DATE: January 29, 2021
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 last week of January, I want to take this opportunity to welcome Deputy FSD Matt McKeon back to New York. As you know, Matt served as the Acting FSD for the State of Wyoming for the past four months and it is great to have him back.
As we welcome Matt back to New York, we say goodbye to AFSD-I John Ellison. John retired this week from the TSA after 19 years of service. We thank John for his service to the Nation and wish him and his family all the best as he heads into his next adventure in life. We will begin the process to name a successor to John soon. Effective today, Supervisory TSI Bryan Fleming will serve as the Acting AFSD-I. I am confident that Bryan will be successful and I ask that you all provide Bryan and the Regulatory team with your support during this transition.
I want to say thank you to all of you in Screening Operations as we have seen a substantial improvement in our covert test results between FET and Red Team testing over the past four months. With an increased focus on strict adherence to following the SOPs, resolving all alarms as a team with 2 or more people, and combatting complacency, we are seeing tremendous improvement in our test results. The use of our TSS-Es in all colorimetrics tests has resulted in 100% detection. We are pursuing different options for improving the complacency challenge. TSA-IAD (Washington-Dulles) conducted a pilot program developed by the US Army and successfully used by the NFL and NASCAR, that showed excellent results in overcoming complacency. We are also looking at other opportunities through area colleges and the private sector business community for additional ideas on how we can successfully overcome this challenge and drive improvement in our effectiveness in detection.
We still continue to see low passenger volumes at all of our airports. The information we have received from the airlines and airport operators indicate that February will not be much different than January. There are indications that as we get into March, some airlines will be expanding their schedules. We have started hiring new officers to fill the vacant TSO positions, and we are also working to fill the K-9 team vacancies as well as two K-9 instructor positions. We expect all of our screening checkpoints to be fully staffed by this summer. Our K-9 vacancies will take longer to fill as the training is 3 months, so we won’t likely see new teams until late summer or early fall at the earliest. Since our K-9 Unit has been increased from 6 to 10 teams, we have more hiring to do than expected at the start of the year, but that is a good problem to have as we have worked hard for several years to increase the number of K-9s at LGA.
Thank you for the excellent teamwork and flexibility in addressing the need for the Congressional assistance at the checkpoints and for the ATLAS teams increasing the REFS plays at the gates over the past two weeks. We will continue those efforts through Sunday, January 31.
Lastly, I want to address the matter of COVID-19 and the vaccine. By now, all of you in Screening and Regulatory should have received an e-mail advising you of the opportunity to receive a vaccination through a program offered to all DHS components nationwide. Please respond to that e-mail. The vaccine is voluntary, but we need to know how many people are interested in the opportunity to receive the vaccine. We expect the DHS program to start in February. DHS is working with the Veteran’s Health Administration (VHA) to administer the vaccine program. You will be given 4 hours during your work day to receive a vaccination. If you are vaccinated and feel any ill effects, you can take up to 2 days of leave to recover. So far, from our personnel who have received a vaccine through state public health vaccine programs, there have been no ill effects. A second option for you is the use of the State of New York, Connecticut or New Jersey Public Health Departments. They all have a web site where you register to receive the vaccine at locations that may be closer and more convenient to you than the DHS program. You can register for both and go to whomever calls you first. If you go to a non-government provider, you can still take 4 hours from work to receive the vaccine. In either program, you must notify your supervisor so that we know you are accounted for. Upon returning to work, please show your vaccination certificate for proof of having received the vaccine and for the follow-up date and time for your second vaccination.
In talking to some of you and looking at our survey results of interest in receiving the vaccine, I have to admit I am surprised at the low numbers of people wanting the vaccine at LGA and SWF. From the people I have talked to that said they were not going to get the vaccine, I have heard that people think the vaccine was developed too quickly; that young people aren’t as badly effected by COVID-19 and don’t see the need; some people want to wait to see what happens to those that do get a vaccine; others don’t like getting shots and some people have said they had COVID-19 and don’t need it. I strongly recommend you to do your own research and talk to your healthcare provider about the safety of the vaccine. Tens of millions of people have already received the vaccine across the US and many more millions around the world. The first group to receive the vaccine were healthcare professionals and they had no reservations. The President, who has arguably the best healthcare of anyone on earth, received his vaccination. I had COVID-19 last year and I am going to get the vaccine, with no hesitation or concerns, at my first opportunity. I would never encourage you to do something that I am not willing to do. Knowing all too well what the illness was like, I will take the vaccine rather than risk becoming infected again. I tell you this because I care about you and don’t want to see any more of you and your families getting sick.
While the vaccine is not mandatory, I urge you to consider that by receiving the vaccine, you are protecting yourself against COVID-19, but you are also helping to protect your TSA teammates, friends and your loved ones at home. COVID-19 is a dangerous, and in some cases a fatal illness.
Thank you very much for your continuous efforts and dedication to keep our Nation safe.
Respectfully,
Robert A. Duffy
Federal Security Director
