Incorporating Transportation Security Awareness into Routine State DOT Operations and Training (2014)

Below is the uncorrected machine-read text of this chapter, intended to provide our own search engines and external engines with highly rich, chapter-representative searchable text of each book. Because it is UNCORRECTED material, please consider the following text as a useful but insufficient proxy for the authoritative book pages.

2Transportation systems are vulnerable to a variety of hazards and threats. Natural events such as earthquakes, floods, and wind events can damage or destroy roads, bridges, tunnels, and other transportation assets. Accidents, especially those with resulting fires, can do extensive damage to systems. Likewise, intentional acts such as criminal activity or terrorism can result in injury or loss of life, along with damage or destruction of transportation facilities and infrastructure. NCHRP Report 525, Volume 14, Security 101: A Physical Security Primer for Transportation Agencies (2009) defines security as “freedom from harm resulting from intentional acts or circumstances.” All-hazards circumstances include natural events or technological failures, such as a serious accident. The American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials (AASHTO) sum- marized the security role of State DOTs in Protecting America’s Roads, Bridges, and Tunnels: The Role of State DOTs in Homeland Security (2005) as “all-hazards emergency management” and critical asset protection, along with the “traditional functions to better protect transportation systems and preserve user safety.” The state DOT role in security was further defined in an AASHTO subcommittee white paper, Roles and Implications of Transportation Systems in Homeland Security (2005). According to that white paper, state DOTs have five fundamental responsibilities: 1. Prevent incidents within their control and responsibility. 2. Protect transportation users, agency personnel, and critical infrastructure. 3. Support regional/state/local emergency responders with resources including facilities, equipment, and personnel. 4. Recover swiftly from incidents. 5. Evaluate response(s) and continually improve plans, training, skills, and protocols. In most states, accountability for security may reside in state emergency management or homeland security organizations. Because of this, the perception by many state DOTs and DOT employees is “security is not DOT business.” Though state DOTs might not be directly responsible for patrolling state-owned infrastructure, DOTs do have the responsibility for controlling access to critical components, establishing coordination with law enforcement to ensure quick response to incidents, conducting infrastructure risk and vulnerability assessments, and taking action to mitigate the effects of those risks and vulnerabilities. As a result, state DOTs do play a significant role in infrastructure security. All transportation employees contribute to security. Because of their varied responsibilities and work locations, employees are often the first to notice or learn about suspicious activity and are best positioned to recognize threats or security concerns. An employee’s presence alone S E C T I O N 1 Introduction

Introduction 3 can deter unlawful acts. Because of their constant presence on agency premises, employees are uniquely positioned to identify issues, problems, and deviations from the usual. Employees may believe that the security systems—fences, cameras, access cards—and man- agement are responsible for security and may not see themselves as a vital part of the security “system.” Employees need to know that they have security responsibility too. Because they are the “eyes and ears” of the agency, they should be encouraged to be aware of suspicious activity and know who to call to report matters of a suspicious or dangerous nature. Directly akin to keeping safety “top of mind,” establishing a security mindset of awareness in all employees can increase an agency’s security effectiveness. Security awareness is the cornerstone of a security culture. In a security culture, security is an integral part of the daily routine. The importance of security to daily work is understood by all employees, and each one takes responsibility to know the security risks that exist and the corresponding, appropriate measures to address potential and actual security issues. There have been a number of national security awareness programs for both highways and transit over the years. Employee-watch programs have long been recognized as an important security awareness tool. Over time, the security awareness programs have changed and matured in line with the increased understanding of the role of state DOTs. Today, security awareness programs such as If You See Something, Say Something™ are more commonly implemented—programs that focus on making employees aware of potential risks and teaching them how to report a security threat. The following sections provide the concepts and techniques of an all-hazards security awareness program for transportation agencies. Integral to the success of any security awareness program is the knowledge that security is everyone’s responsibility. Transportation employees must understand that they are the most important part of the security program. “Awareness is not training . . . The purpose of awareness is simply to focus attention on security.” National Institute of Standards and Technology Special Publication 800-16: Information Technology Security Training Requirements