Designing a Procedural Security System-Wk4-Writ

Designing a Procedural Security System-wk4-Writ

Oakland International Security

The particular asset within the global transportation system that this document will discuss is Oakland International airport, which is approximately the third largest airport within the San Francisco Bay Area. Before describing the security system and the different measures employed to maintain the safety of passengers and employees utilizing this airport, it is essential to describe the security threats that Oakland International regularly faces. Essentially, there are both external and internal threats. External threats are those that come from outside the airport and threaten to breach its perimeter defenses. Internal threats are those that are found within the airport itself -- typically in the form of passengers or those posing as passengers or possibly as employees.

External threats to Oakland International include objects, vehicles, and people attempting to penetrate its perimeter to damage the airport and those inside of it. For this specific reason, the primary security measures for this airport include fortifying its exterior. There are a couple of ways to efficaciously accomplish this objective, such as erecting barricades like walls and tall fences around the perimeter of the building. Access to areas that are considered sensitive -- such as terminals, fuel depots, and baggage area handling areas -- should be especially guarded. Additionally, it is important to employ a large force of a security team -- members of which should ideally include representatives from the Federal Aviation Authority -- on the outside of the airport to project a vigilant presence that can detect any external threats before they have breached the airport's perimeter. Vehicular access to the airport should be restricted and includes implementing measures of parking in which people are not allowed to be in stationary vehicles for an extended length of time near sensitive areas (Tyson & Grabianowski, no date).

In terms of attempting to counteract internal threats to Oakland International Airport, there are a number of prudent measures that can help secure the airport. Again, it is necessary to enumerate the type of threats that exists at the internal level. One of the principle threats that is found at the internal level of airport security is passengers attempting to smuggle items aboard planes that can function as weapons. In this respect, security measures must include a list of substances that passengers are prohibited from flying with (such as chemical compounds) (Staples, no date), in addition to utilizing various devices to ensure that no is violating these rules.

There are a host of technological applications that are utilized for achieving the latter objective. Most of these devices involve scanning passengers to both detect and deter them from taking potentially lethal contraband aboard planes. Metal detectors are utilized to look for typical weapons such as firearms and knives, while searches of passengers and scanning of their luggage should also be conducted to look for any prohibited materials. Other scanning devices include x-ray machines and explosive detection machines, both of which can detect the presence of substances that are not allowed on planes.