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Feature Rob Wiser

High Alert (continued)
Las Vegas enhances security, reassures visitors

But the casinos would not be seeing occupancy rates returning to healthy levels if not for the efforts of McCarran International Airport, Las Vegas’ gateway to the world. For the week ending October 9, passenger levels at McCarran were estimated to be at 91 percent normal, according to Randy Walker, director of the Clark County Aviation Department. Much of the credit for this lies in McCarran’s longstanding commitment to safety, which enabled it to quickly rise to new challenges placed upon it by the crisis.

Before September 11, the FAA had rated McCarran #1 among the 25 busiest airports in the nation for weapons detection (incidentally, five times better than Boston’s Logan airport). Ten years ago, it was the first airport to install a card-reader system for employees, a measure designed to limit access to secure areas of the airport—this has since become standard operating procedure in airports across the country. And when US airspace was shut down for three days following the terrorist attacks, it was one of the first airports to be reopened, successfully meeting the stringent new regulations mandated by the FAA. These directives ranged from subtle procedural changes to major overhauls, including new background checks for every airport employee in order to “re-badge” everyone.

“We’ve always held ourselves to a higher standard of security,” says Hilarie Grey, Public Affairs Manager for McCarran airport. “The FAA sets the bar at a certain level, and we’ve tried to consistently stay above that.”

Those traveling via McCarran airport can expect a different, and decidedly less convenient, travel experience, but one designed to insure the safest possible flight. Parking or waiting is no longer allowed in the passenger pick-up area; according to new FAA directives, parking within 300 feet of airport passenger terminals is prohibited. Departure lanes are still available to drop people off, but “dwell time” is forbidden, meaning no leaving your car to help your friend out with bags, or run in to check a flight time.

McCarran’s Short Term Parking Garage remains closed to the public, with metered parking available only in a special section of the Long Term garage. After petitioning the FAA, the airport was granted permission to reinstate valet parking, but under heightened security guidelines all vehicles are subject to search.

Continental Airlines has resumed limited curbside check-in at McCarran, while at the time of this writing Delta and American airlines have both been trying to get approval from the FAA to resume the practice. Each airline’s ability to meet new security requirements is evaluated by the FAA on a case-by-case basis.

The FAA has also implemented limitations on the number of bags passengers can carry onto planes (a measure Grey says the airport had been contemplating even before the attacks). Now, only one carry-on bag is allowed per passenger, which must be small enough to fit in an overhead bin or under your seat, in addition to one personal item (purse, fanny pack, briefcase, laptop, etc.).

Another change to the traditional air travel experience is that now, only ticketed passengers can proceed beyond the security checkpoint. This means no more accompanying friends or loved ones to the gate and seeing them off, or being able to greet them as they step off the plane. Measures like these, intended to limit access to the planes, is what Grey calls “the first line of security.”

Travelers should also expect that these measures, while necessary, will require more patience than we’ve been accustomed to. McCarran officials have been advising passengers to arrive at the airport two hours prior to departing on weekday flights, and three hours before flights on Friday and Saturday. Additional searches of baggage, both checked and carry-on, are being conducted by airline employees, with tables set up near the ticket counters for this purpose.

The privately contracted company that handles the screening of luggage at McCarran airport has upped their staffing and are doing more pat-down searches as well. To this end, an additional number of Metro Officers have been stationed at McCarran, in addition to fifty-five heavily armed National Guardsmen that Nevada Governor Kenny Guinn tapped to handle certain security duties.

“I think you can reassure people coming to Las Vegas that McCarran is very safe,” says Grey. “Security is always our number one priority, and although there are different areas of responsibility—people (for instance) always think the airport does the baggage screening, and we don’t, it’s an airline responsibility—we are all part of the same team and take it incredibly seriously.”

This team approach is the primary reason McCarran was able to adapt to these new procedures so efficiently. With many older airports, such as LAX, one airline typically occupies each terminal and is responsible for the safety of its own passengers; multiple companies may handle the different security protocols of the airlines operating within an airport. McCarran, however, consolidates its resources.

“Our airlines operate as a consortium,” says Grey. “Together, they hire the security company that does the screenings, and they get together regularly to discuss issues and discuss them with us. So even though our responsibilities, per the FAA, have more to do with the security of the facility, we’re always a part of the conversation when it comes to the other issues.”

Once visitors have arrived in Las Vegas, rental cars and taxicabs are in abundant supply, ready to whisk them from McCarran to their hotels. These two industries suffered heavy financial hits due to the slowdown in air travel; Rich Broome, VP of Corporate Affairs for Hertz Rent-A-Car, says 90 percent of their business is generated at airports. The new FAA regulations have provided them with challenges as well; the rule requiring unattended vehicles to be set back at least 300 feet has been a hurdle for rental car operations that are based right up against the terminal building.

“We’ve been able to get waivers in some of those airports if we can demonstrate that we are properly tending to those cars,” says Broome. “We’re looking at (the new) airport and FAA generated security measures, and we’re complying with them to the fullest extent possible. We’ll probably be looking to their guidance for how we’ll proceed in the future.”

Perhaps the simplest and most direct means of reassuring visitors has been the visible increase in security guards across the city. Uniformed sentries are now a fixture on the grounds of many Las Vegas businesses, casino and non-casino alike. Rather than protecting against any specific danger, their presence is more about creating a sense of constant vigilance and security. (It’s also worth noting that the sudden, overwhelming demand for security guards has been paying the bills lately for a large number of laid-off casino employees.)

“We are seeing an increase in demand for uniformed guards in metropolitan areas nationwide—from 15 to 30 percent,” says Jim McNulty, Executive VP of Pinkerton-Burns Security, Las Vegas’ largest private security firm, speaking to The Las Vegas Review Journal. “In most places, there is not an endless supply of security guards. We are hiring. We’re just doing the best we can to keep up.”

At the recent World Gaming Congress and Expo, a panel of local security experts discussed Las Vegas’ atmosphere of heightened security, and the keys to insuring safety moving forward.

“People want to know security is there,” said Tim Donovan, president of the Las Vegas Security Chiefs Association. “After September 11, we went to a heightened state of alert, but that’s not the same as a state of panic.”

Keith Michaels, surveillance director for the Tropicana, noted another distinct feature of Las Vegas’ security picture—which, at the end of the day, might be the ultimate disadvantage for craven would-be terrorists.

“People come to casinos to gamble, to dine, to see a show,” said Michaels. “People who don’t come for those reasons stand out like a sore thumb.”

So whether you’re a high roller, a fan of the nickel slots and free drinks, or a first timer looking to enjoy a world-class vacation at a budget-friendly price, now is a great time to visit the Strip and check your worries at the door. Don’t worry: Vegas is watching your back.

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