Media Release
GLOBAL AIRPORT SECURITY AND PUBLIC SAFETY PROGRAM!
How safe are you on an airport?
Airports world-wide remain soft targets and dangerous precincts for the global airport workforce and all passengers.
Australia is the first country in the world to address the need for security and public safety training for its 300,000 strong nationwide airport workforce!
Global airport security breaches, including the intruder who ran up the egress steps at Melbourne airport and still on the run, should become a thing of the past, when airport workforces are trained in ‘security and public safety.
A ‘security aware’ workforce would have spotted a marooned jet skier walking across a taxiway and runway, at New York’s JFK airport, earlier this year. He scaled a fence and bypassed thousands of CCTV cameras and security personnel, he thought would rescue him.
An Australian JetStar Captain is unlikely to have been taken hostage by hostile diverted passengers, for six hours, two weeks ago, at Shanghai’s Pudong airport, if the airport workforce and security staff were trained to handle incidents.
Total reliance on CCTV and scanners is a flawed aviation security model. Good security systems focus on prevention or risk minimization which means adding layers of security awareness throughout an airport! A must to adequately enhance security!
Aussie ingenuity and expertise is behind the world’s first ‘silo busting’, totally integrated security and public safety capability measures.
A new Australian package designed to change global airport ‘security culture’, help global airport and threats to National Security, is available from Sunday 11 November 2012. Distribution discussions are underway for the Middle East, SE-Asia and the USA.
A team of Australian experts have teamed together to develop this innovative and global first in enhanced aviation security.
These experts have backgrounds in aviation, security/intelligence, counter terrorism, crisis management, law enforcement, criminology, public safety and security training.
“They believe their collaborative efforts will make airports, safer, more secure and enjoyable”, according to Roger Henning, Director of Homeland Security Asia/Pacific.
“World understanding can best be achieved through tourism! Growth will escalate when air travel becomes a less stressful, happier experience.
“Asia Pacific growth is the fastest in the world, with a reported 40 new airports under construction in China alone. We are able to help authorities enhance air travel and eliminate mob rule incidents when flights are disrupted”, he said
World-first AVSEC-1-ALERTTM (A1A), security and public safety packages are being offered by a specially formed A1A organization. A1A training will mitigate against known ‘home grown’ terrorism threats and protect the safety and security of each airport workforce and all airline passengers. A1A consolidates security systems and measures, by adding the total engagement of an entire airport workforce. A1A also believes its training approach enhances resilience on airport precincts by changing the ‘security culture’, eliminating and integrating existing silos, elevating ‘security and public safety awareness’ for all. Every worker will have a greater understanding of roles and functions.
AIA BETTER PROTECTS $44-BILLION IN ASSETS
A1A adds a new level to the protection of all airline fleets and critical airport infrastructure worth $44-billion in Australia and trillions worldwide. The additional bonus for air travelers will be a friendlier more relaxed airport experience.
A1A meets all of the United Nations ICAO Annex 17 public safety and security awareness training requirements, for deployment on airports, in the 191 countries, which have signed the Chicago Convention!
The Transport Workers Union of Australia (TWU) and the Australian and International Pilots Association (AIPA) both provided major input and support to the developers and have endorsed AVSEC-1-ALERTTM.
The new package integrates best practice security/intelligence protocols with commercial reality and expectations of the travelling public.
AVSEC-1-ALERTTM has been co-developed as a public service, by Roger Henning and Michael Roach, of Homeland Security Asia/Pacific (HSAP), over the last five years – at no cost to taxpayers, airport owners or airlines. The collaboration with other specialists in the field, including Melbourne-based criminologist and global safety expert, Tony Zalewski, ensured this training package meets local and international requirements for high quality training and compliance.
Audits of more than 100 Australian airports confirmed various deficiencies in preparedness of the total workforce to identify, report, respond and act on anything unusual, or cope with an emergency incident.
“No one has a clue what to do when things go wrong! Just witness the confusion and frustrations, when a gate-change is announced, flights cancelled, re-screening needed” said Roger. “Imagine the panic when there is something more serious such as a fire or explosion”?
Roger is one of Australia’s most experienced crisis managers, having been involved in the aftermath of more than 50 major incidents worldwide, including terrorist bombings in the UK, India and the Philippines.
