Transportation security screeners visually and physically check passengers and luggage to prevent illegal or dangerous items from being brought onto aircraft. They work for the US Transportation Security Administration and undergo rigorous training to identify potential security threats. Screeners rotate between different roles and jobs throughout the day.
A transportation security screener is responsible for visually and physically checking the passengers and luggage of anyone boarding an aircraft to ensure that nothing illegal or contraband is brought onto the aircraft. Typically encountered by the general public as people parked at airport security checkpoints, a transportation security examiner checks a person’s identification, watches them pass through a metal detector, uses a hand wand if necessary, and inspects the luggage for suspicious items. Screeners usually work for the United States (US) Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and undergo very rigorous application and training processes.
Founded in 2001 after the 9/11 attacks, the TSA was part of the US Department of Transportation but later became part of the Department of Homeland Security. The TSA requires that anyone applying to become a transportation security screener must meet the physical requirements needed to work on their feet for an extended period of time. An examiner also needs the ability to deal with mental stress and the requirements for dealing with potentially irate or angry clients and crisis situations. While this may sound dramatic, the very real possibility exists that a transport security screener could come into direct contact with a person or materials with the intent to commit a violent and deadly act.
To prevent these things from happening, examiners are trained through dozens of hours of classroom and computer training and hundreds of hours of field training to look for, locate, and isolate potential security threats. A transport security screener also undergoes continuing education every week and day to learn about the latest security threats and the types of devices he or she may encounter. In addition to training, an examiner typically spends the day cycling between different roles and jobs while at the airport.
A transportation security screener might start their day at a metal detector, watching passengers walk by and handling them with a handheld metal detector to make sure no one is carrying anything dangerous or illegal on a plane. The screener can then move on to the baggage check, where screens are watched while x-ray machines look inside people’s bags. If anything suspicious is found in the footage, the screener will usually need to physically open the bag and inspect it to make sure no contraband items get through. A screen will also be placed at the main entrances and exits to ensure that no one tries to bypass the security process. Throughout the day, a single transport security screener typically spends several hours at each station and rotates between them over the course of a single shift.
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