"Full EDS System 'More Complex Than We Ever Imagined' -- ASR Interviews John Clark, Executive Director of Jacksonville Airport Authority"

Wednesday, March 27, 2002

Full EDS System 'More Complex Than We Ever Imagined' -- ASR Interviews
John Clark, Executive Director of Jacksonville Airport Authority
Airport Security Report


The Jacksonville Airport Authority (JAA) recently sent a contingent to
Europe for five days to study the process of installing explosives
detection system (EDS) technology at Amsterdam Schiphol International
Airport (AMS), London's Stanstead Airport (STN) and Heathrow Airport
(LHR) as well as Manchester International Airport (MAN). The group
studied the new plans for a high-tech MVT (multi-view tomography)
baggage screening system in the works for Amsterdam Schiphol and learned
more about integrating InVision Technologies CTX 9000 machines, which
are expected to be installed by November at Jacksonville International
Airport (JIA). 

ASR: What were your specific goals on this trip? 

Clark: We came to find out that Manchester was the first airport to go
to 100 percent bag screening. We actually talked about seeing [Ben
Gurion International Airport in Israel], but that was probably a
significant challenge for us to go there. The next best thing was to
look at Europe as a model for the checked bags. We did some modeling on
our own as to how that would work, and by that time there were some
rumors in the industry about bags having to be 100 percent screened.
That was going to have to happen with the lobby installation. The
physical layout of our airport would make that very difficult. So that's
what made us pursue the integrated system. We went to Manchester
specifically first and then looked at the U.K. airports in total. Then
we went to Amsterdam. They are in the process of using retina scanning
for the frequent traveler program. That's another technology we're
looking at. We're poised to spend millions of dollars here over the next
several months on security and we wanted to move it beyond a computer
model and see some live applications. 

ASR: What did you learn from the trip? 

Clark: As we suspected, each airport environment is different. While you
have full automation, there is still the need for a lot of human
intervention in that process. We are going to do 100 percent screening
and keep the flow of traffic moving, and we needed to better understand
that. One of the things we want to make sure happens is that we maintain
a level of customer service. Everything that we've heard or seen is that
the lobby installation doesn't deliver that level of customer service.
It's actually a much slower process. 

ASR: What did you learn at Manchester? 

Clark: At the first level they use the Vivid machine. It's interesting
that their first terminal is the first generation technology. Terminal 2
is the next generation and now in Terminal 3 they're going with the most
recent technology. We didn't get to see [Terminal 3] because they were
putting in some technology. 

ASR: How far along are your plans? 

Clark: We've already begun the construction. We've ordered the
equipment. We're committed at this point. We've ordered two InVision
9000s with the option for two more. We're working with the TSA
[Transportation Security Agency] and hope we can be a demonstration
program for them. We've been meeting with them and going through the
model. Our hope is that if we can convince them to come on board with
us, they will purchase the next two 9000s. But if not, we're prepared to
do it. 

ASR: How are you addressing CTX baggage alarms? 

Clark: We had initially proposed to use the MVT technology as the first
point of screening. But that is not going to be accepted by the TSA. We
have to use fully certified equipment. Our position is that it will
first go through a CTX screening. If it alarms, it will go through yet
again. The monitoring can be remote monitoring. We're looking at a
four-level program. The final level would be the actual open bag search.
Ideally, you want to keep the bags moving and being screened. Once you
have the human invention, it's the time consideration. 

ASR: Any changes to luggage coding? 

Clark: We're looking at going to the RFI [radio frequency
identification], but it will be backed up by the bar code system. RFI
would be the best scenario, but there are still issues. 

ASR: Do you have any reservations about the false alarm rates of EDS
machines? 

Clark: I think it depends on what mode you run it in. The slower the
mode you run it in the more proficiency it has. But that means you would
need more machines if you try to push through the same volume of bags.
When we ran the initial model, we looked at the MVT. It can push through
bags much quicker, but it's not certified. Our hope is that there are
some other companies that work with a new generation of technology. Time
will tell. If there's better technology that comes on board a year from
now, then what we would do is take the technology we have and simply
replace it. What we're after is the integrated system and getting that
process put in place. 

ASR: What was the most important fact you learned about integrating a
100 percent passenger checked luggage system? 

Clark: That it's a whole lot more complex then we ever imagined. Not
only is there the issue about screening the bags, but at the same time -
and equally as important - is the distribution of the bags. So it's
screening and distribution and having that done so that at the end of
the day the airlines are not delayed.


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