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Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus Operators

Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus Operators. Virginia Transit Association Spring Conference May 29, 2003 Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark Stewart Palisades Security Consulting Team www.palisadesgroup.com/PalisadesSecurity/index.htm. Special Challenges For Transit.

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Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus Operators

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  1. Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus Operators Virginia Transit AssociationSpring Conference May 29, 2003 Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark Stewart Palisades Security Consulting Team www.palisadesgroup.com/PalisadesSecurity/index.htm

  2. Special Challenges For Transit • “Open” nature of transit makes it an attractive target • Multi-jurisdictional environments require aggressive coordination and cooperation • Multi-modal interactions can increase vulnerability

  3. Types of Threats Against Transit • Armed Assault • Hostage Taking • Chemical Release On Board • Explosive on Board • Chemical Outside • Explosive/Sabotage Outside

  4. Security Breaches on Public Transportation in the U.S. • August 6, 1927 Two bombs in two NYC Subway stations • December 7, 1993 Colin Ferguson kills 6, injures 17 on LIRR at rush hour • December 15 and 21, 1994Edward Leary explodes two bombs on the NYC subway system, injuring 53 people • October 9, 1995 "Sons of the Gestapo" kills 1, injures 65 on sabotaged Amtrak Sunset Limited in Arizona desert • November 27, 1998 Deranged passenger on a Seattle Metro bus kills bus operator, one passenger and injures 32 others. • May 2, 2001Bus hijacker in LA crashes into a minivan, killing the minivan driver and injuring seven others.

  5. Good Security is Good Security • Non-terrorist • Terrorist [Opposite is also true…]

  6. Key Strategies Vulnerability Assessments Non-TerroristThreats TerroristThreats TRANSIT Deter & Mitigate Deter & Mitigate Evacuation,Recovery &Continuity Infrastructure Hardening

  7. Telephone Interviews • Transit Security Chiefs interviewed, May 2003: • Capital Metro, Austin • Greater Cleveland Transit Authority • Indygo, Indianapolis • Twin Cities Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul • Portland Tri-Met • San Antonio Transit • Santa Clara Transit • Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority • Tampa Hartline Transit

  8. Interview Questions • What actions have you taken since 9/11 that have proven cost-effective in preventing or minimizing threats against your customers and employees? • Tax revenues are down and budgets are getting squeezed—how has this affected your ability to react to security threats since 9/11? • What lessons have you learned?

  9. Cost-Effective Actions • Attended FTA “Connecting Communities Forums” • Utilized National Transit Institute resources • Used FTA grants for drills

  10. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Operations • Checkpoints during peak pm hours at major transfers • Vary routine patrol tactics depending on DHS alerts • Get on local agency emergency call-out lists • K-9 units

  11. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Operations, con’d. • Organize and analyze security data for trend analyses to support counter-terrorism activities • Provide phones with toll-free 911 at transit stations • Leveraged use of digital cameras and video surveillance equipment • Smart card access/credentialing programs

  12. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Personnel • Undercover officer programs (VRE example) • Familiarity with and adoption of federal Incident Command System(ICS) • Rework existing security and emergency response protocols per FTA Color-Coded Guidelines • Conduct Tabletop exercises • Visit/talk with other transit properties for best practices

  13. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Personnel, con’d. • Create opportunities for bus personnel to meet with sheriff’s department and other emergency response agencies • New employee orientation: meet chief of police and commander of contracted security • Keep fare inspection force apprised of new security awareness procedures • Take free courses offered by some police departments (Personal protection, workplace violence, road rage, “Verbal Judo”)

  14. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Inter-agency • SWAT and Special Operations briefings to bus operators and maintenance workers • Participate on city and county disaster planning committees • Contribute buses to live drills by other public agencies

  15. Cost-Effective Actions, con’d. • Customers • Focus on awareness and provide “if this happens…then do this…”information

  16. Impact of Budget Cuts on Security • Very little “new” funding • Security budgets generally holding steady, despite falling tax revenues and fares • Agencies are using overtime strategically • Leveraging relationships with other public agencies • Leveraging technology deployed for other purposes • “Have to be creative”

  17. Lessons Learned • Generally-held beliefs • Security is everyone’s job (same as Safety) • Security is a moving target and threats seek out your weakest points; have to be flexible and adapt quickly and efficiently • Every day is different • For transit security personnel, 9/11 should not have been a wake-up call — security focus should always have been there

  18. Lessons Learned, con’d. • Do: • Stay on top of things, encourage pro-active attitudes • Take the time to do things right • Develop good working relationships with first responders • Work closely with labor unions on security procedures • Emphasize prevention

  19. Lessons Learned, con’d. • Do: • Pay attention to details; make sure every security building block is solid before moving on and counting on it • Get buy-in from everyone, from bus cleaning crews to upper management • Look at the DHS/FTA color coding levels and adopt plans to handle each raised level of security • Forge good relationships with local safety services that you rely on (get them to be advocates for you)

  20. Lessons Learned, con’d. • Don’t: • be afraid to try different things • settle for “that’s the way we always did it” • believe in “If it isn’t broken don’t fix it” • forget that everything changes; you have to plan exactly what to do, under every circumstance • expect lots of funding • think it can’t happen to you

  21. In addition… • Bookmark websites: • www.dhs.gov • www.tsa.gov • www.fta.dot.gov • http://www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/ • www.fema.gov • http://www.fema.gov/regions/iii/index.shtm • www.redcross.org • Other local and regional emergency websites

  22. In addition… • Radio and wireless communications • Integrate across agencies and jurisdictions BUT: • Ensure redundancy • Breaking News: Use of Weblogs (“BLOGS”) for your security team • www.blogger.com • www.xanga.com

  23. “Must Do’s” • Update and refresh e-mails and telephone numbers on desktop computers and directories on handhelds, including cellphones • Bookmark key websites • Include your IT staff in your security meetings • Drill and practice!

  24. In Summary • Security threats are real, whether terrorist-related or not • Good security is good security (“Security is Job #1”) • Build--and leverage--strong relationships with other public agencies • Pay attention to details and be flexible • Involve everyone in your security planning

  25. Downloads and URL’s www.palisadesgroup.com

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