Congresswoman Waters Demands Action to Improve Emergency Response at LAX

Congresswoman Maxine Waters (CA-43), whose district includes Los Angeles International Airport (LAX), issued the following statement today regarding the release of a report by Los Angeles World Airports (LAWA), about the response and recovery efforts following the November 1, 2013, active-shooter incident at LAX:

"I am shocked and dismayed by the revelations included in LAWA's report on the response and recovery efforts following the November 1st active-shooter incident at LAX. This report is an embarrassment. LAWA spends $125 million on security every year. With this level of investment, LAX should have a state-of-the-art emergency response system.

"I join with the entire Los Angeles community in mourning the loss of TSA Security Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was shot and killed in the line of duty during this tragic incident, and I commend the efforts of all of the law enforcement officers and first responders involved in apprehending the suspect and preventing him from killing any additional people.

"Nevertheless, LAWA's emergency response system clearly failed on this critical day.
LAWA's report explains how problems in coordination between various police and fire departments resulted in multiple command posts at different locations that did not unify for 45 minutes.

"The report also reveals numerous technical problems. Incompatible radio systems interfered with emergency response efforts, and many of the airport's red phones and panic buttons were not working properly. When a TSA agent picked up a red phone immediately after the first shots were fired, the airport police operator who answered the call had no way to determine where the call originated.

"LAX, which is located in my district, is the third busiest airport in the United States and the sixth busiest airport in the world. It generates jobs for 294,400 workers in Los Angeles County and serves nearly 66.7 million passengers every year. The safety of all of these workers and travelers is of paramount importance.

"The emergency response failures included in this report are simply unacceptable. I expect to hear more from LAWA on how the recommendations in this report will be implemented and what other measures will be taken to improve emergency response protocols and protect the millions of people who frequent this airport."

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