carrying a concealed weapon.
Officer Receives Eagle Eye Award for Discovery
TSO Pretangia Mims, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport, received an Eagle Eye award for discovering a cell phone stun gun in a passenger's carry-on while operating the checkpoint X-ray. When Mims noticed several anomalies in the X-ray image, she called for her supervisor, and law enforcement was notified. The passenger said she forgot that the item was in her bag. "Seeing the anomalies in this X-ray image and making an engaged decision to call for a bag check was a significant accomplishment," said FSD Mike Scott, Austin-Bergstrom International Airport. "It took a well-trained and dedicated TSO, and attention to detail, to see the abnormal. TSO Mims and her team did a great job."
More News
TSA Employees Advocate for Women in Law Enforcement
By Mary Ally, Manager, Internal Communications, Office of Law Enforcement, Federal Air Marshal Service
Jennifer Cromwell, Vicki Skelly Photos by Avalon Blenman
Three TSA employees with the Office of Law Enforcement, Federal Air Marshal Service (OLE/FAMS) were recognized for their accomplishments at the tenth annual Women in Federal Law Enforcement Leadership Conference (WIFLE) where more than 700 participants from the federal, state, local, and international law enforcement communities focused on "Communication, Collaboration and Credibility."
WIFLE promotes gender equity in the recruitment, promotion, and retention of qualified women in law enforcement.
Jennifer Cromwell, Corporate Culture Manager, and Vicki Skelly, Deputy Chief of Policy, both with OLE/FAMS, won Distinguished Honorable Mention for the Outstanding Advocate for Women in Federal Law Enforcement Award. They collaborated on initiatives to create a working environment where women's issues are heard, respected, and addressed.
Cromwell was the prime mover for working groups with a direct and meaningful impact on OLE/FAMS female employees, including recruitment and retention of women; family friendly initiatives; and diversity. Skelly served as lead for the Maternity and Pregnancy Policy and developed policies that impact women in law enforcement, including light and limited duty; firearms management; medical standards; and hardship policies. Skelly has also developed training scenarios to highlight sensitivities surrounding the security screening of female and disabled passengers.
Program Analyst Lauren Yamada, who currently coordinates OLE/FAMS workforce diversity programs and initiatives, is the first award winner for a new WIFLE scholarship category based on career objectives, academic accomplishments, and financial need.
OLE/FAMS Director Bob Bray met separately with OLE/FAMS participants during an informal listening session, while Assistant Director Colleen Callahan participated in a panel to discuss pregnancy policies.
"OLE/FAMS has taken a leading role to address family and quality-of-life issues facing both men and women and we continue to be open to suggestions from our workforce," said Callahan.
TSA Collaborates on Resilient Tunnel Project
By Irene Mazur, Program Analyst, Transportation Sector Network Management (TSNM) – Mass Transit
A team tests deployment of an inflatable tunnel plug. Photo courtesy of West Virginia University
Consider the following scenario: Commuters are riding in a subway car through a tunnel that passes underneath a river and an event occurs, resulting in a leak in the tunnel. A cascading flood ensues, with the potential of many lost lives and leaving a transit system crippled indefinitely.
Transportation Sector Network Management (TSNM) – Mass Transit is very aware of such a scenario, and has been closely involved in the Resilient Tunnel Project (RTP) to ensure it never becomes a reality. The RTP is conducted by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate Infrastructure and Geophysical Division through a team that also includes researchers and engineers from Pacific Northwest National Laboratory and West Virginia University. The project's focus is on creating and deploying an inflatable tunnel plug.
Inflatable tunnel plugs could be installed at key points in underground transportation tunnels and deployed in the event of tunnel flooding, fire, smoke or other disaster. These plugs are anticipated to cost significantly less than traditional flood gates; be much easier to install in existing systems; and have a significantly reduced lead time for production. If successfully developed, inflatable tunnel plugs could be deployed as part of a layered defense to protect underground transportation tunnels and connected infrastructure, and to minimize loss of life in the event of an incident in a tunnel.