Roger was flown into Tasmania, by the State Government, to work with police dealing with the Port Arthur Massacre, before the arrest of mass-murderer, Martin Bryant.
Roger has drawn on decades of experience working with airlines, airports and international hotel chains addressing issues and essential staff training on ways to respond to a crisis or major incident.
“In the past, Australian airport security methodology has emanated from law enforcement, security/intelligence agencies and Government Departments, which are all stovepipe/silo operations by nature and necessity”, Roger said.
“Right hand- left hand issues cause confusion! Each silo activity has a specific task.
“There is no interoperability between silos, nor harnessing and integrating of the entire workforce until now. Consolidation is vital”, Roger added.
A1A converts an entire disparate airport workforce, into a ‘trained security aware public safety alert community’ able to identify, act and respond as one unified resource. “There will be 600,000 trained eyes and ears on airports- Australia-wide” said Roger.
SECURITY AWARENESS TRAINING COMPULSORY IN 2015
Australia was the first nation in the world to start the process of making security awareness training compulsory for every airport worker by 2015.
The TWU with responsibility for the welfare of 21,000 Australian airport workers plans to commence A1A training of TWU members, in February 2013, as part of a workplace agreement.
Obligatory aviation training requirements under consideration for 300,000 workers, by an Australian Government/Industry committee, consist entirely of more textbook, silo/stovepipe training modules.
Not one proposal involves a fully integrated, holistic response to anything abnormal on an airport. Each workforce sector, every passenger and airport would remain totally vulnerable, if these proposals are mandated.
A1A DELIVERY BY COMPLEX TRAINING ACADEMY
Melbourne-headquartered, Registered Training Organization, (RTO) Complex Training Academy, will begin delivering A1A to TWU members on Australian airports from February 2013.
The internationally acclaimed, Complex Training Academy has decades of security training experience nation-wide, including training more than 4000 security personnel for deployment at Melbourne’s Commonwealth Games.
Complex has impressive joint-venture training operations in Beijing and Delhi and will be responsible for A1A enrolments, fees, course delivery and the issuance of credentials to graduates.
Complex can deliver A1A face-to-face, part face-to-face/e-learning, or in any language via a 100 per cent e-learning version, for less than $400 per individual and lower rates for groups. A1A is a four-section, concentrated half-day program.
Security-cleared airport employees, will be monitored when online, through CTA’s secure IT platform in Melbourne. Security can include the use of supervision technology to ensure the candidate online is the person who enrolled.
CTA is responsible for issuing sub-licensing agreements with other training organizations capable of delivering A1A face-to-face.
MAJOR THREAT POSED BY OSAMA’S DIY HANDBOOK
US Navy Seals recovered a DIY handbook, written by the late Osama bin Laden, found in his compound in Pakistan, after he was eliminated.
In it, the world’s most notorious terrorist, responsible for 9/11, coldly spells out how al Qaida cells should identify, target, recruit, sway, train and deploy sympathetic airport workers as ‘suicide bombers’.
Being part of an ‘authority averse’ society; the average Aussie appears to be unconcerned by the risks associated with ‘home grown’ terrorist suspects, revealed by ASIO Director General, Peter Irvine, over the last two years.
The facts are quite sobering! More than 60 Australians are known to have been trained by terrorist groups in Pakistan and Afghanistan.
Another 20 have disappeared in Yemen, making the monitoring and surveillance task a massive challenge for ASIO and the AFP.
All these potential terrorists left Australia by air, from Australian airports. They have firsthand knowledge of the layout of major airports, presenting an ongoing threat to the security and safety of each airport precinct.
Airports, seaports, rail and bus terminals, stadiums, houses of Parliament and the Lucas Heights nuclear facility are designated ‘Places of Mass Gathering’ by the Australian Government, requiring a higher level of security. Of course there are many more places where substantial crowd activity occurs including recently completed football finals in the various codes, conferences and cultural exhibitions such as those staged at the National Gallery.
If a Russian can by-pass 500 CCTV cameras and security staff at Parliament House Canberra; enter Ministerial offices and gate-crash a Prime Ministerial press conference – it’s time to consolidate and review security and safety measures!
