The US Transportation Security Administration (TSA) has opened a new training facility based in Las Vegas, named TSA Academy West. The organization says that Las Vegas was chosen due to its accessibility by air from most cities in western US.
According to the TSA, the new academy is a 26,000-square-foot facility that includes six classrooms, two large multipurpose rooms and virtual instruction space.
The administration says that the building is located near Harry Reid International Airport (LAS), where Transportation Security Officers (TSOs) will have easy access to a dedicated training checkpoint where they can apply what they have learned in the classroom.
The training checkpoint is adjacent to the “Innovation Checkpoint” at LAS, which features the latest upgrades in aviation security technologies designed to enhance security and the passenger screening experience. On a weekly basis, the new facility has the capacity to train 180 TSOs, accompanying what is currently offered at TSA Academy East at the Federal Law Enforcement Training Centers (FLETC) in Glynco, Ga.
“The TSA Academy West expands our ability to train our new officers in an airport environment and provides them hands-on experience with our latest technology,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske. “This is an impressive, best-in-class training facility made possible by our expert faculty and staff and our strong partnership with Harry Reid International Airport.”
The administration says that after a TSO is hired, they will work at their home airport for approximately three months. Once they have completed this initial phase of their employment, they will participate in one week of virtual training taught by TSA Academy instructors. The second leg of their initial training includes two weeks of in-residence, standardized training at either TSA Academy West or TSA Academy East. Their training concludes with on-the-job training at their home airport following graduation from the academy.
The curriculum includes threat detection and resolution; pat-down techniques; screening of personal property; adaptive thinking; customer experience; and training on the administration’s core values. TSOs also have access to desktop simulators that generate individual X-ray images to increase on-screen detection capabilities of carry-on property and checked baggage.
By providing a new location from which to train officers, the TSA will ensure that those on the west of the US will have access to all the resources they require. The organization says that there is ample lodging in Las Vegas, while the location of the training facility near the city’s airport means that new TSOs will be able to apply what they have learnt in a real-time situation.