CONTACT: Nancy Suey Castles
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OFFICIALS RELEASE REPORT ON RESPONSE, RECOVERY EFFORTS OF NOVEMBER 1 ACTIVE-SHOOTER INCIDENT AND RESULTING DISRUPTION AT LOS ANGELES INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT
(Los Angeles, California - March 18, 2014) Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA) officials today released a report on the response and recovery efforts following the November 1, 2013, active-shooter incident and resulting disruption at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX). Suspect Paul Ciancia shot and killed Transportation Security Administration (TSA) Security Officer Gerardo Hernandez, and wounded a passenger and two other TSA officers inside Terminal 3.
The Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners (BOAC) directed LAWA staff to prepare a comprehensive review of response and recovery efforts, including: what happened, what could have been prevented, what response efforts worked well, and what areas of emergency management need improvement. The review also includes development of an improvement plan based upon recommendations drawn from lessons learned during the incident. LAWA staff briefed the airport commissioners throughout the 3-1/2-month review process.
“The Board will now carefully review the report’s analysis of the shooting response and recovery, and ensure the recommendations are implemented in a timely fashion,” said BOAC President Sean Burton. He added, “We clearly have more work to do and it begins with embracing the recommendations in the report, including additional emergency management staff resources; equipment; training; and mutual-aid agreements with outside organizations such as the American Red Cross, ground-transportation companies, airport-area businesses, and surrounding cities that could provide shelter and evacuation sites.”
Burton said that implementing the recommendations will take an “entire airport community to effectively respond and to ensure that LAX continues to be one of the safest and securest airports in the country”. He added that implementation of the recommendations has already started and some significant changes and improvements already made.
LAWA Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey said the report provided “a clear-eyed, detailed look at every aspect of the incident” and identified actions airport staff might “undertake that could prevent a similar occurrence, enable us to better manage emergency events, and harness all available resources to ensure appropriate customer care during prolonged operational disruptions.”
The 83-page report analyzed 26 areas of the emergency response and recovery efforts in covering public safety, incident command, response operations, and emergency management and preparedness.
A copy of the full report, prepared by consultant Kimley-Horn and subcontractor ICF, is available on the LAWA website
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