Program is ideal for air operators, airport facility security supervisory and administrative personnel, law enforcement units assigned to the protection of national and international air operations and facilities.

Objectives:  Program is designed to enhance security personnel’s academic knowledge and technical skills in handling a variety of potentially critical threat situations. Methodology to be used combines multimedia, hands on learning with various controls participatory scenario exercises.

Prerequisites:  Students must have a working knowledge of English,

Remarks:  Curriculum includes: Defining the Threat; Landside and Airside Strategies; Off site facility Protection; Intelligence gathering and analysis; The Bio-Chemical Threat: Readiness, Response and Recovery; Dealing with Air Rage; and Apprehension and Interrogation.

The Air Transport Department of the University of Zilina
Air Transport Department is an educational and research workplace of the University of Žilina aimed at air transport. The studies are provided at three levels of university education in accredited branches of bachelor, engineer and PhD. programs. In line with the National Security Programme the National Civil Aviation Security Training Center was established at University of Zilina and is operated jointly with the Air Transport Department.

Under contractual and payment conditions the Department provides also aircraft pilot training up to the CPL / IR / MEP (A) and ATPL level - commercial pilot with qualification for instrument flying (IFR training) and twin engine airplanes.

The Department of Air Transport is ACI – Europe recognized educational establishment and is a member of the EASN (European Aeronautical Science Network).

The National Civil Aviation Security Training Center will serve to provide Aviation Security (AVSEC) training acceptable to local, national and international Regulatory Agencies for students from Local, Regional and International venues while offering academic credit through the University of Zilina Air Transport Department.

The overall program will consist of the following elements:

• Classroom instruction and certification in accordance with curriculum as described herein.  Periodic specialty Workshops as described in the Implementation section of this document.
• A Distance Learning Center, available on the world wide web, and accessible to students through a system of log ins and passwords.  Students will be able to complete designated courses on line, participate in entire program offerings and exchange problems, ideas and information via a secure chat room .
• Off – Campus Consultation services of staff and appropriately trained Air Transport Department personnel and program graduates to provide on-site AVSEC consulting to air operators, airports, National and Regional Civil Aviation Authorities in the proper accomplishment of the following in accordance with ICAO and ECAA standards & practices: - Airport & Air Operator  Security and Emergency Plans - Quality Assurance Programs and Security Awareness Programs - Full Security & Emergency Scenario Evaluations and Reports - Facility full AVSEC Survey’s and Corrective Actions Statements

In keeping with the goal of the ICAO Universal Security Audit Program to strengthen aviation security worldwide and attain collaborative efforts from individual member states for a uniform security system, the proposed security training and certification center at the University of Zilina will provide a conduit for attending States to obtain the technical skills and academic knowledge necessary in order to properly execute and oversee the standards and practices found in Annex 17 and the newly enacted Amendment 11 in a uniform and knowledgeable manner.

Through the offering of  this program addressing the academic and technical needs of Aviation Security, the University of Zilina will:

• Increase student body and revenues through addressing a viable industry need.
• Provide for student needs or education from Basic Aviation Security through to Advanced Managerial (Graduate level) program instruction.
• Serve as a Regional model for Civil Aviation Security Professionalism
• Provide exogenous AVSEC services and workshops which will  supplement Program revenues and ensure the sustainability of the program.

As a direct result of this program, Slovak and Regional airport and air operators will have a viable venue in which to attain the technical skills, academic knowledge and professional services necessary to comply with current ICAO and EU Civil Aviation Regulations.  Promulgation of the AVSEC Program and its resulting upgrade to the local AVSEC environment may also serve to draw foreign investment to the Slovakian Aviation Industry, introduce new carriers and bring funding for expansion for existing aerodrome facilities.

HISTORY OF THE PROJECT
A central element of the ICAO Aviation Security Plan of Action is regular, mandatory, systematic and harmonized audits to enable evaluation of aviation security in place in all 188 Member States of ICAO in order to identify and correct deficiencies in the implementation of ICAO security-related standards.

The Plan of Action also includes: identification, analysis and development of an effective global response to new and emerging threats, integrating timely measures to be taken in specific fields including airports, aircraft and air traffic control systems;  strengthening of the security-related provisions in the Annexes to the Convention on International Civil Aviation, using expedited procedures where warranted and subject to overall safety considerations, notably to provide for protection of the flight deck; close coordination and coherence with audit programs at the regional and sub-regional level; processing of the results of the audit by ICAO in a way which reconciles confidentiality and transparency; and a follow-up program to assist States remedy deficiencies in its AVSEC capabilities.

An indicative cost of the Plan of Action is US$ 17 million, of which more than 15 million will have to come from new contributions. The program will cover initially the period 2002 to 2004.

The Conference called on the full and active participation of all ICAO Contracting States and, where applicable, of relevant international organizations, in implementation of the Plan of Action in order to achieve concrete results at the earliest possible date. Furthermore, the Conference called on States, international organizations and civil aviation industry to provide, on a voluntary basis, adequate funding and/or assistance in-kind for implementation of the Plan of Action, both for ICAO activities and to enable all States worldwide to meet the requirements of enhanced security measures on a sustainable basis.

The successful implementation of this Plan of Action is a collective responsibility of all Contracting States and therefore requires a worldwide commitment. Since the Plan of Action depends, for its preparation and execution, on voluntary contributions, participation by all Contracting States is essential.

