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

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25 Contents Transportation Security Guidance . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 25 Transportation Security Awareness Programs . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 If You See Something, Say Something™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 First Observer™ . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 26 Highway Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Transit Watch . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 27 Research Studies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 28 Transportation Security Guidance Core guidance for transportation security training programs is available through federal security grant guidelines and transportation community practices. There are federal training requirements for security training of some transportation employees, predominantly for transit, HazMat, and food transporters. NCHRP Report 525, Vol. 14, Security 101: A Physical Security Primer for Transportation Agencies (2010) includes an outline for a transportation security program, including suggested training elements for a state DOT security awareness program. http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/nchrp/nchrp_rpt_525v14.pdf The transit community has established and adopted practices for security awareness training captured in the American Public Transportation Association’s APTA Recommended Practice, Security Awareness Training for Transit Employees (2012). http://www.apta.com/resources/standards/Documents/APTA-SS-SRM-RP-005-12.pdf The Department of Homeland Security National Terrorism Advisory System (NTAS) com- municates information about terrorist threats by providing timely, detailed information to the public, government agencies, first responders, airports and other transportation hubs, and the private sector. The NTAS recognizes that Americans all share responsibility for the nation’s security and should always be aware of the heightened risk of terrorist attack in the United States and what they should do. • NTAS Public Guide provides an overview of the NTAS, NTAS Alerts, and frequently asked questions. http://www.dhs.gov/xlibrary/assets/ntas/ntas-public-guide.pdf • NTAS Alerts provide information to the public about threats, including, if available, the geographic region, mode of transportation, or critical infrastructure potentially affected by the threat; protective actions being taken by authorities; and steps that individuals and a P P E N D I X C Directory of Transportation Security Resources

26 Incorporating Transportation Security awareness into Routine State DOT Operations and Training communities can take to protect themselves and their families, and help prevent, mitigate, or respond to the threat. http://www.dhs.gov/national-terrorism-advisory-system Transportation Security Awareness Programs There have been a number of national security awareness programs for both highway and transit in the past 10 years. This section provides an overview of the most commonly known programs. If You See Something, Say Something™ One of the best security awareness campaigns has been the New York Metropolitan Transit Authority’s “If You See Something, Say Something” campaign, which urges riders to tell a police officer or transit employee if they see anything suspicious. The MTA provided an easy-to-remember toll-free antiterrorism hotline telephone number, 1-800-NYC-SAFE, for riders to call. Advertisement posters, in both English and Spanish, have been omnipresent on subways, commuter rails, and buses throughout the New York metropolitan region. Radio and television advertisements have also been aired from time to time. The advertisements contain photographs of various types of suspicious bags and packages and offer specific instructions on what to look for, such as: • Unattended packages or luggage. • Suspicious behavior, such as someone nervously checking belongings. • The wearing of inappropriate attire, such as bulky clothing in warm weather. • Exposed wiring or other irregularities protruding from clothing, bags, or packages. • Anyone tampering with surveillance cameras or entering unauthorized zones. In 2010, DHS nationally launched “If You See Something, Say Something.” Prior to the DHS launch, the program had been had been licensed and adopted by other transportation agencies. According to DHS, the program is a simple and effective way “to engage the public and key frontline employees to identify and report indicators of terrorism and terrorism-related crime” and “to emphasize the importance of reporting suspicious activity to the proper transportation and law enforcement authorities.” First Observer™ Starting in 2008, DHS/TSA funded the First Observer™ program as a replacement for High- way Watch. The First Observer™ training program is a voluntary program designed to provide transportation professionals with information that will enable them to effectively observe, assess, and report suspicious individuals, vehicles, packages, and/or objects. According to the DHS, the program is intended to: • Teach transportation professionals to observe, assess, and report suspicious individuals, vehicles, packages, and objects via mechanisms where and when appropriate. • Share security-related information with transportation professionals. • Communicate critical security-related information. Initially provided through both classroom and online training, starting in 2013 the First Observer™ program became available only through web-training modules. Along with a basic and general refresher course, there were modules designed for specific roles including

