Karen S. Kim
AIRPORT DISTRICT -- Following a bomb threat at Burbank Airport on
April 20 that delayed about 3,000 passengers and stalled flights for
several hours, Los Angeles County supervisors have asked the L.A. County
Sheriff's Department to prepare a report on the incident.
"Anything that law enforcement and the airport, or added security at
the airport, could do to ensure safety of people, we're all in favor of,"
said Chris Dickerson, press deputy for Supervisor Mike Antonovich.
The supervisors requested that the report determine how the incident
could have been handled more effectively. The also want a review of the
notification protocols of all local agencies that might be involved
during a bomb threat, including airport, police and fire departments, the
FBI and the Federal Aviation Administration.
The supervisors' request indicated the FBI was not notified until
three hours after the bomb threat was detected, that the sheriff's
department did not arrive in a timely fashion and that airport officials
failed to announce the emergency to passengers until nearly four hours
after the bomb threat was detected about 4:30 p.m.
Airport Authority commissioners support the critique and review, but
said some of the criticisms outlined in the request are not valid.
The FBI was contacted before 5 p.m. and the bomb squad's delay could
be blamed in part on Friday afternoon traffic, said Victor Gill,
spokesman for the authority.
"Our call to the sheriff's department was immediate, and their
response that they were on their way was immediate," said Mark Hardyment,
the airport's director of operations and maintenance.
Independent of the sheriff's department study, the Airport Authority
has focused on improving communication with passengers, Gill said.
Officials might post live information for drivers approaching the airport
on AM 1700, the airport's radio station, and make more announcements on
the airport's public address system.
The sheriff's department has not contacted Burbank Airport to discuss
cooperating on the report, Hardyment said.
The report is due back to the supervisors within 90 days.
