TSA Weekly, June 15 - 19, 2009
News
An exchange of ideas for improving employee communications was high on the agenda at last week’s meeting of the National Advisory Council at headquarters. The NAC also tackled several other key issues including the promotion process and Practical Skills Evaluation. Senior leadership encouraged NAC members to continue working on those priorities and others in the coming weeks. Fielding communications questions, from left, are Acting Administrator Gale Rossides; Assistant Administrator Kristin Lee, Strategic Communications/Public Affairs; and Assistant Administrator Lee Kair, Security Operations. Photo by Ann Oh
Engaged, One Person at a Time in Sacramento
By Gregory A. Marr, Coordination Center Supervisor, Sacramento (Calif.) International Airport
“Have you seen him?” I was asked. “He is out there every morning. Go check it out.”
So I went, and there he was, arms swinging in exaggerated movements, strolling up and down the line of passengers, voice engaging, all heads turned towards him nodding in agreement, stopping to make a point or answer a question.
“The best way to get through the metal detector is on the first try … this line is fast, it moves seven feet every 10 seconds.” He pauses to address a tearful mother saying good-bye to her son dressed in fatigues. “We’ll take good care of him ma’am.” She looks at him unable to speak and thanks him with her eyes in a way that only a mother could.
Then off he goes again … pointing to a male passenger looking harried and almost running he says, “Sir, you will have to walk faster.” The passenger turns, and bursts into laughter along with 20 passengers nearby. The passenger relaxes, slows his pace, and walks off with a smile.
Again he is off, greeting airline personnel by name, calling out, “Have a great day,” shaking hands. They all walk away with smiles on their faces, greeting the next person they see with the highly contagious smile just handed to them.
Stopping for a woman desperate for help, holding onto a service dog. She tells him, “There’s nobody out there to help.” He races off only to return with a skycap with a wheelchair. She looks to him and offers a thanks, he responds “my pleasure” and moves on.
Now at the document checking podium that engaging voice is heard, “Keep a wide open space so everyone can move …. I’ll need to see your picture ID,” pointing to an older male, “and a smile from you,” pointing to a young girl huddled close to her dad trying to hide the smile now on her face.
“Just missed your birthday, hope you had a good one, you both have a wonderful day,” he smiles, as the little girl scurries after her dad asking, “Do you know him? How did he know you had a birthday?” All the time looking back at the smiling man already engaging another passenger.
“I would take a hundred of him,” says Supervisory TSO Mike Beebe. “He is engaging in a humorous way,” says Transportation Security Manager Geno Davis. A United Airlines employee told me, “We track our first class passengers in the line and we have markers for them.” Pointing to the man, “He treats everyone like first-class.”
Got a minute some morning? Go check him out. You can’t miss him, he will be the one that is fully engaged and never stops. One elderly lady appreciative of his help called him “wonderful.”
But, you can call him Jim, also known as TSO James Diethrich. Then thank him for being so engaged and keeping the checkpoint calm.
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, Pick Your Post, is from Charleston (S.C.) International Airport. The practice involves situational awareness and gives officers an opportunity to shadow a manager or select the area where they would like to work for a day.
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.
News
TSA Officers Gain Insight From Explosives Training
By Jonella Culmer, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
Officers view the post-blast remains of a vehicle after an explosive was detonated inside it. Photo by Lauren Gaches
TSA bomb appraisal officers (BAOs) from Baltimore-Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport (BWI) recently collaborated with partners at the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms and Explosives to provide TSOs training on enhanced detection capabilities for explosives at the checkpoint and in checked baggage.
The June 2-4 Explosives Safety Training and Demonstration included live explosive detonations. Session goals included increasing recognition skills for specific explosive components, heightening officer awareness and demonstrating the power of explosives.
Held at the Public Safety Center in Sykesville, Md., the event was also attended by members of the Pentagon Force Protection K-9, Pentagon Bomb Squad, Maryland Transportation Authority Police Department and Maryland Aviation Administration.
