Respond to an airside access breach and an unattended item

What is going on

After a contractor tailgated through the airside gate at Armidale earlier this month, the Safety and Compliance Manager is running a security response exercise at the outstation. During a turnaround you will be presented with a person airside without a visible aviation security identification card and, shortly afterwards, an unattended bag near the aircraft stairs. The Aviation Security Policy requires anyone airside without a card to be challenged and reported, unattended items to be reported without being touched, and security incidents to be recorded in the Safety Reporting System. The Emergency Response Plan sets out how ground emergencies and security threats are escalated to the duty manager and the aerodrome operator. Passengers are waiting to board and the schedule is under pressure.

Your brief

Challenge and control the unidentified person, respond to the unattended item without touching it, secure the area and stop movements, escalate to the duty manager and aerodrome operator with clear information, manage the team and the boarding passengers, and lodge the security occurrence report.

Work through it

You do not need to do it all. Doing a few of these will show you what the work is like. Your ticks and notes stay on this device.

• Read the Aviation Security Policy and the Emergency Response Plan sections on activation and ground emergencies, and review the open report SR-26-0145 in the Safety Reporting System.
• Brief your team before the turnaround using the Ramp Shift Handover and Toolbox Briefing Template on airside access rules, challenge procedure and what to do about unattended items.
• When the unidentified person appears, challenge them politely, ask for their card or pass, keep them under observation and radio the duty manager.
• When the unattended bag is reported, stop all movements near the aircraft, keep everyone clear, do not touch or move the item and establish a cordon.
• Escalate to the duty manager and the aerodrome operator with the location, description, time and actions taken, and follow their instructions on evacuation or emergency services.
• Communicate with the passenger services officer so that boarding is held and passengers are informed without alarm.
• After the exercise is stood down, lodge a Safety Occurrence Report classified as a security occurrence with a factual timeline.
• Record the exercise outcome and any equipment or signage gaps in the handover record for the next shift.

What someone in this role would produce

• Team briefing record
• Security occurrence report with timeline
• Handover record with gaps identified
• Debrief notes from the exercise