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TSA gets seven federal screeners
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Posted on Aug 31 2004
Seven federal screeners arrived on island Monday to help local Transportation Security Administration personnel conduct passenger and baggage inspection at the airport.
TSA-Saipan director John Peoples said the screeners from the agency’s national screening force will be staying for at least three weeks to temporarily augment the local TSA workforce.
Peoples said the local TSA’s manpower shortage got even worse after Supertyphoon Chaba hit the CNMI and wrecked the homes of at least 14 screeners. The affected employees are currently on indefinite leave of absence, he said.
“Those 14 screeners have to be commended because they reported for work even after what happened to their homes. But we had to give them time away from duty so they can tend to their families,” Peoples said.
Five other screeners are currently on military leave. Four of them are among the reserve forces called to active duty in Iraq, while the other one is undergoing training at a boot camp.
Overall, TSA has about 50 screeners working at the airport at present.
Peoples also reported that representatives from the U.S.-based manpower agency Accenture will arrive in October to hire additional TSA personnel for the Saipan airport. Accenture will interview individuals who submit their applications on-line at usajobs.opm.gov, as well as walk-in applicants.
The number of screeners that will be hired is not yet known, but Peoples said TSA-Saipan needs 10 to 15 new inspectors.
The average waiting time at the checkpoints is about 15 to 20 minutes, although it stretched to about 50 minutes when airlines resumed operation after the supertyphoon. All flights were canceled during Chaba.
“It was wise to have shut the airport in advance, because it gave us time to lock everything up,” Peoples said, noting that the baggage screening area is located in an open space.
He added that TSA was bracing for Typhoon Songda, which was expected to hit the islands Tuesday evening. The agency, he said, is coordinating with the Emergency Management Office, Commonwealth Ports Authority executive director Carlos Salas, and the airlines.
