Scurity brief refresher team. Top, TSA JFK Asst. Director, Jim Fitzagerald, (below) TSA Explosives Specialist
James Corbett, TSA Supervisory Inspector Bairn Senft, CLPA Security Joe Clabby, Jim Fitzgerald, TSA
AIRPORT VOICE, JUNE 2021 11
MULTI-AGENCY K9
EXPLOSIVE TRAINING
JFK TSA sponsors pawfect
exercise
TSA conducts
explosives training
Reminder, “ See Something, Say Something”
BY JEFF YAPALATER
The TSA is holding live
training classes throughout the
JFK airport cargo handling facilities
as a refresher course for
explosive identification and prevention
as traffic ramps up and
cargo shipments increase. The
TSA team gave an intel briefing,
the first of many, for security
workers who handle cargo
at the airport.
JFK TSA Asst. Director Jim
Fitzgerald explains that TSA
holds these meetings as a
back-to-basics of cargo screening
as some workers may have
gotten rusty during Covid.
He also said that these
meetings are an opportunity to
understand the new mandate
relating to the regulations to
have all cargo examined for explosives
by K9 units. Beginning
in July certified third party companies
will have dogs working
the cargo areas to detect explosive
material.
The classes will be run by
former DIA and U.S. S Army expert
Michelle Simmons who will
discuss the various techniques
used by terrorists, as well as
by explosive specialists Jerry
Fitzgerald and Jim Corbett who
will discuss the accrual devices
in more detail that could be used
against our aviation community.
According to Jim Fitzgerald,
the TSA feels it is an opportune
time to hold a refresher since all
security personnel need to be
observant and knowledgeable
in the ways that terrorists try to
bring explosives onto commercial
aircraft especially in this
20th 9-11 Anniversary.
Fitzgerald said that the bad
actors ”love to target civil aviation
and create economic and
psychological effect”. As the insider
threat is key to vigilance, a
“lone wolf” is of great potential
danger who may hold a SIDA
ID or have access to cargo
places. The TSA Atlas Teams
will show more visibility in cargo
areas. Said Fitzgerald, “We
want layers of security, redundancy,
and therefore you will
see uniformed officers around
the cargo areas to protect our
stakeholders.”
Supervisory Inspector James Fallace.
Continued from page 1
TSA is also overseeing the third party deployment of K9s in
the cargo areas of the airport. As of July 1st, all cargo handling
facilities will be under the noses of K9’s specially trained for
detecting any amounts of dangerous material. Each dog has a
badge and individual number. They are law enforcement professionals.
During the training the dogs run obstacle courses searching
for specific scents that are hidden. There are distractor odors
in place to fool the dogs, but there are so good that they succeed
in finding the intended item. These dogs quickly and accurately
find the intended item, and then sit by the luggage or
parcel waiting for their handler to inspect. Much of the success
is based on the bond created between handler and dog since
they are bonded as a partner both at work and at home.
These sessions are opportunities to have scents and odors
imprinted into the dog’s memory. According to handlers, the
canine nose is hundreds of times more sensitive than a human’s
nose. So they are perfect for passenger and cargo operations
where even minute amounts of explosives can be detected.
According to TSA JFK Asst. Director on hand at the exercise,
“Each agency silos information but we take the opportunity
at these training to get to know each other and keep lines of
cross-communication open. We always have to train the “real
deal, in a real environment”
According to TSA trainer Bob Schnelle these dogs are the
most highly trained in the federal system costing thousands of
dollars to purchase and train. Each canine must go through
an internal certification system, some of which wash out and
are put up for adoption. The same goes for the handler. They
must pass annual certification as well. Working as a team, both
handler and canine creates a strong operational and personal
connection leading to efficient professional expertise and protecting
our nation from potential terrorism.
Congratulations
Captain
C. B. “Sully” Sullenberger,
III, Nominee for the rank of Ambassador
during his tenure of
service as Representative of
the United States of America on
the Council of the International
Civil Aviation Organization.