Stafford Regional Airport Security - Research Paper Example

Evaluate Stafford Regional Airport Security Airports and aviation have indirect and direct effects on lives of people.They facilitate the transportation of goods, mail and people around the world and locally. Airports represent economic engines for the nations that they serve. They create jobs and support businesses. Security is a fundamental issue within airports. Stafford Regional Airport has initiated security programs at the airport to ensure protection of individuals at its facility. Introduction This paper shall evaluate the physical security at Stafford Regional Airport. The paper will consider the physical security, the airport security force operations in place, security at the airport, the security the airport do not have, and how the security can be improved at the airport. The paper shall conclude. Physical security The physical security at Stafford Regional Airport assures everyone who visits the airport, a sense of safety. For instance, the airport has complete fencing. The perimeter fencing enclosing the airport deters and delays unauthorized persons from accessing the sensitive parts of the airport. Stafford Regional Airport has a body of water, which serves as a physiological and visual deterrent. Both sides of the perimeter fence are clear i.e. there are no trees, bushes, parked vehicles nearby or climbable objects. Surveillance of the perimeter reinforces the effectiveness of the fencing through blocking the unauthorized individuals finding cover around the perimeter. Other growth or bushes obstruct the surveillance team in detecting intruders in the airport grounds (Wells, 1992, p. 85). The parking lot can facilitate someone to crash the fence by use of the vehicle. The pilots have remained vigilant such that they sustain awareness of suspects on the airport grounds. Lighting is the security measure at the designated access points and around the perimeter. Stafford Regional Airport has lighting around the hangars and its designated access points. The lighting is effective in detecting and deterring individuals looking for unauthorized access to the airport grounds. The lighting does not interfere with the operations of the aircrafts. The perimeter lighting enhances both psychological and real deterrent and enables the security personnel to retain the capability of visual assessment during darkness. The streetlight in the neighborhood also provides lighting of the perimeter. The lighting in the outside perimeter facilitates surveillance in the night and upholds the level of deterrent. Lighting around hangars enhances protection against vandalism, theft, and other unlawful activities in dark conditions or at night. There are backup generators and other power supplies within the airport, which constantly help to sustain the essential functions of security in the airport grounds whenever the main supply of power gets disabled. Aircrafts secured i.e. the hangars and aircrafts would be secured and locked. The state law obligates all aircrafts be secured by use of locks. Employing multiple ways of securing aircrafts create difficulties for unpermitted individuals to access the aircraft (Christy & Wells, 1997, p. 68). Locks establish physiological deterrence. They provide a detecting chance for unauthorized individuals due to the lost time and the accustomed added noise mandatory to bypass a lock. Security force operations in place The Stafford Regional Airport has on-site security or private security guards in place. The security guards attend duty interchangeably to ensure that every part of the airport ground can be monitored. The law enforcement officers come to the airport occasionally to monitor unauthorized attempts. The on-site at the airport ensures thorough inspection of fundamental perimeter and other areas of access. They impede or prevent unauthorized access. The law requires airports to consider having the random or regular local law enforcement officers to patrol aircraft hangar areas and ramps during moments of heightened security (Christy & Wells, 1997, p. 84). Screening for both baggage and people operate the Stafford Regional Airport. The passengers and their luggage undergo the screening process on the general aviation flights. However, the officials within the airport may be familiar with customers or passengers, but this does not hinder the screening process. Prior to boarding the flight, the pilot should verify all the occupants’ identity. All occupants are onboard at the operator or owner’s invitation. All cargo and baggage should be known to the occupants. The baggage and passenger screening hinders the unauthorized individuals from entering the airport grounds. In this case, they cannot bring destructive or illegal objects onboard aircraft or at the sensitive zones within the airport. Cargo or package screening also helps to prevent leaving behind destructive items within the airport grounds. The airport initiates the transient pilot sign out and sign in procedures. The signing in and out helps in identifying the non based aircraft and pilots using the facilities of the airport. The security at the airport Systems set to detect intruders. Stafford Regional airport has installed CCTV cameras to monitor unauthorized access. These cameras get installed at sensitive places within the airport such as the administration building. The intrusion detection system may have CCTV monitoring, building alarms or both. These systems can substitute the physical personnel security required to patrol the entire perimeter or facility. For instance, after detecting an intruder, the system administrator notifies the police, other officials, and airport management. The system encompasses sensors, like the laser scans and fiber optics, which can be calibrated to overlook the disturbances in the environment such as fog and wind. These ensure a reduction in false alarm sent to the security personnel. The video content analytic provides further means of detecting precarious behaviors, like an object left within the airport grounds, a person getting into a restricted zone of a manufacturing facility or a car parked within a loading area. The emergency system of notification used in altering the public is reliable and multifaceted. They include giant emergency speakers and phones, visual display equipment, e-mail and phone alerts. The blank screen monitoring helps