Directory of Transportation Security Resources 27 highway workers and such professionals working at Critical Infrastructure (CI)/Key Resources (KR) locations such as bridges, tunnels, etc. First Observer™ training is designed to be available online with 24/7 access for all surface transportation modes including highway motor carrier, mass tran- sit, freight rail, maritime, and pipeline. Highway Watch Highway Watch was a national voluntary program administered by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) that trained truck drivers to become vigilant and aware of any security prob- lems on U.S. highways. In 2003 DHS/TSA funded the Highway Watch program, expanding on the existing pre-2001 ATA safety program. The program had five major objectives: 1. Prevent commercial vehicles or cargo from being used as weapons against Americans. 2. Protect the nation’s critical infrastructure of bridges, tunnels, and other potential terrorist targets. 3. Provide critical security data from the highway for information sharing and analysis. 4. Promote important safe driving skills and habits. 5. Improve coordination with federal, state, and local law enforcement officials. Participants in the program received comprehensive security and safety training along with a unique identifying number to use to contact a 24-7-365 Call Center to report a highway incident or condition. The program was adopted and customized by some State DOTs to train their employees. Highway Watch was discontinued in 2008, replaced by First Observer. Transit Watch Transit Watch was a nationwide “eyes and ears” security awareness campaign for transit pas- sengers and employees originally launched in 2003, in partnership with the American Public Trans- portation Association (APTA) and the Amalgamated Transit Union (ATU), and then updated in 2006 in collaboration with DHS. The Transit Watch program identified “suspicious indicators” to help passengers and transit operators identify such behaviors and provided recommended “courses of action” if any were observed. The FTA website provided a Transit Watch tool kit containing a downloadable CD with the campaign logo and tag line, a brochure, signage and posters, a template press release and fact sheet, and a one-page guide entitled “5 Easy Steps to Launching Transit Watch.”

28 Incorporating Transportation Security awareness into Routine State DOT Operations and Training Research Studies “Security Awareness and Alertness Training in State Departments of Transportation” (Xin Chen, Shimon Y. Nof, Barry Partridge, Irvin Varkonyi, and Yuko J. Nakanishi, Transportation Research Record: Journal of the Transportation Research Board, No. 1942, 2006) http://trb.metapress.com/content/62444531144q4m03/ This study provided a summary of how state DOTs train their employees for security aware- ness and alertness based on a 2004 survey of state DOTs. The purpose of the survey was to assist in the development of recommendations for a “comprehensive training program” and associ- ated training materials for transportation security. “Transportation Security Training and Education Resources, Techniques, and Strategies” (TR News, No. 238, May/June 2005) http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/trnews/trnews238.pdf This issue of TR News focuses on transportation security training and education and presents articles on programs and training techniques. Suspicious Indicators from the U.S. Transit Watch Program Behavior If you spot any suspicious individuals engaged in questionable activity, look for the following: • Visible signs of nervousness • Excessive sweating • Sprayer bottles or aerosol canisters • Inappropriate clothing that is excessively baggy or too heavy in warm weather Packages If you spot an unattended package, look for the following: • Placement in an out-of-the-way location • Individuals in the act of abandoning the package and hastily departing the area • Unusual attached batteries, wires, tanks, bottles, or bags that might contain chemicals • An attached message • A suspicious cloud, mist, gas, vapor, odor, or seeping fluid • Nearby individuals showing signs of illness or distress Recommended Course of Action • Do not confront suspicious individuals. • Contact a transit employee or the police immediately. • In the event of a suspicious package, do not use a cellular phone until you are a safe distance away. Source: Transit Watch Brochure, Federal Transit Administration, Washington, D.C.

