TSA Weekly: Dec. 29, 2008 - Jan. 2, 2009
 TSA employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport did whatever was necessary to ensure security during a Christmas blizzard. Read more. Photo by Walt Briem
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News
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Senior Leaders Stress Importance of Evolution
By Stephen Hawthorne, expert security training instructor, Phoenix Sky Harbor International
Lee Kair
TSA senior leaders are continuing to stress the importance of and answer questions about Evolution, appearing Christmas week at Phoenix Sky Harbor International Airport. Mo McGowan, the former assistant administrator for Security Operations, met with one training class, while Lee Kair, McGowan's successor, and Deputy Administrator Gale Rossides teamed up at another.
Entering the room, Mo McGowan, the former assistant administrator for Security Operations, simply took a seat and quietly became part of the group, emphasizing that Evolution training has no hierarchy. There are only officers sharing the common goal of learning how to engage themselves, each other, passengers and stakeholders – treating people with dignity and respect while maintaining a high level of security.
When McGowan spoke, he said ENGAGE! and COACH! training takes "advantage of the strengths of our people" by allowing them to apply discretion and critical thinking to their jobs.
The role of McGowan and other senior leaders who are attending classes in the field is to answer questions and support the Evolution initiative that ultimately will drive TSA's future success.
McGowan also talked about the importance of teamwork and developing networks, and described the networks our enemies could use in attempts to breach the security of our transportation systems.
Sustaining the principles of ENGAGE! and COACH! is critical to Evolution, McGowan said, and will include training and communication tools, virtual and otherwise, to keep officers abreast of ever-evolving threats. This will ensure TSA's ability to "turn on a dime," as a team, to meet the challenges ahead, he said.
And McGowan challenged officers to adopt the promise he has made to himself: "Not on my watch!"
Kair drew from his FSD experience in Orlando to describe the importance of Evolution – the calm and quiet it will develop to help officers better identify anomalies; the self-confidence officers will earn; and the network ties it will strengthen inside airports.
There is more work to be done, he said, in part to ensure passengers are included in the security equation. Creating calm ensures a more positive customer reaction, making security officers' jobs easier.
"We are still at war," Kair said. "Al-Qaeda and other terror organizations like them are patient and not going to go away any time soon. In light of that, we can't allow people to forget how important our job is."
The good news, he said, is that we appear to be making progress on the public relations front. He noted a recent Gallup Poll in which 70 percent of respondents said the federal government's work in airport security is good or excellent.
Kair and Rossides also met with Arizona Gov. Janet Napolitano, President-elect Barack Obama's selection for Homeland Security secretary.
Evolution: In the FSD's Own Words
The training accomplishes two major goals: It gives the officers a renewed sense of how important their jobs are and how important THEY are to the mission. And it is the start of getting us out of "production line – process security" and into "security as a mission."
–FSD Tim Lewis, Ft. Lauderdale-Hollywood (Fla.) International Airport
Engage the Evolution team with your questions and suggestions at ENGAGEevolution@dhs.gov.
News
Winter Blizzard Challenges Airport Operations
Security officers from Phoenix helped
SEA-TAC TSOs weather the storm. From
left, are officers Erik Iversen, Peter
Powers Frank Asencio, and Gina
Garcia. Photo by Walt Briem
TSA employees at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport did whatever was necessary to ensure security during a Christmas blizzard that crippled travel in the Northwest for more than a week. Many officers slept on cots or the airport floor in order to screen passengers and their baggage when flights were able to get out. Others walked to work when roadways were shut down by snow and ice. Still others, who lived near the airport, opened their homes to colleagues for days at a time. TSA Los Angeles and Phoenix each sent 25 security officers to supplement the SEA-TAC workforce. The emergency call for those volunteers went out at 10:30 p.m. Dec. 18, and by 8 the next morning they were enroute to Seattle, where they willingly gave up being away from home on Christmas. FSD Denise Harvill praised the dedication and selflessness of her workforce and expressed gratitude to the deployed security officers who were able to get to Seattle before the severe weather hit. "They have been a life saver from the standpoint of security when so many of our local folks struggled to make it to work because of poor road conditions," Harvill said. "The TSA employees that travel around this country to assist in emergency situations are the finest I have seen anywhere." For an independent portrayal of the dedication of the SEA-TAC workforce read the story from the Seattle Post-Intelligencer.