get rid of the operator fatigue. The key alerts sent to a blank screen enable the alert to grab the operator’s attention (Bilstein, 1994, p. 43). Stafford Regional airport has installed controls at the designated access points. The controls can distinguish between unauthorized and authorized user. It enhances and determines the overall efficiency of the perimeter security in designated access point areas. Gates at the access points have security personnel who use detectors on people entering the airport grounds. There are gates which are motion controlled. Such gates open for any person by the use of motion detectors. The motion controlled gates allow individuals to access the airport, but keeping wildlife out. The vehicle access controls requires entering a code before getting to the airport grounds. Effective access controls at the designated points of pedestrians and vehicles helps detect threats and reduce the chances that unauthorized individuals may gain to enter the airport ground. Stafford regional airport has installed the Under Vehicle Inspection System (UVIS) at the facility. UVIS (Under Vehicle Inspection System) is a ground based tool for surveillance. It uses low light, wide angle camera systems to scrutinize vehicle undercarriages. The Law Enforcement Associates (LEA) Corporation introduced the Under Vehicle Inspection System in the year 1996. The new software under operation has a design that enhances the features and utility of the Under Vehicle Inspection System. It has camera systems, which can process and capture imagery linked to the driver license plates, his identity and the wider surveillance scene. The operating software of the Under Vehicle Inspection System provides surveillance of vehicles, in which it serves as the command module. Following the bombing of the Towers of Khobar, the Joint Chiefs of Staff chairman found out the material solutions for protecting the force. In this case, the Force Protection Equipment Demonstration got held at Stafford Regional Airport. It is an event that could combat acts regarding terrorism. The Force Protection Equipment Demonstration brought more than 500 organizations and vendors with approximately 3,000 pieces of the Force Protection Equipment. It had almost 20 categories of equipment. They include; ballistics mitigation and blast, optics and night vision, individual protective equipment, barriers, biometrics, cargo inspection devices, and explosive detection. The Force Protection Equipment Demonstration is an initiative conducted to employ the airline industry in antiterrorism and efforts of force protection. The security the airport does not have Stafford Regional Airport has got machineries in terms of technology to do detection, but the equipment does not satisfactorily detect explosives. The airport uses Smiths Detection, the body scanners which have not yet been proved as fit for their purpose (Ethell, 1992, p. 89). Most of the airport scanners in use do not catch many threats. They do not detect some explosive devices that the terrorist groups use. The body scanners are not useful for detecting plastics and liquids, but they can barely help irregularities of spotlight under the clothes of an individual. Singling out each irregularity for auxiliary screening places a heavy burden on the Stafford Regional Airport security. The scanners violate the laws of child pornography. A test run of scanners exempts children under the age of eighteen years. During a scan, there are pornography forms to get worried. For instance, the media infatuation that would arise i.e. the body scan on a celebrity can get into the tabloids. The created images should not be stored. In other words, the personnel handling the images do not get close supervision to ensure proper disposition of the scans. The full body scanners are not effective since they cannot see inside the body of an individual. The machines cannot track items stashed within the body cavity. In this case, the scanners at the airport can not spot the drug smugglers in the general flight. How security can be improved at the airport Stafford Regional Airport requires installing further machineries such as Explosive Detection Kit, Birddog and Bloodhound GPS Tracking Systems, the Letter bomb Visual Spray, Graffiti Cam, and a broad variety of video and audio equipment for surveillance. In other words, I suggest an improved Net-Based Physical Security for Life safety within airports including the Stafford Regional Airport. The Network-Based Physical security for proper life safety can be enhanced through emergency response and risk management. The principal apprehension involves the security of lives within the airport. This falls in areas like prevention and readiness programs and response efforts. The prevention and readiness programs focus on patrolling the facility and incorporating emergency alerting systems to the police. Response efforts entail high situational awareness regarding emergency responders. It also focuses on initiating mission critical consistency and reliability of systems in times of crisis. The airport requires a safety minded vigilance. In this case, the facility grounds should be patrolled and monitored constantly. The change of safety equipment defaults during a crisis should be eliminated. The network-based physical security gives vigorous levels unmatched by hybrid or analog systems. It can be properly designed to ensure reliability options. The backup power supply systems must have constant fueling and separate lines of access to other power plants. The analog systems provide limited awareness of the machines and sophisticated scenarios in the midst of integrated alarm functions. This helps reduce and eliminate the false alarms. When equipment is unreliable, the security personnel are in the dark while dealing with a crisis. This places their lives at risk as well as the decisive assets they are shielding (Spence, 2000, p. 64). Stafford Regional Airport Security can initiate the network-based physical security by improving their technology in use. Technology is a fundamental tool in the security of the airport’s field. The advances in technology in the airport enhance the entire security process. It offers deterrent and the wider range of detection and observation. For instance, the technological advances in place related to passenger boarding at the airport terminal area include: full body scanners; explosive