OH: Greater Dayton RTA Recognized for Gold Standard Security by TSA

July 9, 2013
The Transportation Security Administration has recognized the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority for achieving the highest rating of Gold Standard on the agency's most recent baseline assessment for security enhancement (BASE) for their dedication to building a strong security program.

The Transportation Security Administration has recognized the Greater Dayton Regional Transit Authority for achieving the highest rating of Gold Standard on the agency's most recent baseline assessment for security enhancement (BASE) for their dedication to building a strong security program.

The BASE program is designed to establish a security standard for individual system security programs and assess progress. TSA measured RTA’s effectiveness across 17 security categories including a written system security plan and emergency response plan, training and participation in emergency drills, facility security and access controls, as well as public education.

“It was a great opportunity to scrutinize our current security practices”, said Jim Napier, RTA director of safety, security and training. “We learned that we do a lot of things well and were quite proud that we were recognized for several “smart security practices.” Napier and Barbara Brookshire, manager of safety and security, led the review process which took nearly a week to complete.

Jim Napier said there’s always room to grow and refine procedures and protocol.

“Our approach is continuous improvement through employee and customer engagement to ensure a high level of safety and security within our system”, Napier said.

RTA’s security management team also chairs the Ohio Public Transit Association’s Security Committee. The group meetings provide a great opportunity for security professionals to network and discuss appropriate counter-measures in response to developing trends.