Children Treated to Fantasy Flight at Colorado Airport
By Carrie Harmon, Office of Strategic Communications/Public Affairs
A video entertained kids waiting in line to
see Santa.
Photo courtesy of SkyWest Airlines
At Colorado Springs Municipal Airport, more than 50 children were treated to a fantasy flight to the "North Pole" to visit Santa Claus, courtesy of SkyWest Airlines, the Junior League of Colorado Springs, and Community Partnership for Child Development, where most of the children are enrolled in early childhood education programs.
TSA provided a designated lane for screening, which was decorated by the airport with balloons. TSA officers also met with parents in advance to prepare for the screening process.
The children traveled aboard a jet for a 30-minute fantasy flight between airport gates and were greeted by Santa and Mrs. Claus and their elves. At the North Pole, the children were treated to an evening of music, dancing, dinner, face painting and balloon artistry. Three local sports stars signed autographs and Santa handed out gifts.
"Our folks here did a tremendous job of ensuring that the screening process went smoothly so that these children could enjoy this very special event," said FSD Gary McCurdy. "It made us all feel good to play a role in making this a Christmas to remember for these kids."
Toy Drive Held at Reagan Washington National
Photo by Erica Reaves-Williams
TSA Ronald Reagan Washington National Airport held its first toy drive, collecting more than 60 toys for the U.S. Marine Corps' Toys for Tots program. The program helps distribute donated toys as Christmas gifts to needy children. TSO Ashley Miranda (pictured) helped organize the event. "It was a cold and long haul, but it was worth it," said Supervisory TSO Erica Reaves-Williams, who delivered the toys. "Team DCA looks forward to helping wherever they can, whenever they can."
Dream Comes True for 83 Handicapped Kids
By Cheryl Paine, stakeholder manager, John Wayne Airport (Santa Ana, Calif.)
TSO Linda Moore, with a child and a
volunteer escort. Photo by David Gunn
Officers at John Wayne Airport helped smooth air travel for 83 children who traveled round-trip in one day between Vancouver, British Columbia and Disneyland in Anaheim, Calif. The children have severe physical disabilities or life-threatening illnesses that prevent them from being away from home for more than 24 hours.
The weary children and their volunteer escorts from the Orange County Sheriff's Department returned to the airport to be greeted by smiling TSA faces. Under the direction of Deputy Assistant FSD Josh Fork and Screening Manager Elaine Fielder, officers provided screening that took into account each child's unique needs.
"One of the children I spoke to had been up since 2 a.m., and he was still smiling the entire time I was screening him," said TSO Mindy Beck.
The non-profit Sunshine Foundation sponsors the annual trip.
"Our support for these events exemplifies the pride and professionalism that our officers display on a daily basis and clearly demonstrates our commitment to excellence in all aspects of our security screening mission," said FSD Kathleen Roscher.
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TSA Manchester Defrosts After Record-Breaking Ice Storm
By Ann Davis, Office of Strategic Communications/Public AffairsAn ice storm that struck New Hampshire, Maine and parts of Massachusetts earlier this month, and led to massive power outages, could not keep TSA employees from doing their jobs at Manchester-Boston Regional Airport.
Ice-laden trees collapsed, taking down power lines and snapping utility poles. Three days after the storm, at least 800,000 New England consumers, including TSA Manchester's administrative offices, remained without power. TSA's Coordination Center temporarily relocated at the airport, with the staff managing operations using cell phones, Blackberrys and laptops.