detection; observation cameras; X-ray equipment; metal detectors among others. On the outside of the terminal, other forms of technology can be used. I. Airport Surface Detection Equipment (ASDE): is analog radar that monitors surfaces of vehicles and aircraft on the runway. It ensures that the runway is safe and clear for the arriving and departing aircraft. It gives seamless, multilateral coverage hence there are no gaps of coverage in the scanned camera. II. Loops technology: can be used instead of the Airport Surface Detection Equipment system. III. Airport Movement Area Safety System (AMASS): it is software added to ASDE system. It enhances visual and audible alerts of hazards. It increases the runway safety movements. IV. Precision Runaway Monitoring: it is circular phased non rotating antenna. It monitors the aircraft and provides him the appropriate direction thus separation can be maintained. V. Ground Safety Tracking and Reporting System (GSTRS): it does not depend on the prevailing weather. Enables ATC to direct and monitor ground traffic, both vehicle and aircraft, under ineffective ground surveillance. VI. Three- Dimensional Runway Surface Markings: these are novel images painted on the runway, which alert vehicle and pilot operators to spot critical markings. VII. Runway Status Lights (RWSL): it is a radar based system that gives pilots a visual consultative of the status of runway through surface lights. Technology is one of the layers of security thus cannot be the only point of protection. A suitable multi tiered security operation can accomplish the ultimate objective of passenger’s safety, the airport itself and its personnel. The equipment needs to be operated by qualified personnel. The equipment in use should be maintained, calibrated, and examined frequently to avoid terrorism incidences. Training involves providing abilities, knowledge and remarkable skills to professional security in the industry of aviation. Professional chess in the personnel of security should think five moves ahead of the terrorists. Critical and analytical thinking abilities to find solutions to problems should be central points of personnel training. Chemical and technological advances are the facilities of terrorism. The security personnel in the airport must have the capacity to recognize potential essentials of improvised explosive tools. The critical abilities of professionals in security within the airport involve detection of questionable character. There should be proactive and fast interpersonal communication about terrorist detection and assess the possibilities of threats (John, 1999, p. 26). In depth knowledge of the global affairs, cultures, foreign languages counter terrorism and terrorism should be the qualifications for personnel in the security force of the airport. In this case, the airport must undertake crucial steps. I. Raise the standards of hiring by considering academic requirements. These areas involve global affairs, intelligence, foreign languages, psychology, and homeland security and counter terrorism. Hiring a true security professional in aviation entails an improved compensation package to recruit and maintain folks with superb abilities, skills, qualifications, and job duties. Retaining and hiring quality individuals are fundamental. Financial resources can be channeled to key areas, instead of the constant training and hiring process within the security force. II. Provide the critical security training to personnel in the airport including baggage handlers and ticket agents. This is a strategy that goes beyond perimeter surveillance and security, and presence of enforcing the law and military personnel. It is an integrated system of security, which is uncomplicated and enhances sharing and communication of intelligence among agencies. III. A long lasting, more comprehensive program of training should involve live training scenarios, counter terrorist tactics, IED detection, etc. in addition, training should be at constant basis such as monthly or weekly. This provides proficiency of handling equipment for the security personnel in the airport. They can understand equipment used during emergency situations. IV. Laws should be amended to provide the airport security professionals extra authority other than mere observing and reporting. It is a law that enables security professional to protect through observing. For instance, unusual condition that requires immediate action can be handled properly by the airport security professionals. V. Increasing the physical fitness standards that entail agility test comparable to other positions in law enforcement including firearm training and defensive tactics. VI. Integrate other models of security in the airport and the qualified instructors must have credentials that involve unique operation experience. The pilots and flight attendants require the basic security training. In some situations, they become a weapon of their own. In addition, the skills of flight crew and sky Marshalls should be improved. Conclusion Security is a system that has complications but involves uncomplicated procedures that experts have created and run by professionals. Security has many parts that function precisely together. If it gets partly damaged, the whole system fails. Airport security is a vital form of security that should be established to curb terrorism, which involves evil actions that destroy lives of human beings. This paper has evaluated the Stafford Regional Airport physical security. It has discussed the security force operations in place, the security at the facility, the security in and out of practice, and how the security can be improved. References: Bilstein, R. (1994). Flight in America. From the Wrights to the Astronauts. Revised Edition. Baltimore: John Hopkins University Press. Christy, J., & Wells, A. (1997). American Aviation- An Illustrated History. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books Inc. Ethell, J. (1992). Smithsonian Frontiers of Flight. Washington, D.C., Smithsonian Books, New York: Orion Books. John, P. (1999). Air Piracy Airport Security, and International Terrorism: Winning the War Against Hijackers. New York: Quorum Books. Spence, C. (2000). Aeronautical Information Manual/ Federal Aviation Regulations. New York: McGraw- Hill. Wells, A. (1992). Airport Planning and Management. Blue Ridge Summit, PA: Tab Books Inc. Read More