From: Dan Flynn

Sent: Friday, March 13, 2015 8:25 AM

To: Tamara Fountain; Rebecca McLellan; Derrik Owens; Chip Henderson (chip@getemagination.com)
Subject: Passenger exit lane project
The passenger exit lane project will reconfigure the exit from the concourse of the passenger terminal
building at the Pensacola International Airport and provide for the installation of an automated system
to monitor the area for unauthorized entry. The $533,000 project is funded in part by a $104,000 grant
from the Florida Department of Transportation. When complete, the project will not only provide
enhanced deterrence against individuals who attempt to enter the concourse without going through
passenger screening, but also reduce costs currently associated with keeping personnel in the area.
The project itself will involve reconfiguring the exit area to an L shape. As it is currently laid out, the
exit to the passenger concourse is too often mistaken as the entrance to the area. Even with the
abundance of signage reading Do Not Enter, over thirty individuals each day were attempting to enter
the sterile concourse through the exit lane. Individuals on cell phones not paying attention to where
they are going, non-English speaking individuals who are unable to read the signage, young children
wanting to run to parents or grandparents, and individuals running late for flights have all contributed to
the issue. One person getting into the concourse without first proceeding through the screening
checkpoint can result in the stoppage of all passenger flight activity, the removal of all individuals from
the concourse, and their rescreening.
The Pensacola International Airport must employ personnel to monitor the area to prevent
unauthorized access. Since the exit lane from the concourse is not co-located with the screening
checkpoint, the Transportation Security Administration does not take that responsibility themselves.
Therefore, it is up to the Pensacola Airport to monitor whenever flight operations are taking place.
Accordingly, from approximately 4:00 a.m. to 11:00 p.m. every day a person is positioned in the area.
Given factors such as bathroom breaks and periodic personnel change outs to prevent tedium and loss
of concentration, it requires at least two people on shift to have at least one stationed at the exit lane.
All told, staffing this area costs approximately $120,000 per year.
Advances is technology have resulted in more reliable and more cost effective methods to perform
functions such as that required in this situation. Cameras coupled with analytical software to detect
movement in certain directions and tied into sets of doors that can be automatically closed are now
being found in more airport settings. The technology is operational 24 hours a day and does not require
scheduling, does not call in sick and does not require breaks. Additionally, unlike humans, the
technology is not subject to distractions. The latter especially has been a source of concern both here at
Pensacola International Airport as well as other facilities around the country. A simple distraction
lasting only a few seconds can result in a person going through the area undetected, and is of particular
concern when there are a large amount of breach attempts each day.
The project was engineered by Hatch Mott MacDonald after a lengthy review of available options and
system requirements. The work itself is being performed by Hewes and Company, LLC and has a 180
day duration that began on March 11, 2015. While the specifics of the system cannot be released given
the fact that it relates to our overall security, some details are as follows:
-

The exit from the passenger concourse will be changed to an L shaped configuration to
provide for adequate space for the installation of automated equipment to not only detect

individuals who may attempt to enter the concourse without going through passenger
screening, but also initiate responses to prevent them from gaining access to the sterile
concourse
Decorative glass panels will be installed where passengers currently exit
Two sets of automatic doors will be installed
o One where individuals ultimately exit the concourse
o One further in that will automatically close in the event an individual is detected
travelling in the wrong direction
Should the system detect an individual travelling in the wrong direction, it will not only close the
second set of automatic doors, but also immediately notify Airport and TSA personnel who will
respond to the area

A layout of the area as it will be reconfigured is attached.

Daniel E. Flynn
Interim Airport Director
Pensacola International Airport
(850) 436-5000
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