Thursday, December 23, 1999, Raleigh News & Observer

Security picks up at RDU

Towed cars and close scrutiny of baggage are inconveniences many passengers are willing to put up with as authorities prepare to counter possible terrorism.

By TODD NELSON, Staff Writer

Tow trucks hauled off dozens of cars left unattended outside terminals, and security guards took extra care examining baggage Wednesday at Raleigh-Durham International Airport, and Nolie Jenkins couldn't have been happier. Jenkins and other airline passengers -- some of the 300,000 expected to pass through the airport from this week through Jan. 3 -- welcomed the tighter security measures imposed Tuesday. "I don't normally fly on holidays, so I appreciate it," Jenkins said as she waited for a flight to Indianapolis, where she will spend Christmas with her daughter and son-in-law. "I'd like to see the National Guard out here, I'm such a fraidy-cat. Anything to help protect us." The crackdown at RDU is one of the first public signs of a larger security buildup that local, state and federal authorities in North Carolina have planned to counter possible terrorism tied to the new year's arrival. The plans aim to cover everything from Main Street traffic lights to high-tech companies in Research Triangle Park, from large New Year's Eve gatherings such as Raleigh's First Night to the Internet. Across the country, such efforts have taken on greater urgency with last week's arrest of a man allegedly trying to smuggle explosives into the United States. Authorities said they have received no reports of specific threats in North Carolina. Still, ramping up security makes sense, said Gene Hickman, a retired commercial pilot waiting to join family members for a flight from RDU to Chicago. "It's better to be on the safe side," Hickman said. "Anybody who wants to do something will know there's more security they'll have to go through. It's not a hassle for us." In North Carolina, the Highway Patrol, Alcohol Law Enforcement and other agencies have canceled vacations and put officers on call for the New Year's weekend. Police in Durham, Raleigh and other cities are bringing in extra officers to beef up New Year's Eve patrols. The State Bureau of Investigation will have agents on call to assist local departments, and specialty units will be ready to handle hazardous devices or situations such as standoffs with criminals holding hostages and weapons, director Bryan Beatty said. The FBI field office in Charlotte is going on 24-hour alert from Dec. 29 through Jan. 3 to monitor potential terrorist attacks on computer networks, telecommunications systems and other possible high-tech targets, said Chris Swecker, special agent in charge of the FBI in North Carolina. Agents have been discussing concerns with officials at potentially vulnerable locations in Research Triangle Park and at the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill, N.C. State University and Duke University. "We don't know what's going to happen, because we've never been through this before," said Doris Gardner, a supervisory special agent who oversees the FBI's computer crimes squad in Charlotte. "But we think we have prepared as much as we can for any type of criminal activity during this time."

Differences in N.C.

Unlike some states, North Carolina will not deploy additional National Guard members or state troopers as the new year dawns, said Renee Hoffman, spokeswoman for the N.C. Department of Crime Control and Public Safety. Instead, they and employees of other state agencies will be on call, expected to report to duty on an hour's notice if need be. A state emergency management employee will be at the Federal Emergency Management Agency headquarters in Washington, and a FEMA employee will be in Raleigh, where a state mobile command post will be in touch with the FBI and state and local agencies.

Like a storm alert

Aside from the canceled vacations, the state's alert status will be about the same as for a natural disaster such as a winter storm, Hoffman said. That's how authorities hope residents will treat the Y2K weekend, too -- hunkering down with a three-day supply of food, water and medications and a good dose of calm. "We don't want to cause people to get panicky and think we expect something to happen," Hoffman said. "At the same time, we have to be ready, just in case. If they prepare for a long weekend, like they're snowed in, and take things in stride and don't panic, we're all going to wake up on Jan. 1, and everything is going to be OK." At RDU, the first minutes of the new year will be busy, even though few flights and few passengers are expected, airport spokesman Mike Blanton said. Under FAA orders, everything from airfield lights to communications and security systems, even escalators and parking gates, must be checked just after 12:01 a.m. Jan. 1. "We'll also be required by the FAA to roll our crash fire rescue trucks up to speed on the runways and shoot foam from those trucks to make sure all systems are working OK," Blanton said. "We've got to check all the systems and note whether they pass or fail. Certain systems have to pass before we can resume operations."

Activity at RDU

The airport's tighter security measures went into place Tuesday night. Employees are keeping a close watch for unattended bags and people who appear suspicious. Security checks took slightly longer Wednesday as guards eyed carry-ons closely. Tow trucks swooped in to remove vehicles left unattended outside the terminals, despite warnings broadcast every few minutes over the airport's public address system. "The No. 1 reason we tow them is because of security, as required by federal law and FAA policy," Blanton said. "It amazes me how soon the American public seems to forget Ryder rental trucks full of fertilizer in Oklahoma City."

-- Old Git (anon@spamproblems.com), December 23, 1999

Answers

""I'd like to see the National Guard out here, I'm such a fraidy-cat. Anything to help protect us.""

...said the fictional character. But I bet she gets her wish.

-- Servant (public_service@yahoo.com), December 23, 1999.