The tragic shooting on January 6, 2017 at Fort Lauderdale - Hollywood International Airport (“Airport”) and its aftermath showed that, even though the primary responsibility for dealing with emergencies and getting the Airport back under control after the event lies with law enforcement, federal agencies, and airline/Airport stakeholders, there is a need for a more comprehensive community approach to emergency response, recovery, and business continuity that involves all Airport workers and stakeholders.
In the aftermath of the shootings, SEIU Local 32BJ, the union representing certain contracted workers at the Airport, interviewed and surveyed passenger service contractor employees from various contractors at the Airport. The primary issue identified by interviewees and survey respondents was that they did not feel prepared to assist or provide guidance to passengers or to help Airport authorities regain control of the situation. Some workers explained with frustration that the training they had received from their employer was not enough to prepare them for an emergency like the one the Airport experienced on January 6, 2017. In addition, workers reported that they would benefit from participating in emergency drills at the Airport.
A review of Broward County Code of Ordinances, the Broward County Administrative Code, and the permits under which passenger service contractors operate at the Airport indicates that there are no current requirements for passenger service contractors to provide emergency response or evacuation training to their frontline employees.
All employees at the Airport, including employees of passenger service contractors, should participate in a comprehensive emergency response training program. Other airports such as Los Angeles International (LAX) and San Francisco (SFO) already have mandates for passenger service worker training for emergency situations. All current and newly hired personnel should receive an initial training of at least 40 hours and then should participate in annual refresher trainings of at least eight hours.
Training topics should not only include rules and regulations of the Airport and the appropriate security agencies, but also security awareness, protocols and procedures for Airport emergencies, Airport emergency communication systems, and evacuation routes and procedures. In addition, passenger service workers whose jobs require them to assist elderly and disabled passengers should receive training on how to assist these passengers and ensure their safety during airport emergencies.
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