“The officers can see the exact effects of explosives out here and relate to those experiences if something happens inside the airport environment,” said BWI Transportation Security Manager Shaun Roach.
TSA coordinated the training with the Annapolis (Md.) Fire Marshal, Baltimore Police Department, Ocean City (Md.) Bomb Squad, Baltimore City Bomb Squad and the Maryland Police and Correctional Training Commission.
- Click here to view the video of the Explosives Safety Training.
Secretary Napolitano Announces Funding for Three Inline Systems
By Nico Melendez, Office of Strategic Communications/Pubic Affairs
K-9 handler Sasha Hall goes through an explosives detection demonstration for Secretary Janet Napolitano (second from left) at San Francisco International Airport, recipient of DHS funding for an inline baggage screening system. On far left is Claudia Daigle, AFSD of Inspections. Photo by Kelly Hickman
Secretary Janet Napolitano saw several TSA operations at San Francisco International Airport when she presented Airport Director John Martin with a $15.3 million check on June 12 to help offset the cost of installing an inline baggage system as part of renovating Terminal 2.
Three days later she announced that funding authorized by the American Recovery and Reinvestment Act (ARRA) would provide $26 million for construction of two new inline systems at Philadelphia International Airport. And on Thursday, Gary Ferguson, Deputy Wyoming FSD, presented $6.2 million on behalf of DHS for construction of an in-line baggage system at Jackson Hole Airport.
“These state-of-the art baggage screening systems will enhance airport security, streamline check-in procedures for passengers and increase safety for TSA employees,” Secretary Napolitano said in Philadelphia.
Those are the first of a series of stimulus grants that will total $700 million for screening checked baggage. Another $300 million was allocated for checkpoint explosives detection technology.
During her visit to the Bay Area’s largest airport, the Secretary saw the current inline baggage system in the International Terminal. There, working side-by-side with Security Officers, she learned more about the screening process and technology.
TSA’s proprietary canine teams gave her a demonstration in screening air cargo for explosives and she completed her visit with a demonstration of the recently installed Whole Body Imager and Advanced Technology X-ray screening at the International Terminal’s A Checkpoint.
“This was a great opportunity for Secretary Napolitano to learn about the people and partnerships that place SFO on the cutting edge of security innovation,” said Federal Security Director Ed Gomez. “We truly appreciate allowing us to show her what we are all about.”
- Click here for a press release identifying airports under consideration for inline system funding.
- To learn more about the DHS Recovery Act products, visit www.dhs.gov/recovery.
Robin Bruener Wins First-Ever SSI Scavenger Hunt Video Contest
By Kerry Tracy, Contractor Junior Analyst, Office of Sensitive Security Information
To promote proper handling of Sensitive Security Information, a SSI Scavenger Hunt Video Contest was conducted in late May. To enter, TSA employees were asked by the SSI Office to view a video on its iShare homepage and identify violations, such as use of flash drives not approved by TSA, leaving SSI unattended, and overstuffing the SSI bin.
In response, more than 5,000 TSA employees viewed the video, prompting Andrew Colsky, Director of the SSI Office, to say, “This SSI Scavenger Hunt Video Contest is an out-of-the-box approach to get SSI training outside of traditional training venues.”
Over 330 individuals entered the contest and 24 found all 25 violations. Everyone who got 100 percent is receiving a certificate and were entered into a drawing for an SSI carrying case. Robin Bruener, a TSO from Cincinnati/Northern Kentucky International Airport, was the lucky winner.
The contest drew positive feedback. Richard Nelson, AFSD from Greenville-Spartanburg (S.C.) Airport, said, “You all have done an effective job of taking a dry but necessary policy and adding some life into it.” Michael Rossiter, STSO from Sioux Gateway Airport, Sioux City, Iowa, said, “Thanks and what a great idea! Hope to see more like this.”
