06/18/2021
TSA Mandatory Security Training Requirements Due Monday
Dear Members,
As a reminder, the 9-11 Commission Act mandated that if you have a fixed route or scheduled service to any one of 11 major cities (New York City, Newark, Boston, Philadelphia, Washington DC, Houston, Dallas-Fort Worth, Chicago, Los Angeles, San Diego, or San Francisco) you should be planning to submit some mandatory information to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) by June 21, 2021. Additionally, you must train most of your employees on security awareness by summer of 2022 based on new security requirements. If this doesn't apply to your operations, then this is just a FYI.
To meet requirements of 9-11 Commission Act (49 CFR Part 1584 Over the Road Bus Security Training for Surface Transportation Employees), the TSA has mandated that companies that have fixed route or scheduled service to one of the 11 cities listed above, submit details of their mandatory security program to the TSA by June 21st, 2021.
The new law mandates that operators confirm their understanding of the law and supply detailed information on 4 major areas, 1) Selection of a Security Coordinator, 2) Security Training Plan, 3) Security Lesson Plans and 4) a Security Program. To assist you, the TSA has developed an 18-page checklist on what is required and a 30-page Training Program Sample on how they want the information presented. This will ensure you meet all the requirements of the law. Please contact [email protected] if you would like the 2 free checklists. He will email them to you to assist you in meeting the mandates of the law on your own or he can assist you in developing your program.
Listed below are the four areas that should be reported to the TSA by this Monday, June 21. The good news is, you may be late but there are no fines or penalties, as of now.
Four Parts of a Security Program Required by TSA:
1) Security Coordinator and Alternate Security Coordinator: The company will supply contact information for the 2 employees to perform these duties as well as confirmation that the two identified employees will: 1) Protect Security Sensitive Items. 2) Report suspicious activity to the Transportation Security Operations Center within 24 hours. 3) Establish plans and procedures on how to implement any changes in the National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) when directed by the TSA and 4) Be reachable any time by the TSA 24 hours a day, 365 days a year.
2) Security Training Plan: The plan will include the following 1) Company’s plan on how to conduct training for employees. 2) A plan to determine training effectiveness. 3) A complete list of which employees are considered “Security Sensitive”. 4) Confirmation that all employees that are “Security Sensitive” must be security trained as soon as possible and then once every 3 years to remain current. 5) A plan to retain training records and keep courseware current and up to date.
NOTE: Security Sensitive employees are considered any individuals that operate a vehicle, inspect and maintain vehicles, building or transportation infrastructure, control dispatch or movement of a vehicle, provide security of the equipment and property, load or unload cargo or baggage, interact with travelling public (on board a vehicle or within a transportation facility), and/or assist with compliance of security programs or measures, including those required by federal laws.
3) Security Lesson Plans: Clear and concise lesson plans which include learning objectives, specific learning activities, methods to assess students understanding, lesson timeline and lesson closure. The lesson plans will cover 17 checklist items provided by the TSA in the areas of Security Preparation, Observation, Assessment and Response.
4) Security Program: A security program that addresses specific Security Program procedures, measures, or other aspects of security or emergency response planning implemented by the owner/operator. The security training program will address the following 6 areas: 1) Procedures to prevent and detect unauthorized access to restricted areas. 2) Procedures to notify all employees of changes in alert level status & implement specific actions. 3) Coordinated response plans for terrorist threat, attack, or other transportation security-related incident. 4) Evacuation and communication plans that include individuals with disabilities. 5) Measures to address weaknesses in emergency response procedures identified during regular drills and 6) Redundant and backup systems to ensure the continuity of operations of critical assets.
