1. PALISADES Transit Security: Best Practices for Small and Medium Sized Bus Operators Virginia Transit Association Spring Conference May 29, 2003 Eva Lerner-Lam and Mark Stewart Palisades Security Consulting Team www.palisadesgroup.com/PalisadesSecurity/index.htm

2. PALISADES Special Challenges For Transit Open nature of transit makes it an attractive target Multi-jurisdictional environments require aggressive coordination and cooperation Multi-modal interactions can increase vulnerability

3. PALISADES Types of Threats Against Transit Armed Assault Hostage Taking Chemical Release On Board Explosive on Board Chemical Outside Explosive/Sabotage Outside

4. PALISADES Security Breaches on Public Transportation in the U.S. August 6, 1927 Two bombs in two NYC Subway stations December 7, 1993 Colin Ferguson kills 6, injures 17 on LIRR at rush hour December 15 and 21, 1994 Edward Leary explodes two bombs on the NYC subway system, injuring 53 people October 9, 1995 "Sons of the Gestapo" kills 1, injures 65 on sabotaged Amtrak Sunset Limited in Arizona desert November 27, 1998 Deranged passenger on a Seattle Metro bus kills bus operator, one passenger and injures 32 others. May 2, 2001 Bus hijacker in LA crashes into a minivan, killing the minivan driver and injuring seven others.

5. PALISADES Good Security is Good Security Non-terroristTerrorist [Opposite is also true…]

6. PALISADES Key Strategies Vulnerability Assessments Infrastructure Hardening Evacuation, Recovery & Continuity TRANSIT Terrorist Threats Non-Terrorist Threats Deter & Mitigate

7. PALISADES Telephone Interviews Transit Security Chiefs interviewed, May 2003: Capital Metro, Austin Capital Metro, Austin Greater Cleveland Transit Authority Greater Cleveland Transit Authority Indygo, Indianapolis Indygo, Indianapolis Twin Cities Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul Twin Cities Metro Transit, Minneapolis-St. Paul Portland Tri-Met Portland Tri-Met San Antonio Transit San Antonio Transit Santa Clara Transit Santa Clara Transit Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority Southwest Ohio Regional Transit Authority Tampa Hartline Transit Tampa Hartline Transit

8. PALISADES Interview Questions What actions have you taken since 9/11 that have proven cost-effective in preventing or minimizing threats against your customers and employees? Tax revenues are down and budgets are getting squeezedhow has this affected your ability to react to security threats since 9/11? What lessons have you learned?

9. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions Attended FTA Connecting Communities Forums Utilized National Transit Institute resources Used FTA grants for drills

10. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Operations Checkpoints during peak pm hours at major transfers Checkpoints during peak pm hours at major transfers Vary routine patrol tactics depending on DHS alerts Vary routine patrol tactics depending on DHS alerts Get on local agency emergency call-out lists Get on local agency emergency call-out lists K-9 units K-9 units

11. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Operations, cond. Organize and analyze security data for trend analyses to support counter-terrorism activities Organize and analyze security data for trend analyses to support counter-terrorism activities Provide phones with toll-free 911 at transit stations Provide phones with toll-free 911 at transit stations Leveraged use of digital cameras and video surveillance equipment Leveraged use of digital cameras and video surveillance equipment Smart card access/credentialing programs Smart card access/credentialing programs

12. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Personnel Undercover officer programs (VRE example) Undercover officer programs (VRE example) Familiarity with and adoption of federal Incident Command System (ICS) Familiarity with and adoption of federal Incident Command System (ICS) Rework existing security and emergency response protocols per FTA Color-Coded Guidelines Rework existing security and emergency response protocols per FTA Color-Coded Guidelines Conduct Tabletop exercises Conduct Tabletop exercises Visit/talk with other transit properties for best practices Visit/talk with other transit properties for best practices

13. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Personnel, cond. Create opportunities for bus personnel to meet with sheriffs department and other emergency response agencies Create opportunities for bus personnel to meet with sheriffs department and other emergency response agencies New employee orientation: meet chief of police and commander of contracted security New employee orientation: meet chief of police and commander of contracted security Keep fare inspection force apprised of new security awareness procedures Keep fare inspection force apprised of new security awareness procedures Take free courses offered by some police departments (Personal protection, workplace violence, road rage, Verbal Judo) Take free courses offered by some police departments (Personal protection, workplace violence, road rage, Verbal Judo)

14. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Inter-agency SWAT and Special Operations briefings to bus operators and maintenance workers SWAT and Special Operations briefings to bus operators and maintenance workers Participate on city and county disaster planning committees Participate on city and county disaster planning committees Contribute buses to live drills by other public agencies Contribute buses to live drills by other public agencies

15. PALISADES Cost-Effective Actions, cond. Customers Focus on awareness and provide if this happens…then do this… information Focus on awareness and provide if this happens…then do this… information

16. PALISADES Impact of Budget Cuts on Security Very little new funding Security budgets generally holding steady, despite falling tax revenues and fares Agencies are using overtime strategically Leveraging relationships with other public agencies Leveraging technology deployed for other purposes Have to be creative

17. PALISADES Lessons Learned Generally-held beliefs Security is everyones job (same as Safety) Security is everyones job (same as Safety) Security is a moving target and threats seek out your weakest points; have to be flexible and adapt quickly and efficiently Security is a moving target and threats seek out your weakest points; have to be flexible and adapt quickly and efficiently Every day is different Every day is different For transit security personnel, 9/11 should not have been a wake-up call security focus should always have been there For transit security personnel, 9/11 should not have been a wake-up call security focus should always have been there

18. PALISADES Lessons Learned, cond. Do: Stay on top of things, encourage pro-active attitudes Stay on top of things, encourage pro-active attitudes Take the time to do things right Take the time to do things right Develop good working relationships with first responders Develop good working relationships with first responders Work closely with labor unions on security procedures Work closely with labor unions on security procedures Emphasize prevention Emphasize prevention

19. PALISADES Lessons Learned, cond. Do: Pay attention to details; make sure every security building block is solid before moving on and counting on it Pay attention to details; make sure every security building block is solid before moving on and counting on it Get buy-in from everyone, from bus cleaning crews to upper management Get buy-in from everyone, from bus cleaning crews to upper management Look at the DHS/FTA color coding levels and adopt plans to handle each raised level of security Look at the DHS/FTA color coding levels and adopt plans to handle each raised level of security Forge good relationships with local safety services that you rely on (get them to be advocates for you) Forge good relationships with local safety services that you rely on (get them to be advocates for you)

20. PALISADES Lessons Learned, cond. Dont: be afraid to try different things be afraid to try different things settle for thats the way we always did it settle for thats the way we always did it believe in If it isnt broken dont fix it believe in If it isnt broken dont fix it forget that everything changes; you have to plan exactly what to do, under every circumstance forget that everything changes; you have to plan exactly what to do, under every circumstance expect lots of funding expect lots of funding think it cant happen to you think it cant happen to you

21. PALISADES In addition… Bookmark websites: www.dhs.gov www.dhs.gov www.dhs.gov www.tsa.gov www.tsa.gov www.tsa.gov www.fta.dot.gov www.fta.dot.gov www.fta.dot.gov http://www.transit-safety.volpe.dot.gov/ www.fema.gov www.fema.gov www.fema.gov http://www.fema.gov/regions/iii/index.shtm www.redcross.org www.redcross.org www.redcross.org Other local and regional emergency websites Other local and regional emergency websites

22. PALISADES In addition… Radio and wireless communications Integrate across agencies and jurisdictions Integrate across agencies and jurisdictionsBUT: Ensure redundancy Ensure redundancy Breaking News: Use of Weblogs (BLOGS) for your security team www.blogger.com www.blogger.com www.blogger.com www.xanga.com www.xanga.com www.xanga.com

23. PALISADES Must Dos Update and refresh e-mails and telephone numbers on desktop computers and directories on handhelds, including cellphones Bookmark key websites Include your IT staff in your security meetings Drill and practice!

24. PALISADES In Summary Security threats are real, whether terrorist- related or not Good security is good security (Security is Job #1) Build--and leverage--strong relationships with other public agencies Pay attention to details and be flexible Involve everyone in your security planning

25. PALISADES Downloads and URLs www.palisadesgroup.com