Four Year Old Boy In Philly Told To Remove Leg Braces

You may have heard about the story of the four year old in Philly who was told to remove his leg braces.

The account goes back to March 2009, but when PHL Federal Security Director (FSD) Robert Ellis learned about it last week, he called the father of the boy immediately. There was no formal report of the incident on file with details, but regardless, Mr. Ellis apologized for any inconvenience the boy and his family may have had to go through.

At TSA, we have a few ways to report any problems you have as soon as it occurs. First, ask for a supervisor immediately. This way, TSA management can look into resolving the issue and any personnel can be identified and retrained as needed. If you choose not to report the incident at the airport, or you feel your incident didn’t receive the attention it should have, you have other options:

Got Feedback – Allows you to contact the Customer Support Manager for the airport you traveled through via e-mail.

TSA Contact Center – You can reach the Contact Center via e-mail, mail or phone. You can find Contact Center info here.

When it comes to screening passengers with disabilities, our officers receive Passengers with Disabilities (PWD) training upon being hired and are required to take annual PWD courses.

From Travelers with Disabilities and Medical Conditions:

In order to achieve that goal, TSA has established a program for screening of persons with disabilities and their associated equipment, mobility aids, and devices. Our program covers all categories of disabilities (mobility, hearing, visual, and hidden). As part of that program, we established a coalition of over 70 disability-related groups and organizations to help us understand the concerns of persons with disabilities and medical conditions. These groups have assisted TSA with integrating the unique needs of persons with disabilities into our airport operations.

Note: In order to keep the flying public safe, our procedures require individuals to undergo thorough screening and there are some rare instances when leg braces may need to be removed. However, this would happen while the passenger was seated and not before they walked through the metal detector.

Blogger Bob
TSA Blog Team

Quadrennial Homeland Security Review Phase III

On July 31, I blogged about the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) and mentioned its 3 phases. The first phase and second phases have included more than 26,000 unique participants. The third and final phase is right around the corner and will be September 28 – October 4.

The third and final National Dialogue session is focused on receiving feedback on the final proposals concerning:

-Counterterrorism and Domestic Security Management
-Securing Our Borders
-Smart and Tough Enforcement of Immigration Laws
-Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Disasters
-Homeland Security National Risk Assessment
-Homeland Security Planning and Capabilities

The QHSR is a congressionally mandated review of the nation’s homeland security policies and priorities that will guide homeland security for the next four years.

Some of the discussion will be web-based and we invite you to participate.

For all you need to know about the QHSR including a video message from Secretary Napolitano, you can go to the QHSR Homeland Security Dialogue page.

Thanks,

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

Got Feedback: Happy Birthday!

Got Feedback was launched on August 1st, 2008, and since its launch, thousands of people have used the program to communicate kudos, complaints, questions, ideas and suggestions to TSA at the airport level via e-mail and telephonically.

In case you haven’t heard of Got Feedback, you've probably gathered by now that it’s a communications initiative that facilitates two-way communication between passengers and TSA.

Passengers find out about Got Feedback through stickers located at our checkpoints as well as the links on our blog and web page. After arriving at the Got Feedback page, you simply go to the map, click on the state you traveled through, and select the airport you want to contact from the drop down box.



After selecting your airport, you simply fill out the form and submit it which sends it to the Customer Support Manager (CSM) for that airport.



You can also check out the blog post from last year for a more detailed explanation.

Many passengers are hesitant or just in too much of a hurry to talk to our supervisors at checkpoints, and the Got Feedback program seems to be just what they need to communicate with TSA.

We asked our CSMs to do their best to reply in 24 hours or less. We understand that doesn’t happen sometimes due to scheduled days off and workloads, but it’s still a pretty rapid response. In some cases, CSMs have responded to passengers in as little as 5 minutes.

When should you use Got Feedback? Well, anytime you have a question that involves the security portion of your travel at a specific airport. You can use it for kudos, complaints, suggestions, questions, and so forth.

When should you not use Got Feedback? Hmmm... You shouldn't use it for dining recommendations unless you want to be directed to a food court. You shouldn't use it if you're lonely and just want to talk about your garden and your crazy neighbors. Basically, Got Feedback is not a travel agent, and it's not a chat line. It's a human connection at the airport who will contact you via phone or e-mail to help handle your conundrum. Brilliant!

Here is how a few our CSMs feel about the Got Feedback program.

