• Broken fences or doors
• Malfunctioning locks
• Inadequate or non-working lighting

Follow practices and procedures:

• Wear proper uniform with badge or nametag
• Carry and, if required, display ID
• Keep appropriate doors, gates and compartments locked

Practice Good Housekeeping:

• Maintain organized work areas
• Keep areas clean and clear of debris
• Conduct periodic inspections and inventories

Conduct Vehicle inspections:

• Integrate security sweeps into pre- and post-trip inspections

During daily work routines, check garages, stations, depots and terminals for suspicious activity, packages or devices.

• Where someone is
• When they are there
• What they are doing

NOT upon race, color, ethnicity or gender

SIGNS:

• In an unauthorized or restricted area
• On agency property without proper ID, uniform or safety gear
• In the wrong place or appear lost
• Loitering, staring or watching employees and customers
• Pacing, nervous or jumpy
• Acting in a disorderly manner, alarming or disturbing others
• Quickly exiting an area after abandoning a package
• Taking photos of equipment and secure areas
• Carrying a weapon or suspected weapon
• Expressing an unusual level of interest in operations, equipment, and personnel Unfamiliar couriers, repair personnel, utility crews or other "trusted employees" who are in the wrong place. Cars, trucks, motorcycles and bikes parked or standing in out-of-place or strange locations, overloaded or sagging vehicles.

• Is left or intentionally placed in an out-of-the-way location where it is not readily visible
• Matches something described in a threat or has a threatening note attached
• Is an abandoned item or container such as a thermos, propane canister, fire extinguisher or piece of pipe
• Has visible wires, batteries, a clock or timer, or has bottles, tanks or bags attached
• Is abandoned by someone quickly leaving the area
• Includes a bag, box or package emitting an odor, mist or oily liquid
• Is a bottle filled with unusual colored liquid or has strange objects inside

RESPONSES:

• DO NOT use a radio or cell phone if you suspect an explosive device
• Make notification through appropriate channels - give a description of the package or device and its location
• DO NOT touch, move or cover the object
• If there is immediate danger, remain calm and evacuate the area
• Attempt to isolate and secure the area
• DO NOT re-enter once you have everyone out
• Await direction from your supervisor, control center or emergency responders

• An unexplainable or pungent odor
• A suspicious package emitting a vapor or odor
• Abandoned or out-of-place aerosol or manual spray devices
• A broken bag, envelope, bottle, light bulb or other potential dissemination device that has residue or a threatening note attached
• A cloud, mist, fog, fine powder, dust, liquid or oily residue with no explainable source
• Two or more people experiencing difficulty breathing, uncontrollable coughing, collapse, seizure, nausea, blurred vision or disorientation
• Small animals such as birds appear to be dead or dying in the area

RESPONSES:

• DO NOT touch, move or cover the substance or object
• Remain calm and evacuate everyone from the affected area
• Shut down HVAC systems to avoid spreading contamination
• Avoid contamination by isolating and securing the area
• Attempt to move people uphill and upwind from the area
• Report the situation through the proper channels, including your location, number of victims and a description of the substance and/or any symptoms displayed by victims

ROUTES OF EXPOSURE:

• Absorption: through the skin or eyes
• Injection: through broken or punctured skin
• Ingestion: through the mouth
• Inhalation: through the mouth or nose

1. Life Safety - Protect yourself and others against exposure and injury
2. Incident Stabilization - Gather information, make notification and await direction
3. Property Conservation - Protect the environment and assets. (Primarily a role for emergency responders)

SECURITY INCIDENT MANAGEMENT:

• Remain calm
• Protect yourself and others - if necessary, evacuate the area
• Report - gather information and make notification through the proper channels
• Follow agency protocols and policies
• Don't take risks that could harm yourself or others
• Communicate with passengers to keep them informed
• Be alert to secondary devices
• Assist passengers to your best ability
• Enlist the help of other employees and passengers
• Try to control the crowd - keep people clear of the incident or affected area
• Maintain communication with the control center and await direction
• Identify yourself to arriving responders - keep your ID card visible
• Identify witnesses to police
• Assist responders as directed
• DO NOT answer questions from the media or strangers

EVACUATION:

• Bring vehicle to a stop in a safe location
• Shut down the HVAC system if there is a suspicious substance
• Evacuate the vehicle and secure the area
• When dealing with suspicious substances - evacuate uphill and upwind
• When dealing with explosives - evacuate at least 1,850 feet
• Await assistance and direction

THREATS:

• Report your exact location
• Identify type of threat - observation, verbal, or written message
• Describe suspicious behavior
• Describe suspicious package or device - size, shape, components (wires, batteries, clocks), color, location, sound, etc
• Describe suspicious substance - odor, mist, vapor, powder, color, amount, residue, location
• Suggest safe access routes for responding employees and emergency services personnel
• Observe and report weather conditions

INCIDENTS:

• Report your exact location and condition
• Describe type and number of injuries/victims - note the types of symptoms or behavior
• Identify location, position and consciousness of victims
• Describe the presence of suspicious people, packages, devices or substances
• Report wind direction and weather on scene
• Report witness statements or observations
• Collect passenger information - distribute and collect courtesy cards
• Suggest safe access routes for responding employees and emergency services personnel

• Immediately notify dispatch, control or your supervisor.
• In an incident involving explosive devices, avoid using radios or cell phones within three hundred feet of the suspected device.
• Follow procedures and await direction and/or assistance.
• Stay calm, communicate clearly and answer questions as they are asked.
• Verify the accuracy of the information you are reporting and clarify the directions you are being given.
• Confirm that help is on the way and ask for a time of arrival.
• If you are unable to contact your supervisor, dispatch or control center, notify local responders through 911.

VEHICLE INSPECTIONS

During pre- and post-trip inspections, layovers or when
your bus has been unattended, look for the following:

• Scratches or pry-marks made by a tool
• Unusually clean or dirty areas or compartments
• Items attached to vehicles with magnets or tape
• Open or disturbed compartments and cabinets

During inspections, check the following areas for suspicious packages, devices or substances:

1. Floors
2. Below seats
3. Operator's area
4. Steps
5. Wheelchair lifts
6. Equipment compartments
7. Lights
8. Wheel wells
9. Engine compartments
10 . Exhaust system
11 . Fuel and air tanks 10
12 . Frame and underbody

OBSERVE SURROUNDINGS:

A. Suspicious activity, behavior and people
B. Cars and other vehicles parked in strange places
C. Out-of-place utility or repair crews
D. Unusual or out-of-place delivery trucks
E. People on rooftops or other unusual locations
F. Suspicious packages or devices at bus stops and terminals

This guide is produced through funding and support from the Federal Transit Administration.