Supporting
Armed Forces | Defense
Spending | National
Missile Defense | Nuclear
Non-Proliferation | Civil
Support Teams | First
Responders | Safer
Skies
Issues
National Security Safe Skies
At the Listening
Session I held in Rock County in 2001, Beloit Fire Chief James
Reseburg and Beloit Deputy Police Chief Charles Tubbs of Beloit
suggested to me that the federal government formalize a common
practice when public safety officials fly a commercial airline:
voluntarily informing the crew that they are on board and
ready to help in the event of an emergency.
In response to their suggestion, I introduced the S. 1458,
Volunteers for Safe Skies Act, which became law in November
2001. This law creates a program through which certified law
enforcement personnel, firefighters, and EMTs, when traveling
as ordinary unarmed passengers, could register confidentially
and voluntarily with the airlines to provide assistance in
the event of an emergency on an aircraft. If the airline industry
is to recover fully from the events of September 11, we must
make the flying public feel safe once again in our skies.
This legislation is a concrete step toward that goal.
Several qualified constituents have contacted me about frustrating
experiences as they have unsuccessfully attempted to register
for the Safe Skies Program. On July 9, 2007, I wrote to the
Administrator of the Transportation Security Administration,
Kip Hawley, and the President and Chief Executive Officer
of the Air Transport Association of America, James C. May,
requesting they take quick action to correct the problem and
ensure effective communication about the program to all airline
and TSA employees that are responsible for implementing the
program at the point of contact with the flying public. At
a minimum, it seems additional airline and TSA employee training
is needed. I am determined to fix this disappointing situation.
Law enforcement personnel, firefighters, and EMTs can learn
how to register for this program here.
National
Security Main
|
