Basseterre, St. Kitts – THE National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme recently received a shot in the arm following the successful completion of a one-week intensive training course by six of its members, making them qualified Civil Aviation Security Instructors.
The six instructors are: Royston Griffin of the Civil Aviation Division of the Ministry of Transport; David Hendrickson and Velie Maynard of the Nevis Air and Sea Port Authority; and Joseph Taylor, Mary Nurse and Jasmine James of the St. Christopher Air and Sea Port Authority.
The course, which commenced on Wednesday, November 4 and concluded on Wednesday, November 11, was conducted by Mark Casey of Transportation Security Consulting and Training, USA.
Speaking at the closing ceremony held at the Robert Llewellyn Bradshaw International Airport Conference Room last Wednesday (Nov. 11), Deputy Chairman of the National Civil Aviation Security Committee (NCASC) McClean Hobson said that “the six instructors would now be the driving force behind the implementation and enforcement of the St. Kitts and Nevis National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme”.
He explained that the National Civil Aviation Security Training Programme is a requirement of the International Civil Aviation Organisation under Annex 17 to the ICAO Convention.
Hobson, who also chaired the ceremony, implored the graduants “to strive to become the best Civil Aviation Instructors, as without effective and competent instructors it is impossible to produce competent and professional security officers capable of fighting terrorism and other acts of unlawful interference against civil aviation”.
In his encouragement to the new instructors, Manager of the Vance W Amory International Airport said, “Today, we have placed another notch under our belt of accomplishment…Civil Aviation Security Training, but let us not rest on our laurels. There is work ahead! In civil aviation security, we can’t relax; we must continue the thrust to make the ports of St. Kitts and Nevis the safest in the Western Hemisphere.”
Alistair Williams, a member of the NCASC implored the instructors to share their recently-acquired knowledge, which he noted would benefit all those persons directly involved as well as the Federation and tourists.
“Transportation security is a vital issue, and equipping people to pass on their knowledge of transportation security will benefit us all; not only those directly involved in aviation but the Federation and the tourists who travel to our shores on a large scale. We in the airline industry strongly believe in the importance of training…the best means to build and strengthen local capacity.”
