Safety Equals Security at YLW –
airport watch program
| BY WARREN BROCK H
ave you ever been to an airport and noticed something unusual or out of place? Did you wonder if you should tell someone and if so, who? An Airport Watch Program is specifi cally designed to provide the public with the tools and know-how to effectively identify and address these scenarios as they are presented.
Based on the success of Airport Watch programs at other Canadian airports, YLW has recently launched their own version in efforts to enhance the level of safety and security at Kelowna Interna- tional Airport. “Safety equals security at YLW”, says Neil Drachenberg, Manager - Airport Safety, Security & Emergency Preparedness, “and our goal is to create a network of like-minded individuals that can increase both factors throughout our airport operations.”
In partnership with the RCMP, Commis- sionaires BC, Canadian Border Services Agency and Canadian Air Transport Security Authority, YLW has begun accepting applications to the Airport Watch Program and encourages people that are normally in and around the
airport to apply. The wider the scope of applicants the better, and applications have already been received from people ranging from airline workers to dog walkers.
Airport Watch Members can assist airport staff by monitoring general aviation activity, wildlife activity, parking lots, suspicious behaviours, and potential for damage to operating aircraft by looking out for foreign object debris (FOD) on the runway. Other prime examples of what to look out for include:
• Unusual activity around private aircraft arrivals/ departures
• Unattended baggage • Cars parked for long lengths of time in areas surrounding the airport property
• Unlocked gates and or holes in the fence line
• Aircraft with unusual or unauthorized modifi cations
• Unfamiliar people in restricted areas without a security pass
YLW Airport Watch Program’s primary responsibility will be to Observe, Record, and Report. Each member will receive a thorough education on what to look for,
how to record the information, and who and how quickly to report to. Most monitoring will take place during a member’s normal daily activities in and around YLW.
The fi rst ever Airport Watch Program was created at Ottawa’s MacDonald- Cartier International Airport in 1999 and its success has fostered the development of similar programs at nine other airports, including YLW, with over 400 community volunteers donating 15,000 hours a year.
If you are interested in applying or want more information about the Airport Watch Program, please visit the airport’s website at
www.ylw.aero.
Approximately 60 people attended the Airport Watch Open House. GARDA Supervisor Alf Lincoln demonstrates what items are prohibited and what items are permitted in your luggage and carry-on when you fl y.
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WWW.YLW.AERO
Robbin Walterhouse, demonstrates how his partner Spud searches for drugs at an airport.
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