Travelers at the airport experienced only scattered delays lasting less than an hour, most due to late arrivals from other airports. When the airport lost one of several electrical feeds for a brief time, it was able to rely on an emergency generator, allowing TSA screening and airport operations to continue with little impact on the public.
Some of Manchester's TSOs faced incredible weather-related challenges. Many were unable to get home, forced to live in local shelters or move in with relatives for nearly a week. As in previous storms, colleagues volunteered to cover for those who could not report for duty. Even more impressive, many TSOs reported for work despite being displaced from homes without heat and hot water.
FSD Rob Krekorian said that while his workforce is used to "tough storms," this one was "record breaking in terms of its devastation and impact on the state's residents and infrastructure.
"Many of our people didn't have heat and other utilities for a week, and yet they still came to work every day," he said. "I couldn't be more proud of how our employees manage during times of adversity."
TSA Among Graduates of DHS Fellows Program
Photo by Krissy Roth, Council for Excellence
in Government
Four TSA employees were among 50 graduates in the DHS Fellows Program's second class last month. TSA graduates were (from left) Shawn Magowan, assistant special agent in charge, Office of the Director, Office of Law Enforcement/Federal Air Marshal Service; Kelly Burkitt, security training instructor/program lead, Strategic Training Initiatives, Office of Security Operations; Al Sese, management and program analyst, Office of Acquisition; and John Manning, acting director, Business Management Office, Office of Information Technology. The program started in January 2008 at ground zero in New York City and included trips and meetings with senior DHS leaders at multiple locations, including New Orleans, Seattle, San Diego and Washington, D.C. The fellows focused on seven primary areas: values-vision-mission, results, leading people, building partnerships and coalitions, leading change, business acumen, and synthesis and integration. A list of graduates is available at https://dhsonline.dhs.gov/portal/jhtml/dc/sf.jhtml?doid=119192 (Intranet).
TWIC is Center Stage in Puerto Rico
Photo by Sari Koshetz
Officials of TSA, the U.S. Coast Guard, and Puerto Rico's Port Authority and its Shipping Association were at the San Juan Transportation Worker Identification Credential (TWIC) enrollment center recently to emphasize that mariners, truckers and others who require unescorted access to secure areas of ports need to apply for the security credential. Speaking at a well-attended San Juan media event on TWIC were (from left) Hernan Ayala Rubio, president, Puerto Rico Shipping Association; Fernando Bonilla, secretary of state, Puerto Rico, and executive director, Port Authority; Joanna Nunan, captain, U.S. Coast Guard; and Jose Baquero, FSD.
Reminder: TSA Operations Featured in New Television Series
TSA and other DHS employees are the focus of a new reality series called "Homeland Security USA," premiering Tuesday, Jan. 6 at 8 p.m. EST on ABC. Following the employees on the job, the series will show real-life situations at ports, airports, borders and other locations. For more information, visit the ABC Web site. Check listings for local air times.
Kudos & Clips
New Focus on Behavior as Airport Security Evolves
By Joe Sharkey, The New York Times, Dec. 29, 2008
A man wearing a private security uniform with a great big badge pinned to his maroon coat provided a timely lesson in security recently at the airport in Newark. Read more.
Sea-Tac Travelers Say Screeners are Top-Flight
By Paul Shukovsky, Seattle-Post Intelligencer, Dec. 24, 2008
You know that old Postal Service motto, "Neither snow, nor rain ...."
Judging by the high praise that passengers at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport heaped on security screeners on Christmas Eve, maybe it's time the Transportation Security Administration adopted a similar creed. Read more.
TSA staff at Birmingham (Ala.) International Airport and Behavior Detection Officer Jeff Bishop went above and beyond in resolving a lost photo identification. The process was fair, thorough and also saved me a great deal of trouble on subsequent flights. They could not have been nicer, while not forgetting their main purpose – protecting the public.
John Bailey, Waxahachie, Texas, to Tommy Hester, customer support and stakeholder manager, Birmingham International Airport. Nov. 25, 2008.
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