Keeping Security risks at bay at San Francisco International Airport

Aug 1, 1997 12:00 PM, PATRICIA BARNES

San Francisco International was among the first airports in the country to begin improving systems to conform with stricter security regulations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. As of July, even roadways leading into San Francisco International Airport are being monitored by closed-circuit television. It's the latest application of technology in the huge airport's ongoing upgrade and expansion of security and access control systems.

In the early 1990s, San Francisco International was among the first airports in the country to begin improving systems to conform with stricter security regulations imposed by the Federal Aviation Administration. Those tougher rules were prompted in part by a disastrous shooting aboard a PSA jet flying out of Los Angeles that sent 45 people to their deaths.

The task facing the San Francisco airport, one of the nation's busiest, was daunting. The FAA's new requirements demanded a system that controlled access to all secured areas, that could assign various levels of access to different personnel, and that could limit access by time and date.

In looking at options, airport personnel decided not only to upgrade, but also to integrate some operations that previously had been handled separately, says Larry Horn, manager of the License and Permit Bureau.

"We were looking for a system that would both provide badging and secure the airport," says Horn, whose department is responsible for issuing identification badges.

Facilities Operations and Maintenance, which initiated the security upgrade, turned to Monitor Dynamics Inc. (MDI), Rancho Cucamonga, Calif., to build a system.

MDI's system uses magnetic stripe readers for access to all airport operations areas that are off-limits to the public. Magnetic locks secure the doors at controlled entry points and fire exits, and all are monitored by CCTV cameras. Audible alarms warn of incidental contact, and silent alarms are triggered if locks are actually violated.

Before being issued a photo ID, which is imprinted on a magnetic stripe PVC card, each employee must complete required training and testing. Employees are hired either by the airport, which is run by a commission, or by the companies doing business there. The cards expire every two years on the holders' birth dates, and employees must be recertified through testing at that time, says Horn. Badges are also issued to some non-employees with clearance to enter secure areas.

In addition to containing basic information such as name and identification number, the badges are assigned a class based on the level of access granted. According to Horn, the airport has four "threat levels" of security, and employees' access levels, which govern the areas they may enter, are determined by their jobs.

The airport's work force varies seasonally, with peak periods during summer and holidays. Currently, about 27,000 people work there, and most have badges allowing access to areas off limits to the public.

To further tighten access, the airport's security planners decided to add biometric hand readers at secured doors. They selected a hand geometry reader made by Recognition Systems Inc., Campbell, Calif.

At the time a badge is issued by the License and Permit Bureau, the person's hand is scanned to create a three-dimensional template that is entered into the system.

To gain access to a secure area, a person first must swipe the badge through a magnetic stripe reader, then place his or her hand in a biometric reader. Fingers are aligned with pegs to ensure a correct scan. The reader compares the "image" of the hand with that in the template. Although not a common problem, hand shapes altered by wearing large rings or by injuries can distort the image of a hand and result in access being denied.

Integration of the hand readers with the MDI system was designed specifically for San Francisco International Airport, says Horn. "We wanted to be able to prove who those people are who are using the cards."

Each time the system is used for access, it records the user's identification, the entry point and time and date. That information is stored in the computer system for about a month and then downloaded. The transaction records are kept for about two years.

"We have the ability to run an individual history on a person, tracking his or her use of a badge over time," says Horn.

CCTV cameras are also trained on passenger security checkpoints and boarding areas, baggage areas and the city and employee parking garage. One is even mounted atop the control tower, about 11 stories high, and another will be coming on line soon, according to Stephen Meyer of Accurate Technologies, a contracting firm based in Goleta, Calif.

Initial installation of the MDI system began in 1991. When technical difficulties arose, MDI called in Meyer's company to straighten out the problems. Since then, Meyer has continued to work with the airport and with companies doing business there.

Up-to-the-minute information from various security devices feeds into a command center in the terminal complex.

A security console is equipped with CCTV monitors and devices that allow operators to take direct action, such as testing alarms at specific locations. When a door alarm is triggered, it feeds into the monitoring system within two to three seconds, notifying the operator of the location and the type of alarm. The system immediately brings up a video image of the site on a monitor and begins recording.

The heart and brains of the system are housed in a cramped room off the command center. There, a totally redundant array of computers, preprocessors, fiber-optic patch panels, CCTV full-matrix switchers, receivers and video recorders maintain an uninterrupted watch over the airport. It is set up for 24-hour recording, and about one image per second is laid down on tape, according to Meyer.

Remote terminal units and other hardware are scattered at locations throughout the airport complex and have uninterruptible power supplies, which assures that locks and access control will continue to function even if the main system in the command center goes down.

But security efforts are not limited to those maintained by the airport staff. Much of Meyer's work at San Francisco International involves contracts with companies housed there. Individual airlines, for example, also must make sure their operations comply with FAA security requirements.

Among Meyer's current projects is CCTV monitoring of the United Airlines baggage system. The monitoring allows operators to make certain the baggage system is operating properly and to detect attempts at theft or tampering with baggage. On the horizon is another huge undertaking. Construction has begun on a new international terminal projected to open in the year 2000. Horn said the airport's security planners hope to expand the current access control system into the new terminal, and design is in progress. The proposal is still being evaluated.

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