Municipal airport beefs up security

0 Comments | La Crosse Tribune, Nov 19, 2002 | by Hoskin, Ed

If you ask Dale Heikkila, it just got a lot safer at the La Crosse Municipal Airport on the anniversary of a congressionally mandated deadline for deploying federal security screeners.

"You only get one chance to do it right," said Heikkila, the airport's deputy federal security director. "The best thing is standardization. You should be treated the same at every airport."

A total of 19 federally employed security screeners are now working at La Crosse's airport. Training has been beefed up, and pre-selection procedures and background checks have been initiated, Heikkila said Monday.

"It wasn't nearly what they are having right now," Heikkila said of prior training practices. "It will be safer. They (screeners) are a lot more educated about the screening process, and (there is) more of an emphasis on customer service."

The new screeners, who are employed by the year-old Transportation Security Administration, started work at La Crosse's airport about two weeks ago. About half of them are rehired screeners who received classroom instruction and "on the job" training under supervision, Heikkila said.

Federal security screeners are now in place at each of the nation's 429 commercial airports. There are 158 federal security directors, some of whom are responsible for more than one airport.

Airport security in La Crosse and St. Cloud, Minn., is controlled by a federal security director based in Rochester, Minn.

Because pay has improved and screeners now receive federal benefits, the profession is attracting better educated employees, Heikkila said. From more than 1.6 million applications nationwide, about 44,000 federal security screeners were hired.

Therese Kargl of Marion, Miss., was flying from La Crosse to Chicago on Monday. She said she had noticed screeners were more polite.

"They are more attentive to our needs and it feels nice," Kargl said. As for increased safety: "The more restriction there is, the more safety there is, and that's what I'm for," Kargl said.

Aside from newly trained screeners and the usual X-ray machine and metal detector, an electronic trace machine is expected to arrive at the La Crosse airport in the next few weeks. The device will be used for both carry-on and checked baggage.

Post-Sept. 11, scissors and short-blade knives are not allowed in carry-on luggage. Such items will be confiscated for good at the La Crosse airport, though there are plans in the works for a return mailing service, Heikkila said.

Ice picks, golf clubs and power drills are just some of the other items listed as banned on a sign at the entrance to the airport's security checkpoint.

With the holiday season approaching, travelers are reminded not to wrap Christmas gifts before getting on an airplane.

"If we cannot positively identify what is in the package, they have to be opened, Heikkila said.

Other tips to save time and limit problems during security screening include:

* Avoid wearing clothing, jewelry and accessories that contain metal because they might set off a metal detector.

* Put undeveloped film and cameras with film in carry-on baggage because checked baggage screening equipment damages undeveloped film.

* Put all metal objects, including keys and loose change, in your carry-on bag.

* Take laptop computers out of their cases.