By Patrick Donachie
Security protocols at John F. Kennedy International Airport will undergo a number of reforms in the aftermath of a false report of an active shooter on Aug. 14 that caused the frenzied evacuation of several terminals, Gov. Andrew Cuomo announced Monday.
Cuomo unveiled the new recommendations for reformed protocols with U.S. Secretary of Homeland Security Jeh Johnson after he ordered a review of agencies’ response to the false shooter report. Media and security agencies reported possible incidences of active shooters in Terminals 1, 2 and 8, which led to thousands of people becoming involved in an uncontrolled evacuation.
“The events at JFK were a wake-up call to rethink and re-evaluate our security procedures to reflect the new, changing reality of 21st century threats and to better ensure the safety of all New Yorkers,” Cuomo said. “These recommendations will serve as a national model to better train our airport workers, establish new protocols to respond to emergencies, and enhance coordination and communication among all stakeholders.”
The reforms were detailed in a letter from supervisors from the New York State Police and the New York State Division of Navy and Military Affairs, Division of Homeland Security and Emergency Services and the Transportation Security Administration. The letter detailed four recommendations for Gov. Cuomo to enact, including a “unified operations center responsible for overseeing and directing security operations for the entire airport and facilitating shared communications.”
The letter also suggested increasing training that incorporates all appropriate agencies, training for all airport employees, and a plan for a mass evacuation of the airport. The signers of the letter noted the multitude of different agencies responding to the scene may have complicated the effort.
“While the number of security personnel has increased, the coordination and standard protocols for operations have not adjusted to the increased presence. This is aggravated by the varying levels of training and sophistication of the different security agents,” the letter said. “Security personnel can be highly trained or minimally trained, armed or unarmed, private agents or government agents, peace officers or police officers. There is an urgent need for a joint operating procedure and protocol that coordinates all forces, otherwise – as we saw on Aug. 14 – the variety of forces can be counterproductive.”
Cuomo announced that there will be simulations of active shooter scenarios for first responders to ensure that they are ready should an active shooter ever attempt an attack on the airport. One such exercise is scheduled for Dec. 10. The evacuation plan will include signs in multiple languages to direct evacuees, as well as a media notification plan.
The size and complexity of the JFK complex makes it a challenge when executing a mass evacuation plan, but the letter to Cuomo and Johnson said response plans are necessary throughout the country.
“We believe the JFK incident is the first to manifest the new factors and realities of airport security in these times of heightened concern,” the letter read. “We do not believe these factors are unique to JFK but currently exist to some degree at all airports nationwide.”
Reach reporter Patrick Donachie by e-mail at pdona
