Sleeping screener forces evacuations at Sea-Tac

The Seattle Post-Intelligencer ^ | Sunday, January 5, 2003 | KOMO 4 STAFF AND NEWS SERVICES

[Henrietta]

FAllen asleep on the job? How is this possible?? After all, these people have all had background checks, and are of the finest possible caliber, right? (sarcasm off)

[Eagle Eye]

Could you point out in the article whether these were TSA screeners or private security guards? It seems that the ignorant among us don't know the difference.

[Eagle Eye]

And that is the origin of our airport screeners....

Not so. Only a few private security screeners were hired by TSA. Nearly all TSA screners were recruited from other sectors. Go meet some. Find out what their screening process was like. You'll find out that they are a better group of people than those they replaced.

[Uncle Bill]

"Didnt President Bush lobby hard to keep the new federalized screeners non-union so he could get rid of clowns like this, but the dems in the Senate shot his efforts down to keep their union cronies happy?"

Bush caved. Nothing new.

Bush Caves - Signs Airport Security Bill

[neutrino]

While I do not anticipate an opportunity to meet them - I find the standards for employment as a screener to be notably similar to those for a private security guard. Those include a GED or equivalent experience, citizenship, and being able to pass a drug test. Here's a LINK

Their training consists of:

40 hours of classroom training, and
60 hours of on-the-job training, and
A certification examination.

LINK

Which is about the same as a security guard who is to carry a firearm while on duty.

If I've missed something, I'm willing to listen - but so far, I'm not impressed.

[Eagle Eye]

Those are the minimums and there was at least a 60% overall rejection rate (I know of one place with a 90% rejection rate) of applicants who actually participated in the 8-10 hour screening process. And these are not armed security. I'm not trying to make these guys out to be supermen, but they were screened much more stringently than private security and are an improvement.

[Henrietta]

Could you point out in the article whether these were TSA screeners or private security guards? It seems that the ignorant among us don't know the difference.

From the link at the original article:

SEATAC -- Thousands of post-holiday travelers were delayed Sunday at Seattle-Tacoma International Airport after a screener for the Transportation Security Administration was discovered asleep at his post.

[Eagle Eye]

Thanks. Sounds like the screener screwed up and will probably lose his job.

[Henrietta]

I'm not gonna hold my breath on that one...Federal employees, no matter how incompetent, are rarely fired. It's that union, you know.