New Technology Critical in False LAX Shooting Incident

Since the 2013 Terminal 3 active-shooter incident at Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), there has been improved cooperation, coordination and training among public-safety partners and airport stakeholders. Enhanced security resources and technology improvements dramatically helped law enforcement respond quickly and effectively to erroneous reports of an active shooter which led to the evacuation of five terminals Sunday evening. The improvements were adopted following the shooting of a Transportation Security Administration officer at LAX in 2013.

“An initial internal review of LAX’s emergency response to the recent active-shooter false alarm reflects the benefits from Los Angeles World Airports’ (LAWA’s) significant investment in resources, training, and new equipment,” said LAWA Chief Executive Officer Deborah Flint. “Preparation and training have been a key focus for emergency-response personnel and other airport stakeholders since the November 1, 2013 Terminal 3 active-shooter incident at LAX.”
At the onset of Sunday’s incident, local and federal law-enforcement agencies, airport operations, and other emergency-response representatives formed a Unified Command that communicated regularly with the airport’s Department Operations Center.

Airport Police officers immediately responded to multiple terminals to investigate, taking under an hour before securing all nine terminals. Through their investigation, officials determined that all the calls and social media posts about an active shooter were false alarms. Airport Police reviewed closed-circuit television (CCTV) footage, confirming no shots were fired. LAWA’s state-of-the-art CCTV system was increased to 2,500 cameras, of which 400 new high-definition cameras were installed inside the terminals, 150 at exterior locations, and 350 analog cameras replaced with digital ones. Further enhancements to the CCTV system are planned.

Notifying passengers, employees, and the general public was a priority following criticism of a communication gap with passengers during the 2013 Terminal 3 incident. Airport Operations employed for the first time, Los Angeles City’s Wireless Emergency Alert (WEA) system at the onset and end of the emergency-response portion of the incident. The WEA system distributed public-safety messages to all smartphones within a five-mile radius of the airport. Airport Operations also used the airport’s internal notification system to inform airport stakeholders. Following the 2013 Terminal 3 incident, a recommendation was made in an After Action Report Improvement Plan (AARIP) to improve public communications systems within the airport. LAWA invested more than $2 million on new systems designed to provide visual messaging inside the terminals and audio announcements inside and outside the terminals. Another AARIP recommendation called for purchasing changeable message signs (CMS) to provide motorists information about airport conditions. On Sunday night, 14 CMS were deployed on roads leading into and along the Central Terminal Area roadways. The changeable message signs were regularly updated with information during the incident. All of the new systems were used during Sunday’s incident, some for the first time in an actual incident.

The first report of an active shooter in Terminal 8 was received at about 8:45 p.m. Airport Police officers responded to the call in less than a minute from the time they were notified. Word spread quickly through the terminals by word-of-mouth and social media. This resulted in the evacuation of Terminals 1, 4, 6, 7 and 8.

Since the 2013 Terminal 3 active-shooter incident, and as recommended in the AARIP, LAWA, its public-safety partners, and airport stakeholders have significantly improved training protocols and procedures and hold airport response-and-recovery drills on a frequent basis to better prepare for an emergency.

Airport officials are holding several reviews to assess the response to Sunday’s incident and continue to improve effectiveness for active-shooter and false-alarm scenarios, and will forward the findings to the Los Angeles Board of Airport Commissioners and Los Angeles City Council.