Crisis Management Course for Aviation Officials July 13-17, 2009

4 August 2009

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security, Transportation Security Administration and the Polish Civil Aviation Authority, Security and Facilitation Department co-sponsored a one week crisis management course for aviation officials July 13-17, 2009. in the Polish Civil Aviation Authority Headquarters.   Participants in the course included Polish Office of Defense Affairs, Civil Aviation, Polish Air Traffic Control Agency, Polish Airports, LOT Polish Airlines, Police, Border Guards, and Internal Security Agency.  The program focused on an open exchange of views and experiences regarding crisis management preparedness, response and recovery; a tour of the emergency operations center at Warsaw Frederic Chopin Airport, including guest lecturers from members of the US Embassy Law Enforcement Working Group.

The core curriculum of the meeting centered on “all-hazards” crisis management, placing a special emphasis on crisis planning.  Participants received various templates and planning tools for use in their ongoing planning efforts and garnered planning techniques derived from information-sharing.. Paul J. Rodgers, TSA Attaché to Poland stated, “We have a strong partnership with our Polish colleagues and this type of training ensures we are familiar with each other’s capabilities and are prepared to make a coordinated response and recovery in the event of an actual incident”.