Working with several transit properties in the U.S., the RTP team has been conducting several tests of the plug, including a demonstration performed in the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority system last August. The demonstration was filmed by a television crew and later featured on a National Geographic special. The latest tests were successfully conducted in June and featured subjecting the plug to real-life flood conditions on a small scale.
"The Resilient Tunnel Project is yet another classic example of a positive, partnering relationship by DHS and one of our key transit agency stakeholders, including academia and a major recognized research-laboratory, to address and mitigate an identified, critical-infrastructure vulnerability," said Paul J. Lennon, General Manager, TSNM – Mass Transit.
Column
Lost and Unclaimed Property Program Update
By Larry Rowe, Chief, Compliance and Disposal Programs Branch, Office of Property Management
Twenty-six federalized airports have requested and received waivers for permission to assume responsibility for handling lost and unclaimed property found at the checkpoint and checked baggage screening areas. That positively impacts TSA in two ways. On average, two to three TSOs return to performing their screening duties and, in most cases, TSA saves an average annual cost of $18,000 per airport in rental space. Second, the FSD no longer has to fund shipping and transportation costs for additional processing of lost property.
When money is found with the owner's identification (e.g. money in an item that contains the owner's identity, like a purse or wallet), the property, including the money, may be transferred to the airport to be returned to the owner. Those airports with approved waivers will continue to process and retain the money recovered by TSA personnel without owner identification in accordance with the TSA Financial Management Manual.
In addition, after approval is received from the Office of Property Management (OPM), only items considered sensitive and/or of significant value are eligible for shipment to the Naval Air Systems Command (NAVAIR) located at the Patuxent River, Md., facility. Items like medicine, clothes, personal identification, personal care/hygiene items and monetary items should not be sent to the NAVAIR facility for processing.
For additional information about TSA's lost or unclaimed property procedures, refer to TSA's MD 200.51, or e-mail OPM at TSA-Property@dhs.gov.
Kudos & Clips
The entire security check process at Terminal C, Southwest Florida International Airport, was handled in a most professional and courteous manner and each of the officers with whom we had contact were polite and helpful. There was even a point where I passed my items (backpack, laptop and wallets) through one X-ray machine and then discovered that the base of the stroller would not fit and had to be sent through a different X-ray line. One of the officers saw what was going on and helped my wife with the baby, her items, and even helped her to carry my items to one of the tables so we could get everything back together.
Stu Greer, Denville, N.J., to Gloria Campbell, Customer Support and Quality Improvement Manager, Southwest Florida International and Charlotte County Regional airports. June 21, 2009.
TSA personnel at Los Angeles International Airport are by far the most friendly and helpful group I have ever encountered. Instead of trying to rush people through by barking orders, they treated us as people instead of cattle. They all had smiles and in return many of the passengers were also smiling. One even helped a senior citizen with a sweater he was having trouble with. I have to say I am truly impressed with that group. They should be held up as an example of how the TSA to traveler relationship should be.
Joseph Conde Winchester, Calif., to TSA Contact Center. June 15, 2009.
I was at the Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood (Fla.) International airport doing a practice run because I was flying for the first time on July 13. I'm in my 50s and was terrified. As I watched what happens at the security area, I noticed a blond lady [TSO Shanden Fields] who seemed to be really nice to everyone. TSO Fields was extremely accommodating and took the time to explain to me what was going on with the whole security area and why. The security area was very daunting to me, but after speaking with TSO Fields, I felt comfortable with the entire process. … I left the airport feeling really good and like flying isn't so terrible at all.
Linda Freeman, Fort Lauderdale, Fla., to Richard H. Pryor, Customer Service and Quality Improvement Manager, Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood International and Key West International airports. June 8, 2009.
TSA Experience
- TSA O'Hare Signs Declaration of Safety Interdependence
- N.Y. Officers Donate Clothes
- Florida Airport Hosts Its First VIPR Operation
E-mail your comments and suggestions.
