Reference no: EM131128697

Risk Assessment Centervale Municipal Airport

Small municipal airports that serve communities near major metropolitan areas may not have appropriate security measures in place. These municipal airports have not received the same scrutiny or funding as major airports even though small airports face challenges and risks similar to larger facilities.

Additionally, vandalism, petty theft, and commandeering of actual aircraft are incidents for which administrators at smaller airports need to strategically plan. Every airport (small or large) does face some similar threats (to consider when planning security) that include, but are not limited to, geography, demographics, budget, and facility design. All are integral components that must be examined in light of proposed prevention, preparedness, response, and recovery measures. The Federal Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) have provided much funding to larger airports to conduct risk assessments and use that information to beef up security.

However, security at small and community municipal airports has not received the same amount of attention or federal funding. Larger, commercial airports have received the vast majority of attention; this is mainly due to passenger volumes and smaller airports being privately owned and, in many cases, being self-reliant for revenue and maintenance. As yet, smaller municipal airports have not been successfully compromised, and the potential for sensational nationwide devastation is somewhat limited. At the same time, we must recognize that terrorists may already be assessing softer targets, like commuter airports, such as the Centervale Municipal Airport.

Here's What You Need to Do

You are the Centervale Municipal Airport security administrator and have been asked to conduct a risk assessment for the airport and submit your report to the airport manager and board of directors.

Using in-text citations in APA format for a minimum of five external scholarly sources, you will conduct the requested risk assessment and make recommendations based on your analysis and expertise. Create a 10- to 15-page document that addresses the following:

1. Explain the main goals of conducting a risk assessment for the airport, including identifying contemporary theories or rationale for conducting an analysis. Analyze current methods and processes to estimate the likelihood that a security breach or hazard could occur. Evaluate the uncertainty in that estimate and identify potential safety concerns and hazardous situations. Design alternative solutions to reduce the potential risks to the airport.

2. Analyze the procedure for performing risk assessments at an airport. Explain the four general steps of conducting risk assessments: safety concern and hazard identification, identification of the difference between exposure and adverse effects, exposure assessment, and risk characterization.

3. Identify the benefits of conducting a risk assessment at Centervale Municipal Airport and the potential danger of not doing so. In addition to threats from terrorism, discuss the other types of risks faced by an airport.

4. Compile a list of strategies that can be utilized to address the safety and security risk issues at Centervale Municipal Airport. Justify the proposed solutions and explain how they could be implemented in ways that are feasible and cost effective.