Impact 9-11: Security detail

On Sept. 11, 2001, Rob Hancik, director of aviation for the Springfield-Branson Regional Airport, was out of town but not out of touch. He was attending the Airport Council International's bi-annual world conference in Montreal, Canada when he heard the grisly news that four jets loaded with passengers had gone down. "Everybody was just in shock," he said.

Though stranded in Canada due to the immediate airport shutdown, Hancik was updated regularly through a hotline at the Federal Aviation Administration's command center in Washington, D.C. He finally got back to Springfield on Sept. 13.

Hancik's new mantra is security. Chief among his concerns are compliance with the congressionally mandated federalization of all U.S. checkpoints and implementation of total baggage screening by Dec. 31.

The continuous-scanning, explosive-detection system being installed at U.S. airports is the eXaminer 3DX 6000 and is manufactured by New York-based L-3 Communications. The approximate $1 million price tag per unit is paid by the Transportation Security Administration, said a spokesperson for L-3.

There also will be 50 to 70 security personnel added as screeners and at other positions, said Sherry Wallace, marketing director for the airport. A federal security director, Clem Spencer, will oversee security issues for airports in Springfield, Joplin, Cape Girardeau and Fort Leonard Wood, she added.

"Just about every decision we make pretty much has to evaluate whether there's a security component that needs to be addressed in that decision," Hancik said. "We have to find a way to have an effective system that's efficient and continues to move millions of people that we fly every day."

The director is matter-of-fact about the rigorous security measures. "If you choose to fly, then you're going to have to play by whatever rules are in place," he said.