THE TRANSPORTATION Security Administration (TSA) is looking for areas within the industry where the greatest security risks lie so that priorities can be established, said Chet Lunner, TSA office of marine and land security.
“The threat is real, and it's intermodal,” he said.
TSA, an agency of the Department of Homeland Security, has acquired extensive security information and is in the process of analyzing the data.
Lunner pointed out that the efficiency of the transportation industry is its greatest benefit, but that benefit is also its shortcoming where security is concerned. Products are moved quickly from point-to-point in great distances, which makes them vulnerable to terrorists actions, he said.
A catastrophic incident could be so damaging that the US economy would be threatened. To ward against threats, companies and individuals must guard against becoming complacent, he said.
He advised employers to hold employees accountable for security programs that are in place.
He noted $20 million in federal funding for the Highway Watch program. It is administered by the American Trucking Associations (ATA) and is a national driver-led, state-organized set of efforts that expand upon on-going state efforts to utilize communications technologies, inspired drivers, and broadcast networks to report and disseminate information about highway conditions, according to ATA information. It was expanded to include security measures after the terrorist attacks on the US.