TSA aims to clarify federal security directors' role in emergencies

The Transportation Security Administration is updating guidance to clarify the responsibilities of its federal security directors, an agency spokesman said Monday.

The changes will address criticisms in a recent Government Accountability Office report (GAO-05-935) that concluded TSA needs to better delineate the directors' authorities, especially with respect to emergency response, said TSA spokesman Darrin Kayser.

The directors are responsible for overseeing security operations at the nation's commercial airports and for developing partnerships with "stakeholders," which include airlines, airport administrators and law enforcement agencies.

All of the security directors and most stakeholders at airports GAO visited for its report said that they had built partnerships that were generally positive. Communication and coordination was occurring through meetings, briefings and training exercises. Some stakeholders and security directors cited confusion, however, when it came to responsibilities.

"TSA's primary document outlining FSDs' authority is outdated, and neither it, nor other statements TSA has issued, delineates the authority of the FSD in various security situations relative to other parties," GAO said. "The absence of a clear understanding of the authority of the position has reportedly resulted in confusion during past security incidents."

The FBI, for example, said the relationship between FSDs and the bureau had not been properly delineated. FBI officials told GAO that conflicts between bureau authorities and those of the security directors might create confusion and result in a longer response time.

TSA lacks its own law enforcement group and instead relies on local, state and federal law enforcement for security assistance. The FBI and TSA have been working on a memorandum of understanding to clarify each agency's authority, but it had not been finalized by August 2005, GAO said.

At one airport, which was not named in the report, airport officials said they had to take the initiative, in conjunction with the FSD and law enforcement agencies, to develop a plan identifying first responders and the lead agency for various types of incidents.

TSA officials told GAO in August that a revised "delegation order" clarifying the FSDs' authorities was being reviewed internally. They said the revised document restates some of the FSDs' previous authority and provides for new authorities, such as entering into interagency agreements.

Kayser told Government Executive Monday that the revised guidance will address the security concerns cited by GAO, but said he did not know exactly when the guidance will be issued.

As of August, five airports used private screening contractors instead of federal screeners, and two additional airports had applied to TSA to use private screeners. According to TSA guidance, an FSD at a privately screened airport does not have direct administrative control over the screening workforce but still is responsible for overall security.

TSA officials told GAO they were also developing three other plans that could significantly affect FSDs: the implementation of a new staffing model for allocating screeners at airports, a reassessment of the number of management positions allocated to each FSD, and a reassessment of which and how many airports are assigned to each FSD. In some cases, one FSD is responsible for multiple airports.

Kayser said TSA is eliminating 200 FSD staffing positions across the country, and moving 400 employees who were performing administrative duties into passenger and baggage screening. He said the realignment is being implemented in phases and should be completed by early 2006. When done, 132 airports will see a reduction in TSA management staff and 86 airports will see an increase in management staff, he said.

The realignment also will bar any FSD from being responsible for airports in different states, Kayser said. The change is intended so that FSDs need only deal with authorities from one state.