Online Course Rolls Out This Fall
by ANN Correspondent Maxine Scheer
While there are varying opinions about the threat of terrorism
at General Aviation (GA) Airports, it should be worth the time of
most aircraft owners, pilots, airports, and first responders to at
least consider ways in which we can expand our knowledge of how to
improve the security of people and aviation property.
Last year, at AirVenture 2007,
ANN was impressed with the passion, quality
and thoroughness of a training program being developed by a team of
law enforcement experts at Waukesha County Technical College (WCTC)
in Pewaukee, WI with input from aviation industry groups that
included Aircraft Owners and Pilots Association (AOPA) and
Experimental Aircraft Association (EAA.) The initiative was
awaiting Department of Homeland Security (DHS) approval at last
year's AirVenture, so it seemed appropriate to follow up at
AirVenture 2008 and hear how the initiative has progressed.
Earlier today, Brian Dorow, Associate Dean, Department of
Criminal Justice Center for Law Enforcement Homeland Security and
Counter-Terrorism Initiatives at WCTC demonstrated the system to
ANN.
The first three modules, which are referred to as Levels, are
focused on "Security Training for General Aviation Stakeholders".
Level 1 Training is geared towards small airstrips which could be
as small as a grass strip on a farm. Level 2 Training is focused on
airports with paved runways, but no control towers and Level 3
Training is focused on airports with active air traffic control
towers. Level 4 Training is focused specifically on a community's
local first responder personnel.
Each level is estimated to take between six and eight hours. The
training is structured to be progressive, so pilots who operate
aircraft at towered airports would ideally take each of Levels 1
through 3.
In developing the system, WCTC anticipated that there might be
some confusion on which course to take, so they populated the
software with GPS data on nearly 19,000 airports throughout the US.
Once identifying an airport of your choice, the course takes you
through a series of questions about operations at the airport which
help determine which of the three courses is appropriate for you to
take.
Aside from the training, the student gets a summary of issues
and potential actions that could be taken to improve security. It
is intended to be an outline for a plan of action that would
ideally be discussed amongst multiple stakeholders. It would not be
a mandate from DHS, for example, but a set of options that airport
stakeholders could consider and ideally discuss. "The real focus of
the coursework is personal knowledge," said Dorow, "and to provide
ideas for actions that could be taken with existing resources."
WCTC was approved earlier this year for the classroom training
modules and the first customer was the Aviation Division of the
Kansas Department of Transportation. Dorow described how KDOT
invited representatives from airports, Federal Aviation
Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration
(TSA) to participate in the Level 2 train-the-trainer course. He
described the feedback as very positive. "The next customer will be
in Ohio for the first responder course." We've presented the
program in May to National Association of State Aviation
Organizations (NASAO) and American Association of Airport
Executives (AAAE). Both have expressed considerable interest.
"We want some serious results in reaching out to GA
stakeholders," says Dorow. WCTC has funding left on the initial DHS
grant, so for the time being, the GA security training, both
classroom and online, will be available at no cost. The online
coursework is expected to roll out for public consumption in Fall
2008. Brian estimates there is sufficient funding to cover training
for somewhere around 25,000 people. The online coursework will also
be free. The classroom training is available upon request to groups
of 24 or more. "For example, if any EAA chapters, pilot
organizations, airport groups, or first responder organizations,
etc. are interested in classroom training, please let us know,"
said Dorow.
This program is a first of its kind in the US and while the
development was funded by DHS, it remains a voluntary program.