December 23 Weekly
 On Dec. 21, the TV news magazine show 60 Minutes featured TSA in a report titled, Screening the TSA. Administrator Kip Hawley was interviewed, as well as two members of our uniformed workforce – Gary Wilkes, Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport, and LaDonta Edwards, Baltimore/Washington International Thurgood Marshall Airport. "We understand the American public doesn't have 9/11 in the front of their mind. But it's why the TSA was created: to never forget," Hawley told Correspondent Lesley Stahl. "And that's what we do every day, every shift, every checkpoint, is never forget. And it's our pledge to the public and our commitment to ourselves, to stop those attacks." Watch the video. Photo from 60 Minutes video |
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TSO Choir Entertains at Texas' Austin-Bergstrom Airport
Photo by Ignacio R. Reyes
In the holiday spirit, wearing Santa hats and reindeer antlers, the TSO choir at Austin-Bergstrom International Airport performed songs to a cheering crowd of traveling passengers and airport employees. "We are extremely proud of their creativity and desire to contribute to the community," said Gilbert Almaraz, assistant FSD-screening. Austin is known as the "Live Music Capital of the World."
TSA Operations Featured in New Television Series
TSA employees, as well as other DHS component employees, will be the focus of a new, reality series called "Homeland Security USA," which premieres Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. The show follows the men and women of DHS while on the job and shows real-life situations at ports, airports, borders and other locations. For more information, visit the ABC Web site. Check listings for local air times.
The Aloha Spirit and a More Secure Checkpoint: My Ah Ha! Moment
By Jonah Farias, TSO, Lihue (Hawaii) AirportOne day in the middle of October, a female passenger looked rushed as she approached me at the checkpoint. In Hawaii, we have the "Aloha Spirit" – which includes saying hello and greeting everyone with a smile. "How are you doing this morning?" I asked, smiling.
"OK," she responded. "Just OK?" I smiled again. She laughed.
That day – the day after I completed ENGAGE! training – I was making a conscious effort to be more observant about how my actions – my smile – affected passengers with whom I interacted. Because of the Aloha Spirit, it was not hard to buy into the mirror-neuron portion of ENGAGE! training, which says when a person smiles, it is literally infectious. But, to make a conscious effort to watch it in action led to an Ah Ha! moment for me.
Shortly after the woman left, a man arrived complaining about having to take out his DVD player at the checkpoint. I immediately engaged him with a smile, "How are you doing today, sir?"
"I'm all right. You?" He responded. The tension was immediately reduced. It was then that I asked him to take out his DVD player. And seconds later, he walked through the metal detector with a "Thank you, sir."
It worked. I could see it working. I saw that the Aloha Spirit, and my smile, led to a calmer, more secure environment.
Evolution: In the FSD's Own Words
Engage! and Coach! seminars are turning out thousands of enlightened officers. The challenge is transforming academic knowledge and enthusiasm into a sustained operational reality. Senior field leadership must be totally committed to providing an environment where the principles of Engage! can flourish if we are to successfully bring this concept from the classroom to the checkpoint. — FSD John W. Hursey, North Dakota
Engage the Evolution team with your questions and suggestions at ENGAGEevolution@dhs.gov.
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Officers Make $20K Drug Discovery
By Nico Melendez, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
Photo courtesy of TSA Ontario
Teamwork and vigilance was on display when officers recently discovered a passenger carrying a bag containing marijuana – estimated street value of $20K – at Ontario (Calif.) International Airport.
After a passenger set off the walk-through metal detector alarm, and insisted to TSO Paul Perez that he had already divested, TSO Jim Durie referred the man to secondary screening.
TSOs Perez and Perry Cockerham led the passenger to a private screening area where just before law enforcement arrived, the passenger removed a one-gallon-sized zip top baggie that contained the drugs. The passenger was arrested and charged with possession of illegal drugs.
"Once again our people demonstrate that we have to keep our eyes open every day, every shift at every checkpoint," said FSD Shannon Garcia-Hamilton. "I am very proud of the TSOs involved in this incident and know actions like this happen every day across the nation's checkpoints."
TSA Pittsburgh Partners with Radio Station to Promote Holiday Travel Tips
By Ann Davis, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
From left, radio station B94 FM disc
jockeys Bubba, Dominick Candalore,
Melanie Taylor and BuckHead.
Photo courtesy of radio station B94 FM
Pittsburgh Behavior Detection Officer Dominick Candalore recently helped take TSA's holiday travel tips to the airwaves of a popular local radio station, B94 FM.
Candalore, who works part-time as one of the station's morning show contributors, pitched his colleagues to promote the travel tips on B94 FM's Web site and with on-air announcements. The station immediately embraced the idea.
Station staff designed a Web page devoted to the travel tips and started sharing the information with listeners as the busy Thanksgiving travel period approached. The station plans to leave the page up and to continue on-air announcements through Christmas.
"We're always encouraging our folks to bring their great ideas forward. Dominic did just that and he acted on it," said FSD Joe Terrell. "The result is an excellent collaboration between TSA and local media benefiting the community we both serve."
Kudos & Clips
Reporter Learns Firsthand About Items Left Behind at Security
By Susan Glaser, Plain Dealer, Dec. 22, 2008
I chuckled to myself as I zipped through airport security a few weeks back, amused by the woman who had her oversize bottle of nail-polish remover purged from her purse and the man whose can of shaving cream was confiscated from his carry-on. Read more.
The TSA Experience
TSA Officers Help Make Children's Visit Memorable
By Carrie Harmon, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
Dressed as Santa, Venner Miliewski,
Patriots Guard Rider Motorcycle Club,
is screened by TSO Robert Fizer.
Photo by Mel Carson
On Dec. 16, a group of children sponsored by the Snowball Express arrived at Norfolk (Va.) International Airport. There, they talked with Santa, enjoyed refreshments and boarded a special American Airlines aircraft decorated with Christmas ornaments and U.S. flags. Snowball Express, a non-profit organization formed after 9/11, helps treat the children and spouses of fallen U.S. military soldiers to various activities, including an all-expense paid trip once a year. "We are extremely proud and grateful for each hero these surviving children and spouses represent in the defense of the freedoms we enjoy every day," said Mel Carson, customer support and quality improvement manager.
Inline Baggage System Up and Running in Ontario
By Nico Melendez, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
TSO Malinda Pound screens the contents
of a checked bag after it alarmed in the
new inline baggage screening system at
Ontario International Airport.
Photo by Nico Melendez
TSOs at Ontario (Calif.) International Airport recently unveiled a new inline baggage screening system.
The efficiency of the new system benefits both TSA and passengers since it eliminates the need to move bags between stations, providing pre-9/11 convenience while enhancing security.
"Partnership and teamwork were the keys to getting this system up and running," said FSD Shannon Garcia-Hamilton. "The system is state-of-the-art and will serve the needs of the Los Angeles/Ontario community through many years of growth."
Lead TSO Julie Bowman, newly assigned to Ontario's baggage screening operation, said, "We have already seen a positive response from passengers. They like getting it back to the way it was."
TSA issued a letter of intent in 2003 to the Los Angeles World Airports, the operator of both Ontario and Los Angeles International airports, for the installation of inline systems at both airports. Ontario's system cost $70 million. Los Angeles continues with the construction of its inline system, scheduled for operation in at least one terminal in 2009.
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