• “Passengers appreciate the feedback immensely and the timeliness of the program. I WISH EVERY PASSENGER WOULD USE GOT FEEDBACK!” ~ Lara PIT
  



• “Got Feedback is one of many conduits TSA has for gathering feedback from our customers. I’m continually amazed at how people can say TSA isn’t listening…We are!” Lynda SAT

• “Got Feedback is an excellent way to stay in contact with the traveling public. I have received great feedback both positive as well as… let’s say constructive. I think it gives travelers a safe and convenient avenue to let us know how we are doing.” Kevin LIT
  

Here is an assortment of some responses from passengers after they were contacted by a CSM:

• Thank you very much for your comprehensive explanation and suggestions to my email. And, thank you for your very quick turnaround.
  


• Thanks for the response - that, in and of itself, is really enough for me!
  


• Your response and the kindness of the US Air ticket agent in retrieving my bag is proof that there is still kindness in this crazy world. Thanks!
  


• You totally amaze me! Such a detailed and concerned reply within an hour of writing is a credit to you and TSA.
  


• Thank you for the email follow-up (which I was not actually expecting).
  


• Thank you very much for your very prompt and efficient response to my inquiry. Even though you didn't find the item my wife lost, you did everything possible to help in locating our lost piece of jewelry. Having served as a Homeland Security Officer myself since the inception of the department, it pleased me greatly to see someone with such ethical conduct and efficient customer service protecting our nation and serving our citizens. Your treatment and legitimate concern to my issue was outstanding, and you are a pleasure to deal with.
  


• Thank you for your quick response and appreciate all that your agency is doing. PS - but does this mean that when I travel thru MGM next month I will be now on the terrorist list and find myself in a spread eagle stance before I can board! Again all kidding aside - thank you and TSA is doing a great job!
  

In an effort to try not to appear that I'm sugar coating everything, I'll note that everybody is not always happy with the response they get, but one thing is consistent, they are almost always happy they at least got a response. Almost...

Blogger Bob


TSA Blog Team

The Quadrennial Homeland Security Review and You

So what is the Quadrennial Homeland Security Review (QHSR) and why should you care? To be brief, the QHSR is a congressionally mandated review of the nation’s homeland security policies and priorities that will guide homeland security for the next four years. Some of the discussion will be web-based and we invite you to participate.

This is a major collaborative effort involving a huge host of stakeholders.

Internal agencies and external partners including federal agencies, state, local and tribal governments, first responders, business leaders, academics, policy experts and the concerned public will be engaged. That’s where you come in! This is another way your voice can be heard and you can help shape the department’s policies and priorities over the next four years.

There will be three web based dialogues involving the following topics between August and October of 2009:

Counterterrorism and Domestic Security Management

Securing Our Borders

Smart and Tough Enforcement of Immigration Laws

Preparing for, Responding to, and Recovering from Disasters

Homeland Security National Risk Assessment

Homeland Security Planning and Capabilities

For all you need to know about the QHSR including a video message from Secretary Napolitano, you can go to the QHSR Homeland Security Dialogue page.

You can also follow QHSR on Twitter: @qhsrdialogue

Mark your calendars for

August 3rd–9th

August 31st–September 6th

September 28th–October 4th

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

TSA Wants You! Send Us Your Top 5 Questions

We want you! That’s right, we want your input. I know, I know, there are thousands of comments within this blog overflowing with input you’ve given us, and I have already sent in my top 5 based on feedback I've read from the blog.

What do we want? TSA wants to better communicate the “Why’s” behind security to the traveling public, and to do so, we need your expertise. We want you to send us the top 5 questions you have about TSA’s security procedures. What “Why” questions would you like to see addressed?

Your responses will be reviewed and the most common questions will help us generate signage and other materials that address the concerns that flying public has.

This is a huge collaborative project that not only includes you, but the TSA workforce as well. The results should be interesting.

Please provide responses by 5 p.m. EDT Monday, July 27, 2009 to OPAfeedback@dhs.gov This is not a blog project, I'm just providing a virtual megaphone, so please make sure to submit your feedback to the provided e-mail address. By all means, you can post your top 5 here, but make sure you send them to OPAfeedback@dhs.gov

Thanks!

Blogger Bob

TSA Blog Team

Gripes & Grins, Part 4

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see Part 3, Part 2 and Part 1).

