Transportation Security Administration Announces Terminal Security Grants

5/5/2004

From: Deirdre O'Sullivan of the Transportation Security Administration, 571-227-2749 or 202-997-4646 (cell) or deirdre.osullivan@dhs.gov

WASHINGTON, May 5 -- The following Q&A on terminal security grants was released today by the Transportation Security Administration:

Author: Deirdre O'Sullivan

SME: Fran Lozito, CTO Chief of Staff

Date: April 29, 2004

Q. TSA recently announced additional airports receiving grant money. Which airports received grants?

A. Airports awarded grants in the second round:

-- The Bert Mooney Airport Authority was awarded $800,000 to purchase and deploy vehicular identification smart sensors that will monitor airport traffic.

-- Arapahoe County Public Airport Authority was awarded $977,000 for Centennial Airport, a general aviation/charter airport, to provide enhanced video surveillance for the terminal building.

-- The City of Elko was awarded $470,000 for Elko Regional Airport to evaluate the airport's perimeter security system and to assist in the integration of various sensor technologies.

-- The Jacksonville Airport Authority was awarded $1.4 million to purchase and deploy an advanced video surveillance system that will continuously record activities in the terminal. The system is designed to automatically alarm when there is a security breach.

-- The Miami-Dade Aviation Department was awarded $1.2 million to purchase, deploy and test "smart" video surveillance systems that will detect and track individuals attempting to enter the sterile area by bypassing the screening process at the checkpoint or entering through an exit lane.

-- The Metropolitan Knoxville Airport Authority was awarded $666,000 for McGhee Tyson Airport to purchase and deploy new technologies to integrate existing sensors and video systems to respond to threats more effectively and efficiently.

-- The Salt Lake City Department of Airports was awarded $924,000 to purchase and deploy a web-based RFID system to track the location of mobile resources, such as baggage carts and other vehicles near and around aircraft.

-- The San Francisco Airport Commission was awarded $484,000 to purchase and deploy information technology software to upgrade the existing video surveillance system to better detect persons entering sterile areas through exit lanes or bypassing checkpoint screening.

-- The Port of Seattle was awarded $1.25 million for Seattle- Tacoma International Airport to purchase, integrate and deploy radar-based technologies to verify a perimeter breach, and to better protect airport facilities.

-- The City of Springfield was awarded $63,000 for Springfield/Branson Regional Airport to purchase and deploy smart video surveillance systems to enhanced security for crucial operational facilities.

Q. This is the second round of grants. Which airports received grants in the first round?

A. In December 2003, TSA awarded the first round of $7.8 million in grants for terminal improvements to eight airports. Key West International Airport, Key West, Fla.; Denver International Airport, Denver, Colo.; Pittsburgh International Airport, Pittsburgh, Pa.; Helena Regional Airport, Helena, Mont.; Newark International Airport, Newark, N.J.; and T.F. Green State Airport, Providence, R.I., were all awarded grants for various advanced video surveillance systems. Boston (Mass.) Logan International Airport was awarded a grant for a new network airport analysis tool to better manage such things as resources, equipment and traffic flow. Chicago (Ill.) Midway Airport received a grant to purchase and install a physical barrier system that can be deployed so that the evacuation of an entire concourse may be avoided should an incident occur at the checkpoint.

Q. How were these programs funded?

A. The funding for both of these programs was appropriated to TSA as part of the 2002 Supplemental Appropriations Act (P.L. 107-206).

Q. If the funding was appropriated in 2002, why was the funding released in 2004?

A. Terminal Security Improvement Grants: In June 2003, TSA posted the grant announcement on FedBizOps and the FAA Grant website with a response deadline of July 2003. Several airport associations approached TSA because some of their airports were unsure of the grant process, and because some had missed the announcement which was posted on a FAA website and not the TSA website. After receiving this feedback, TSA reopened the announcement for grant applications in August 2003, with a response deadline of October 2003, which led to new applications that needed to be reviewed which referred delayed the announcements of the grants.

Airport Access Control Pilot Program: In June 2003, TSA requested information from vendors and received over 400 submissions to evaluate and catalog. TSA solicited voluntary participation of airports from over 400 airports, and received over 75 initial responses. Through a survey process, TSA now has a list of 41 airports interested in participating in a pilot project. TSA contracted with a systems integrator (Unisys) in October 2003. During the past six months, TSA's systems integrator has been developing project plans and conducting airport site surveys to match up airports and projects.

Q. What is the relationship between the Airport Terminal Grants and the Access Control Pilot Program?

A. While the airport terminal improvement grants could cover a multitude of security projects, the access control pilot program is designed to specifically address access control technologies, including biometrics.

Q. What is the relationship between this grant program and the TWIC (Transportation Worker Identification Credential) or Registered Traveler program?

A. While neither of these grant programs are directly associated with TWIC or Registered Traveler, information gathered regarding specific technologies will be made available to personnel developing these two programs, as well as any BTS/DHS program that might benefit from the research to be conducted, and operational data to be collected.