POLITICIANS LIVE WITH A FALSE SENSE OF SECURITY
Australia’s elected representatives including the PM, all live with a false sense of security inside Parliament House and in airport lounges nationwide.
Parliamentarians are isolated from identifying the holes in Australian security and the hassles experienced by the public.
Just like any airport workforce, the Parliamentary and Parliament House staff isn’t trained to identify report or challenge unauthorized visitors, let alone cope with a crisis. Once an unauthorized person is inside the secure perimeter, the person is currently accepted as kosher!
Had the Russian intruder thrown a paper covered with Anthrax spores or worse at the PM, the incident would have escalated into lock-down.
Killer spores would have circulated via the air conditioning system, throughout Parliament House.
The same risk applies on airports!
FULL BODY SCANNERS
Full body scanners installed at major Australian airports at a reported cost of $200-million, cannot and do not add to the security or safety within any terminal. Full body scanners, are known to give a high rate of ‘false positives’ and are solely designed to expose threats, secreted on/in departing passengers!
A passenger wired with explosives, or with a suspicious briefcase, or parcel, is more likely to set off a mass casualty catastrophe in a terminal, than in the air!
A1A is designed to involve the entire airport workforce, including all vendors, from the time they walk from a car park, or arrive by bus or taxi to enter a terminal. The training will ensure there are ‘zones of control’ rather than merely the obvious security line that is present at perimeter fences or occurs at the time of passenger screening.
AVSEC-1-ALERTTM (A1A) descriptor:
- AVESEC denotes aviation security
- #1 emphasizes ‘safety and security is the first priority’
- ALERT – indicates an airport worker is trained and alert
STATS
Perth – Fly in Fly out (FIFO) employees number around 45,000.
Body Scanners – 20-40 per cent of trials in Sydney and Melbourne false alarmed – the Australian 15 Nov 2011.
Sydney Airport provides 200,000 jobs (‘Australian’ 15 June 2012) 35 million passengers a year – Chief Executive, Kerrie Mather said she wants a better airport experience! Sydney Airport has experienced record numbers, with 100,000 passengers and visitors, in the terminals on any one day.
Melbourne Airport provides 40,000 jobs – 2008 figure-Melbourne Airport Economics Impact Study 2008.
Brisbane Airport provides 28,000 jobs – Brisbane Airport 2009 Master Plan.
Adelaide Airport provides 20,000 jobs – Adelaideairport.com.au
Perth Airport provides 16,000 jobs-2003 figures.
Darwin Airport provides 2300 jobs – DITRD and Local Government Aviation Research Report 117 of April 2010.
AVSEC-1-ALERTTM (A1A) benefits:
- Mitigates against threats to National Security, posed by ‘home grown’ terrorists. ASIO is currently monitoring more than 200 known risks. The United States, UK and other nations face similar threats.
- Benefits airport owners and operators, by helping to reduce the potential risk of shutdown of a major airport, due to a catastrophic event. Closure of Melbourne or Sydney airports would each cost shareholders and the economy more than $1-billion a week.
- Reduces the risk of intrusion into secure areas, by an unauthorized person, as recently occurred at Parliament House, Canberra, when a Russian national gained access to a Prime Ministerial media conference.
- Aims to protect every member of an airport workforce; millions of passengers; critical infrastructure worth $44-billion in Australia and trillions worldwide; plus billions worth of commercial aircraft.
- Smashes through entrenched, flawed, old-style, silo/stovepipe airport security methodology, which largely emanates from law enforcement agencies, which are all stovepipe by nature and necessity. A1A consolidates all measures into one!
- Engages thousands of ‘eyes and ears’, to reduce total reliance on CCTV as the primary surveillance system on major airports.
- Will help deter theft, drug smuggling and fights.
- Enables every airport worker, including vendors, cleaners and airline staff, airside and landside to identify and report anything unusual direct to superiors, police and airport security.
- Expedites detection of illegal activity.
- Supplements thousands of essential CCTV cameras, scanners, uniformed AFP officers and airport security staff, which creates a ‘perception’ of a secure environment. In reality, airports remain soft targets for would-be terrorists, the mentally disturbed and trans-national criminals.
- Delivers a friendlier environment and better customer service, due to the workforce feeling valued! A happier experience for all. Greater productivity!
- Is Trade Marked globally and available on all continents except Antarctica.