Pursuant to the Resolution of 16 February 1989 and recognizing the need for the establishment of a Mechanism to assist States in the strengthening of implementation and cooperation in the field of aviation security, the Council, during the twenty-sixth meeting of its 126th Session, considered the creation of a Mechanism for financial, technical and material assistance to States. The Council requested the Secretary General to take the necessary action to set up a funds-in-trust agreement for this purpose.

The Assembly, during its 27th Session, endorsed the establishment of such a Mechanism and requested the Council of ICAO to present to the next ordinary session of the Assembly a progress report on its implementation. Accordingly, the 29th and 31st Sessions of the Assembly received a report on the progress made in the implementation of the Mechanism. During its 32nd Session, the Assembly, when reviewing a progress report on the implementation of the AVSEC Mechanism, endorsed this program until the end of 2001.

In the wake of the tragic events of 11 September 2001 in the United States, the 33rd Session of the ICAO Assembly, held in Montreal from 25 September to 5 October 2001, considered the report on the continuing implementation of the AVSEC Mechanism and expressed its strong support for this program. In order to permit longer-term strategies for enhancing the implementation of the SARPs contained in Annex 17, the Assembly decided that the Mechanism should become a permanent and mandatory program involving all Contracting States.

In order to restate the objective of the Mechanism, the Council, at the seventh meeting of its 161st Session, when reviewing a progress report on its implementation, agreed to rename this program as the Mechanism for effective implementation of Standards and Recommended Practices (SARPs) contained in Annex 17. The overall objective of the Mechanism is to assist States in achieving compliance with the SARPs of Annex 17, aimed at preventing acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation through: the provision of advice to States on aviation security organization and techniques; the assistance in the execution of the ICAO audit Corrective Action Plan to meet the requirements of Annex 17; the coordination of ICAO aviation security training program, providing on-the-job training and certification ;the staging of ICAO-sponsored, topic-focused workshops and regional training seminars; and in coordination with the ICAO Technical Co-operation Bureau, long-term assistance in State.

Between 1989 and 2001, 140 States requested assistance under this program, 112 States have been visited for comprehensive technical evaluations and 35 States received follow-up missions. With a view to improving implementation of Annex 17 SARPs, States wishing to join, or to continue their participation in, the activities of the AVSEC Mechanism are advised to complete a questionnaire which is attached to State letter AS 8/13-01/2 (Confidential) sent to Contracting States in January 2001. States requiring a copy of the questionnaire should contact AVSEC Section.

To this end, a joint project has been agreed upon between Spranza Incorporated and the University of Zilina, Air Transport Department to provide a central venue for Civil Aviation Security and selected off-campus AVSEC services.  Revenues for the Center will be garnered through:

• Student Tuition fees
• Off Campus service activities – as described
• Usage fees for non-student agencies of the Center’s Distance Learning Center
• Solicitations from Aviation Industry associations, organizations and businesses as “Executive or Business Partners”.

The AVSEC Center will present programs based on the ICAO Trainair Standards and offering students a range of academic knowledge and technical skills from such programs as Airside/ Landside Basic Security Officer through Contingency Planning and High Risk Management.

Programs presented from February 2007 will be conducted in English in preparation for the transition to English only to occur in March 2008.

Each instructional program utilized by the AVSEC Center includes: instructor’s guides, PowerPoint presentations’, video, student handouts and evaluative instruments, training aids, video (where appropriate) and program administrative documentation as well as master documents maintained in e-form on CD ROM.

Off-Campus services and technologies will be maintained by the AVSEC Center and include: document templates, hardware and software for document preparation, OJT logs and all mandatory reference materials in order to ensure final reports, activities and evaluations comply with current ICAO, EU and National AVSEC standards and practices.

Scheduled instructional programs will be drawn from current Spranza Incorporated courses as found in the ICAO Training Directory for 2006-2007.  A sample of which appear below.

• AVSEC Basic Security Supervisor Training
• AVSEC Instructor: Training for Trainers
• AVSEC Security Officer Close Quarter Tactics (CQT)
• AVSEC Tactical Canine
• Advanced Security Supervisor Training
• Airport Employee Security Awareness Training
• Airside / Landside Basic Civil Aviation Security
• Checkpoint Screener Training
• Civil Aviation Access Control: Policy and Procedures
• Civil Aviation Canine Supervisor
• Combating Air Rage
• Contingency Planning and Air Terminal High Risk Management
• Defining the Threat to Civil Aviation: Religious and Political Extremists
• Innovative Profiling Techniques
• Interrogation and Report Writing for AVSEC Officers
• Proactive Responses to the Threat of Nuclear, Chemical and Biological Agents in Civil Aviation
• Recurring Training for First Responders
• Security Systems Testing and Evaluation
• Strategies for Combating Airport / Aircraft Sabotage
• Fraud, Waste and Abuse Abatement
• Interpersonal Communication for Security Personnel
• English for Non-English Speakers in Civil Aviation (Basic)

The project will ensure a professional Civil Aviation Security environment within Slovakia and contribute to safeguarding the global international aviation community.  Additionally, Center graduates and off campus activities lend themselves to opening new markets for quality AVSEC products such as screening equipment, high technology perimeter and terminal systems so essential in a post 9/11 world. 

 

Source: Spranza Incorporated
Pictures provided and copyrighted by Spranza Incorporated
For further information about Spranza Incorporated, click here