"New York Airport Tests 'Sniffing' Portal"

Monday, June 21, 2004

Airport Tests "Sniffing" Portal 
WORK-TV Ch 13, Rochester (NY) 


Rochester, NY -- For the next 45 days, travelers at the Greater
Rochester International Airport might be asked to go through an extra
layer of security--a sniffing portal designed to detect bomb-making
material on a person.

Walking through the portal takes only about 12 to 15 seconds. A few
gusts of air blow on your clothing, stirring up invisible particles.
>From there, the air is sucked up in a vacuum and analyzed. The machine's
sensors look for any kind of bomb making materials or chemicals.  If the
alarm is triggered, passengers are taken for in-depth screening.

The portals for detecting bomb-tracing material only, passengers still
must go through the familiar metal detectors. 

Experts say had the portals been in place in December 2001, they would
have caught Richard Reid, who had the material in his shoe, before he
boarded a plane. Passengers ultimately stopped him from blowing up the
plane.

"As Americans we love technology-- and I'd be the first to say that
there is no replacement for the human element, but this is a step in the
right direction toward a new level of security onto some others were are
currently using," David Bassett, Transportation Security Administration
Federal Security Director said. "The whole concept is.you get past one
level of security-- you get picked at another level, or another level."

Rochester and four other airports nationwide are test sites for the new
technology.

Roland Gresham went through the portal on Monday.

"With all the terrorism--anything we can do to protect us--I know it
takes a little more time," he said.

The machine is sensitive and could pick up fertilizers from your
backyard or the golf course. However, the likelihood of the sniffer
picking up common household chemicals is small--about 1 in 8,000. Right
now, the machines are used by the military at nuclear power plants, and
have been used in courts for specific trials.

Attached Photo:

06_21portal.jpg