DATE: August 14, 2020
TO: All Personnel: LGA, HPN, ISP, SWF
FROM: Robert A. Duffy, Federal Security Director: LGA, HPN, ISP, SWF
SUBJECT: Weekly Update
As we close this week, I want to take this opportunity to again thank all of you for the outstanding effort you have put forward during these very different and challenging times.
Terminal B continues to draw very favorable reviews from our TSA team and the passengers traveling through the new terminal. Since the opening of Terminal B on June 13, we have listened to your suggestions to make the terminal better and have taken action to implement your ideas. The first action we took was to install two KRONOS clocks to the right of the elevator in the sterile area beyond lane 1. Previously, the only KRONOS clocks were in the secure area which required each officer to enter through a SIDA door at the end of Lane 1 which was very inefficient. Comments about the new clocks and their location have all been positive. We are currently in the process of having a camera installed above the SIDA door at the end of Lane 1. We saw a danger to anyone who is coding into the SIDA door that they could be hit by the door being opened by a person leaving the secure area. We will have a video screen on the secure side of the door so anyone exiting into the checkpoint can see if a person is on the other side of the door before opening that door. We installed a printer in the Terminal B baggage room as requested to save baggage officers time wasted by traveling between the baggage room and the checkpoint. Kristen Jonus is working with LGP to develop a better way to mark off 6 foot intervals for proper distancing along the lanes. The adhesive floor markers don’t adhere well to the carpet. Lane 6 was cleared for use last week, so we now have Lanes 1-9 and 16 operational. Lanes 10-15 are back under construction and should be completed and operational by mid to late September. The new Concourse A opened last week.
The new Terminal C being built by Delta Airlines is progressing well. The anticipated opening date is 18-24 months away. The new Federal Inspection Station (FIS) at SWF is nearly completed and will open soon. While HPN has been closed to commercial flights, the terminal building has received a needed refresh and upgrades to improve the facility. Our checkpoint looks much better.
I want to take this opportunity to remind everyone of the importance of always wearing personal protective equipment (PPE) while at work. In April, I mandated the wearing of a surgical mask at all times, with the option of wearing an N-95 mask if desired. Administrator Pekoske has also since mandated the wearing of face coverings for all TSA personnel with the requirement of a surgical mask or option of an N-95 mask for everyone interacting with the public. Cloth face coverings are acceptable to people not in contact with the public, such as FSD staff and the CC staff. Face shields or protective goggles are also required for positions directly interacting with the passengers such as Divesting Officer, TDC and alarm resolutions. These requirements are for your health and safety as well as for your family and friends. As I explained in April, I contracted the corona virus in March and was out of work for a month. Since I didn’t know I had it, I passed it on to my wife. Catching that illness is not a club you want membership in, so please wear the PPE issued to you for your good and for the good of your friends and loved ones at home. I care about you and don’t want to see you or your loved one’s sick with the corona virus. This includes when you are off duty. Protect yourself and your family by using PPE.
Some of you have asked about Plexi-glass shielding at the checkpoints as an additional layer of protection beyond the issued PPE. Shielding has been installed at SWF and HPN. We also have it in Terminal A at LGA. Delta has taken the initiative for installation in Terminals C and D. LaGuardia Gateway Partners (LGP) stated they will install shielding in Terminal B. We will receive a shipment of shielding soon from TSA-HQ and will install shielding at ISP and anywhere else we see the need.
For those at LGA who need to take the MTA subway to work, be advised that the subways will remain closed from 0100 to 0500 daily for cleaning and disinfecting. The overnight closure will stay in effect for the foreseeable future until New York Governor, Andrew Cuomo, determines it is safe to return to 24 hour operations. Please make every effort to arrive to work on time. The MTA has options such as buses that mirror the subway routes and UBER or LYFT for difficult to access areas. Check with the MTA web site for details. For our personnel who drive to work at LGA, there is no more grace period for being late at the start of your shift. Since the opening of Terminal B, the road system at LGA has greatly improved, and we no longer have traffic problems entering the airport, thus no more reason to be late to work due to being stuck in traffic entering LGA. Remember that everyone is in this together and if someone arrives to work late, your teammates have to carry your additional load of the work. Be a good teammate and come to work on time.
Earlier this year I was appointed to a FET program advisory board. We are examining ways to improve the FET program which in turn will drive improvement in detection of explosives, firearms and other prohibited items. What we are looking for to drive improvement in our threat detection are three things:
- Knowledge of the SOPs
- Resolve alarms as a team (2 or more people involved)
- Stop complacency
Your knowledge of the SOPs is the foundation to success. Know the proper way to conduct a bag search, pat down a person, use both screens and the settings on the AT-2 x-ray, etc., and you will be starting down the road to success. Doing the job the right way by following the SOPs will become a habit. Second, by working together as a team, you greatly enhance the likelihood of success. We know from experience that when two or more people work together for alarm resolution, we pass the tests. Individuals acting alone have a greater rate of failure. Be good teammates and work together. The last element to success is the greatest challenge we face. Complacency is our biggest threat because it comes from within, not from a terrorist or selectee. When we know a selectee or No Fly passenger is coming to any of our airports, everyone is on high alert and as a result, we do very well in identifying selectees and thoroughly screening them. That same attention to detail and due diligence must be used for all passengers. Once short cuts are taken in procedures or an officer starts to rationalize in their mind why it isn’t necessary to call for help, complacency will win and we can’t allow that.
I am interested in hearing from you what ideas you have for addressing these three keys to success. We will gladly implement viable ideas that drive improvements in detection, and recognize effective ideas that lead to success through our awards and recognition program. The best ideas on how to get a job done come from all of you not from HQ.
Lastly, I want to thank you for your continued dedication and devotion to duty through some very challenging and concerning times. This has been a tough year, especially here in New York. You have all persevered through the world’s worst pandemic in 102 years; at LGA you have pressed on through the MTA subway shutdown overnight; you have overcome the violence and civil disorder across the city and region; and at LGA, still managed to open a new terminal building. You are very special people and stand second to none. I am extremely proud of all of you. Thank you for your continued service to our Nation.
With greatest respect,
Bob Duffy