Until June 26, the video and answers will be on the SSI SharePoint site along with a list of participants who scored 100 percent.
Security and Coordination Center Managers at ‘Mitigating the Threat’ Conference
By Darryl Vaughan, Evolution/Innovation Communications and Program Support, Office of Security Operations
Guest speaker Carie Lemack, Families of September 11, addressing the 2009 conference. Photo by Darryl Vaughan
Nearly 850 Transportation Security and Coordination Center managers from across TSA attended the 2009 “Mitigating the Threat” conference last week at National Harbor, Md. Besides meeting informally with and hearing from leadership, managers were reminded why our agency exists by guest speaker Carie Lemack from Families of September 11.
Sponsored by the Office of Security Technology, the conference included presentations by senior leadership, including Acting Administrator Gale Rossides and Security Operations Assistant Administrator Lee Kair, who told the managers, “You are the lynch-pin in TSA’s security operations.”
A variety of break-out sessions gave managers interactive dialogue about developments in science and technology, management objectives reports, checkpoint operations, playbook development, and the important security partnership between the Evolution and ICMS programs.
A “tools of the trade” fair featured information from the Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs, the Office of Sensitive Security Information, and on the Peer Review and SPOT/BAO programs. Presenters from the IdeaFactory and from the Office of Process and Performance Metrics offered key perspectives and contacts.
In one session, managers observed innovative uses of bridge lines for information sharing, featuring practices in use at TSA Orlando, Fla. Scott Johnson, General Manager for Field Operations, led managers through a incident management scenario using bridge lines that demonstrated effective use of resources and the security network in a real-time response setting.
Feedback from participants and presenters was very positive, raising expectations for the 2010 conference of this vitally important segment of TSA’s security network. The Evolution team, including Louisville Training Coordinator Tim Gilpin, conference emcee Paul Ladd of Bradley International, Windsor Locks, Conn., conference team members Jason Landon of Seattle and Craig Feese of Travis City, Mich., as well as the initial conference focus group of six TSMs, were acknowledged for their planning and execution of the 2009 conference.
This Week’s Featured Local Newsletter
The Guardian, the newsletter for TSA employees at Ft. Lauderdale and Key West, is the first to be featured in TSA Weekly a second time. This issue is laid out with stories and information that Guardian readers are likely to need and want in a way that quickly captures readers’ attention.
With hurricane season starting June 1, editors of The Guardian chose a picture of Hurricane Floyd – a storm that affected the South Florida region in 1999 – for Issue 5. That picture and its accompanying front-page information brought home the need to be prepared this hurricane season for those living and working in South Florida. The front page also included a preparation checklist for home and work, and certain steps that should be taken after a storm.
Other helpful information, delivered in well-written stories, included information protection, dental benefits, and domain awareness. Issue 5 also honored employees of the week, congratulates new leads and provides comments from passengers.
An archive of featured newsletters is available on iShare in the Communications Central section, which is linked from the home page. In the same section, the DHS branding guideline document is available in PDF for download. The DHS branding guideline helps ensure consistency in imagery, color and appearance of all Department publications.
The TSA Experience
Photo by Justin Frazier
TSA O’Hare Honors WWII Veteran
By Barbara Hornbach, Customer Service Manager, Chicago O’Hare International Airport
Returning the salute of 97-year-old World War II veteran Fred Wedhorn are members of the TSA Honor Guard at Chicago O’Hare – (from left) TSOs Colleen Cardamone and Joshua Konczal, LTSO Marcin Ozog and TSO Sheila Santiago. Wedhorn traveled through O’Hare on his return to Tucson, Ariz., from Washington, D.C., as a guest of the Honor Flight Network. He joined other veterans at the WWII Memorial on the 65th Anniversary of the D-Day Invasion, in which he took part. Chicago’s Department of Aviation, Chicago Police Department, the USO at O’Hare and United Airlines joined TSA in paying homage to Wedhorn for his service and sacrifice. He was overwhelmed at the attention.
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