LIHU‘E — The Lihu‘e Airport is one of five across the state that will receive added part-time security screeners. On Wednesday, Hawaii Congressman Ed Case (Second District) made the formal announcement after calling into question the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA)
LIHU‘E — The Lihu‘e Airport is one of five across the state that will receive added part-time security screeners.
On Wednesday, Hawaii Congressman Ed Case (Second District) made the formal announcement after calling into question the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) move earlier this year to cut 242 security screener positions throughout Hawaii.
According to the Congressman, the TSA agency has begun a recruitment drive to hire part-time airport security screeners at five airports on the Neighbor Islands and O‘ahu.
“TSA is seeking the part-time screeners in order to gain greater flexibility in staffing security checkpoints at 90 regional and major airports across the country,” said Case. “The Hawaii airports included in the current recruitment drive are Kona International Airport, Kahului Airport, Lanai Airport, Lihue Airport and Honolulu International Airport.”
Case began the effort to add the additional security screeners in May.
In a May 22 letter to Undersecretary of Transportation for Security James Loy, Case asked TSA why it was cutting 242 airport security positions in the state.
According to the Congressman, “I am particularly concerned with the loss of security personnel at the smaller airports such as Molokai Airport, Kona International Airport, Lihue Airport, Kahului Airport, and Hilo Airport.”
Case also noted in the May letter that previous staffing levels of security screeners set during Hawaii’s low-travel period were wholly insufficient for handling long lines of travelers at the state’s airports. He cited not only repeated citizen complaints but his own experience in traveling throughout the state.
“People are finally beginning to travel again, and I fear a cutback in services will adversely affect our number one industry and residents,” Case wrote.
On Wednesday Case said, “This recruitment drive should help improve staffing levels of security screeners at Hawai‘i’s airports, but may still fall short of fulfilling our state’s needs in this area and in homeland security as a whole.” (TSA did not announce how many part-timers will be hired in Hawaii once the recruitment drive is completed.) “We’ll have to keep pressing this matter until TSA staffs our demands.”
The national recruitment drive includes Alaska, Arizona, California, Hawaii, Indiana, Kentucky, Maine, Maryland, Massachusetts, Michigan, Minnesota, New Jersey, New Mexico, New York, North Dakota, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, South Dakota, Vermont, Virginia, Wisconsin, West Virginia, and Wyoming.
Transportation screeners identify and prevent dangerous objects in baggage or on airline passengers from being transported onto aircraft.
Interested persons can apply on-line and must meet minimum legal requirements. Applicants are assessed and, if hired, are required to successfully complete 40 hours of classroom instruction and 60 hours of on-the-job training. Minimum qualifications include: 1) U.S. citizenship or U.S. national; 2) High school diploma, GED or equivalent, or one year of security or aviation screening experience; 3) English proficiency; and 4) Pass a background check.
Interested candidates may apply at http://www.tsa.gov and then click on “Employment”. For additional information, candidates may contact TSA Recruitment Services at 1-800-887-1895.
