18 of 23 TSA Agents who participated in an almost week long communications training course conducted in here in San Antonio, passed their ham license exam on Wednesday, March 4th. This was the 2nd such session in San Antonio, the previous session being in May of 2008.
The TSA is trying to improve interoperability in their communications, and each major airport in the USA is being required to establish the ability to communicate via ham radion, in addition to their normal modes of communications (which include Sat Phones, etc.).
The TSA has purchased “go kits” containing ham radios, power supplies, antennas, and other items, sort of like the resources we now have at our EOC, so that they could send a ham radio operator / TSA agent down to the Rio Grande Valley or other areas where there were some of the smaller airports being affected by some emergency. They have installed a “normal” ham radio station at their office here in San Antonio, which is off the airport’s premises and location which we won’t divulge due to security concerns. They are ho[ping that in time of need, they will be able to depend upon the San Antonio Ham Radio community to provide them with extra operators to supplement their trained TSA employees.
San Antonio Radio Club’s VE Team led by Pat AD5BR, supplemented by some other VE’s from AARO, conducted the testing at a local hotel near the airport. Following is a list of the VE’s who took time off in the middle of a workday to assist.
- Pat AD5BR
- Dave W5QS
- Terry K5ADF
- Bob K5AUW
- Lee N5NTG
- Bill WE5ET
- Teri KC5BJI
- Charles WA3PAY
- Harry AD5WR