Directory of Transportation Security Resources 29 Table C-1. Security training content needs by audience. Audience Content Needs Frontline Situaonal assessment of threats and incidents. Observaonal skills and reporng dangerous substances, suspicious packages, and situaons. Appropriately reacng to all threats. Proper use of security equipment or technology. There was clear concern that training for frontline personnel not be too technical or provide too much in-depth informaon. Transportaon Professionals Mid- to high-level managers and execuves in operaons, planning, safety, security, maintenance, and other related fields Same basic security awareness training as frontline employees, plus: Special high-level training and educaon needs in the area of security risk assessment and management, vulnerability assessment, and planning for resiliency. May need to understand more clearly the difference between safety and security. Contractors and Vendors Similar to frontline employee awareness training. Reporng suspicious acvity. Emergency Responders Transportaon system operaons, hazards, and vulnerabilies. Integrated communicaons and response pracces/procedures. Integrated incident management. Needs for this group will not be much different from those of frontline employees in terms of emphasis on reporng suspicious and dangerous acvies, but would vary in priority based on the proximity and access to crical infrastructure and operaons (for maintenance workers) and to public areas. Source: “Assessment of Surface Transportaon Security Training Needs and Delivery Preferences” (Lowrie et al., 2011) “Assessment of Surface Transportation Security Training Needs and Delivery Preferences” (Karen W. Lowrie, Judy A. Shaw, and Michael R. Greenberg, CTSSR, Rutgers University, Journal of Public Transportation, Vol. 14, No. 4, 2011) http://www.nctr.usf.edu/wp-content/uploads/2011/12/Lowrie.pdf This study identified security training content needs and effective approaches through focus groups and interviews with representatives of 45 major surface transportation or secu- rity organizations, summarized in Table C-1 and Table C-2. The research recognized that all training approaches have challenges and identified ways to increase the effectiveness of each format. TCRP Synthesis 80, Transit Security Update: A Synthesis of Transit Practice (2009) http://onlinepubs.trb.org/onlinepubs/tcrp/tcrp_syn_80.pdf This research synthesis, an update of the original TCRP Synthesis of Transit Practice 21: Improving Transit Security (1997), addresses terrorism and anticrime security measures and practices. Crime and security incident trends, major issues and obstacles to security and polic- ing management, and employee security and policing training practices were identified and summarized.

30 Incorporating Transportation Security awareness into Routine State DOT Operations and Training Table C-2. Training format challenges and recommendations. Training Format Challenges Recommendaons Instructor Led Classroom Training Expensive for agencies to pay for classroom training me. Designed to have flexible dura on, for example, 10-minute modules that can be integrated into other mee ngs or trainings. Incorporate into regular mee ngs or other training. Offer shorter training and computer based training, where possible. Scenario Based Training Lack of mobility for managers or employees to a end training. Showing video of “live” scenarios is a viable alterna ve. Online and Computer-Based Training Lack of computer skills or limited access to computers. Keep computerized training simple and use it in combinaon with face-to-face training. Post trainings online so they can be accessed easily from mulple or remote locaons. Webinars Lack of face to face interacon. • • Allow for give and take and peer to peer learning found in classroom. Balance with some face to face training. Refresher Courses Posng in locaons where people will access them. • • Distribute bullens, or distribute pocket guides that can be carried by employees. Post refresher trainings online so they can be accessed easily from mulple or remote locaons. Could be parcularly useful for managers. Source: “Assessment of Surface Transportaon Security Training Needs and Delivery Preferences” (Lowrie et al., 2011)

Abbreviations and acronyms used without definitions in TRB publications: A4A Airlines for America AAAE American Association of Airport Executives AASHO American Association of State Highway Officials AASHTO American Association of State Highway and Transportation Officials ACI–NA Airports Council International–North America ACRP Airport Cooperative Research Program ADA Americans with Disabilities Act APTA American Public Transportation Association ASCE American Society of Civil Engineers ASME American Society of Mechanical Engineers ASTM American Society for Testing and Materials ATA American Trucking Associations CTAA Community Transportation Association of America CTBSSP Commercial Truck and Bus Safety Synthesis Program DHS Department of Homeland Security DOE Department of Energy EPA Environmental Protection Agency FAA Federal Aviation Administration FHWA Federal Highway Administration FMCSA Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration FRA Federal Railroad Administration FTA Federal Transit Administration HMCRP Hazardous Materials Cooperative Research Program IEEE Institute of Electrical and Electronics Engineers ISTEA Intermodal Surface Transportation Efficiency Act of 1991 ITE Institute of Transportation Engineers MAP-21 Moving Ahead for Progress in the 21st Century Act (2012) NASA National Aeronautics and Space Administration NASAO National Association of State Aviation Officials NCFRP National Cooperative Freight Research Program NCHRP National Cooperative Highway Research Program NHTSA National Highway Traffic Safety Administration NTSB National Transportation Safety Board PHMSA Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration RITA Research and Innovative Technology Administration SAE Society of Automotive Engineers SAFETEA-LU Safe, Accountable, Flexible, Efficient Transportation Equity Act: A Legacy for Users (2005) TCRP Transit Cooperative Research Program TEA-21 Transportation Equity Act for the 21st Century (1998) TRB Transportation Research Board TSA Transportation Security Administration U.S.DOT United States Department of Transportation