Public Safety Installations Assist Security Officials in Local Airports

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Public Safety Installations Assist Security Officials in Local Airports
Public Safety Installations Assist Security Officials in Local Airports

In November of 2013, a fatal shooting that killed 1 TSA officer and wounded 3 others occurred at Los Angeles International Airport due to an “inadequate emergency alert and warning system”. Incidents like this can be prevented with clear and effective public safety communication systems. Thousands of people can be on airport grounds at any given time, causing an enormous of amount of communication channel congestion. 

An emphasis on the customer service has led to clear communication signals for their mobile phones, laptops, etc., while the security workforce’s communication signals are weak. Security cameras, body scanners, and even behavioral screening technology aim to find problems before they happen; however, security personnel may not even be able to communicate these problems without an adequate warning system. This security lapse is apparent at many airports, schools, and commercial offices.  

Regarding DC metro airport security, we have maintained a strong relationship with Dulles International Airport (IAD). Our most recent projects consisted of installing a state-of-the-art fire alert system that aids MWAA’s fire fighters, and implementing an extensive distributed antenna system in the airport’s terminals. This is a threat prevention measure – improving the security and a huge improvement for public safety in one of the most heavily trafficked international airports in the nation’s capital. Over 21,947,065 passengers    (this excludes crew, airport employees, construction and maintenance staff) traveled through IAD in 2013, creating a deluge of the airport’s communication channels.

The Metropolitan Washington Airport Authority (MWAA) is the entity that operates both the Washington Dulles International Airport (IAD) and the Washington Reagan National Airport (DCA). MWAA operates an extensive in-building wireless system necessary to support airports with constant activity year-round; IAD and DCA both rank in the top 30 busiest airports in the US. As such, the security, administrative and other operational personnel that work in these airports manage an extensive network of hand-held and mobile trunked radio transceivers.    

In airports, patchy and unreliable communication is a constant problem for security personnel. The busy environment, abundance of fully enclosed, underground facilities, such as train tunnels and walkways, as well as the high number of RF channel users are just a few of the obstacles that present grave public safety threats. As the number of flyers increasingly grows, it is crucial to maintain a coherent, crisp audio signal for airport security officials.  Professionally built and installed Distributed Antenna Systems (DAS) have become a very high priority to guarantee safety in airports globally as it offers the solution for airport security personnel communication.

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