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  • Aviation securityAirline crews to get separate TSA screening process

    The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently announced that it will begin a pilot program that tests a new separate screening process for airline pilots and flight attendants; to expedite airport security lines, airline pilots and flight attendants would not have to go through the same lines as passengers; the specifics of the system are currently in development, but TSA officials say that they are exploring the use of biometric retina scans or fingerprint matches to verify an individual’s identity against airline employee databases; many pilots objected to TSA’s increased search procedures believing that they were a nuisance and entirely unnecessary as they already have full control over the plane

  • Behavioral observationGAO: TSA's behavior screening program has no scientific proof that it works

    Last week a Government Accountability Office (GAO) official testified before Congress stating that the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) behavioral analysis program contained critical flaws; the Screening of Passengers by Observation Techniques (SPOT) program was designed to identify potential attackers by analyzing an individual’s behavior; individuals involved in six terrorist plots have slipped by behavior detection officers (BDOs) unnoticed at least twenty-three times at airports where SPOT was implemented; currently there is no scientific evidence that proves potential terrorists can be identified by behavior alone; GAO recommends freezing the SPOT program’s budget at current levels to save an estimated $20 million each year until scientific evidence for the program is established

  • Hazmat transportationRail, chemical companies recognized for safety measures

    TRANSCAER (Transportation Community Awareness and Emergency Response) companies train local emergency responders through a combination of hands-on activities, emergency planning assistance, and community drills and exercises, including the use of actual rail and truck equipment, table-top exercises that discuss responses to a possible emergency situation, and whistle-stop tours that bring emergency preparedness training to response organizations in communities across the country