Please note that Blogger.com limits posts to 200 comments. To see comments beyond 200, click on the Post a Comment link (Part 3 comments).

Gripes & Grins, Part 3

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see Part 2 and Part 1).

Gripes & Grins, Part 2 (Commenting Disabled)

Have more TSA experiences that you want to share? This is the blog post to share your TSA experiences -- both the good or the bad. (Click here to see part 1)

Inconsistencies, Part 1 (Commenting Disabled)

Did you have to take your shoes off in Ohio but not Colorado? Post all of your thoughts about inconsistencies on this blog post.

In response to an cmac's frustration with those who seem ungrateful for the job TSOs do each day...

Don't take negative comments left by a few to heart. People have the right to voice their opinion even when some of those people don't do it with the same courtesy and respect they expect from you. Without question a lot of our brothers and sisters feel the very same way you do sometimes. This blog is intended to bridge the gap with people who have legitimate issues with the TSA, but let's put the negative into proper context. Consider there are at most a few hundred complaints on this site. Of those complaints there are without a doubt many posts by the same author. Now consider there are some 35, 000 domestic flights per day in the U.S. with millions of passengers using our transportation system, all of which have experienced the professionalism and security provided each day by our Officers (and don't forget this site is accessible worldwide as we've seen people from different countries leaving posts). So if this were an election one might consider those numbers to be a landslide victory.

There's no doubt some people have had a bad experience with the TSA. Our job is to fix what's broken, but hey let's face it - security is a tough business. There's an old saying, "Security is a great thing... until it applies to me". Sure some complaints are valid and we need to improve in many areas, but when you look at the posts there are an awful lot of complaints because people brought a prohibited item into the checkpoint which was identified, and when TSA identified the item they claimed the rules were stupid or ineffective. Those stupid rules weren't that ineffective obviously.

Keep doing the job you do, take constructive criticism constructively, and if it doesn't apply to you or your team – take it with a grain of salt. Your commitment and professionalism are appreciated and never go unnoticed.

Jay


lancifer, said

Q: For everyone telling the rest of us how we've not had another terrorist attack simply because of beefed up security, I ask you this: Prior to September 11, 2001, when was the previous terrorist attack against the US? Where was it? What happened? Now, when was the attack prior to that?" When was the last terror attack against the U.S.?"

A: Have you been living under a rock? The answer to that question is simple, available, and lengthy.

Q: "We've seen evidence of potential plots for attacks. The fact is, terrorist attacks in the US are rare and isolated incidents."

A: Thankfully yes terror attacks on U.S. soil are rare events. But when you consider these facts: the last terror attack cost 3000+ innocent lives in a matter of minutes, it has heavily impacted our foreign policy, it has placed military service personnel in harms way costing more lives, and in short order has cost our economy in lost capital and venture to the tune of more than one TRILLION dollars - the investment to protect U.S. interest if even only for the rare or isolated attack is worth the return.


Q: I could get a boat and troll Lake Michigan all day long, catching large fish, and talking about how my vigilance has kept the lake secure from shark attacks. Never mind that the likelihood of a shark attack in Lake Michigan is little to none. Prove that I don't prevent shark attacks in Lake Michigan. That is how I feel about our increased security. We've got the government telling us about how much danger there is around us, but only a handful of people are questioning the validity of their claims. So if you don't mind, I've got to go keep Lake Michigan free of shark attacks.

A: Lake Michigan is a fresh water body; there are no sharks in Lake Michigan.


Your fishing venture on Lake Michigan doesn't change the fact we are still surrounded by sharks.

Jay

Inconsistencies, Part 2 (Commenting Disabled)

Did you have to take your shoes off in Ohio but not Colorado? Post all of your thoughts about Inconsistencies on this blog post. (Click here for Part 1)

Got Feedback: Salt Lake City (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Los Angeles (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Dallas / Fort Worth (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Reagan National Airport (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Dallas-Love Field (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback: Logan Airport (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback?: Bradley (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team

Got Feedback?: JFK (Commenting Disabled)

Due to the new Got Feedback? program, we have disabled commenting on this page. This page was part of a pilot program that has evolved and this page is no longer needed. You are still welcome to leave general feedback on our blog, or you can visit our Got Feedback? page and leave specific feedback with a Customer Service Manager from any one of our 450+ airports.

Thanks,

EoS Blog Team