Kevin Palmer
Well-Known Member
This was sent to me a little bit ago. Thought others may enjoy it.
Feds Scrap Job Exam at Airport
Screeners at Newark Get Answers to Test for High-Security Posts
By Ron Marisco
January 17, 2007
An exam for more than 40 candidates seeking high-level security jobs at Newark Liberty International Airport was canceled by a top federal official yesterday amid concern that test questions and answers were being circulated among employees at the airport.
The questions -- ranging from the proper dress codes for screeners to what should be done in a crisis -- were to be part of an oral test officials with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration were planning to give to candidates for seven manager posts.
Mark Hatfield, the federal security director at Newark Liberty, halted plans to administer the test following inquiries from The Star-Ledger, which learned about the test-breach from a TSA official, who also provided the paper with some of the questions. The official, who was not a job applicant, spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution.
The Star-Ledger read five of the 19 questions contained in the oral exam to Hatfield, who confirmed their accuracy.
Hatfield said he stopped the test because he feared some job candidates may have gained an unfair advantage.
"We committed on Day One to the establishment of fairness and transparency in hiring, promotion, shift bidding and awards," said Hatfield, who took over the top job last year.
"The evidence provided to me by The Star-Ledger may fall short of proving wrongdoing," Hatfield said, "but it does potentially taint this round of promotions. For this reason, I have voided the slate of questions and will begin fresh in order to preserve the work force's confidence in the integrity of the process."
Hatfield said he has questioned subordinates about the matter but was doubtful of finding proof of possible wrongdoing.
"We've reviewed what evidence is available and at this point, nothing is actionable," said Hatfield, who became Newark Liberty's federal security director in September after serving on an acting basis since March. "Unfortunately, in cases like this, one rarely finds fingerprints."
The test questions provided to the newspaper, and confirmed by Hatfield, included the following:
• How many earrings may a federal airport security screener wear on each earlobe?
• What is the function of an airport's walk-through metal detector officer?
• How many inches below the collar may a screener wear his hair?
• If 50 screeners call out sick on the first shift, what steps would a screening manager take to make sure there are enough screeners for the next shift?
• How should a manager on duty handle competing issues that could develop on a given day, such as a security breach, a complaint from an individual about employment discrimination and a safety issue?
The questions were part of a battery of 19 questions a panel of TSA officials were prepared to ask job candidates in the first of a series of tests and reviews slated to begin at the airport yesterday.
Forty-three candidates, most of them from among the more than 1,097-member security force at Newark, had applied for the seven openings for screening manager, a position with considerable authority in the TSA's hierarchy at the airport.
Screening managers oversee the tens of thousands of daily searches conducted by screeners and lead screeners who operate checkpoints and bomb-detection machines. Newark Liberty has approximately two dozen screening managers; of the seven open spots, three are newly created posts and four are vacant.
Managers report to lead screening managers and Hatfield and his top subordinate
Feds Scrap Job Exam at Airport
Screeners at Newark Get Answers to Test for High-Security Posts
By Ron Marisco
January 17, 2007
An exam for more than 40 candidates seeking high-level security jobs at Newark Liberty International Airport was canceled by a top federal official yesterday amid concern that test questions and answers were being circulated among employees at the airport.
The questions -- ranging from the proper dress codes for screeners to what should be done in a crisis -- were to be part of an oral test officials with the U.S. Transportation Security Administration were planning to give to candidates for seven manager posts.
Mark Hatfield, the federal security director at Newark Liberty, halted plans to administer the test following inquiries from The Star-Ledger, which learned about the test-breach from a TSA official, who also provided the paper with some of the questions. The official, who was not a job applicant, spoke on condition of anonymity because of fear of retribution.
The Star-Ledger read five of the 19 questions contained in the oral exam to Hatfield, who confirmed their accuracy.
Hatfield said he stopped the test because he feared some job candidates may have gained an unfair advantage.
"We committed on Day One to the establishment of fairness and transparency in hiring, promotion, shift bidding and awards," said Hatfield, who took over the top job last year.
"The evidence provided to me by The Star-Ledger may fall short of proving wrongdoing," Hatfield said, "but it does potentially taint this round of promotions. For this reason, I have voided the slate of questions and will begin fresh in order to preserve the work force's confidence in the integrity of the process."
Hatfield said he has questioned subordinates about the matter but was doubtful of finding proof of possible wrongdoing.
"We've reviewed what evidence is available and at this point, nothing is actionable," said Hatfield, who became Newark Liberty's federal security director in September after serving on an acting basis since March. "Unfortunately, in cases like this, one rarely finds fingerprints."
The test questions provided to the newspaper, and confirmed by Hatfield, included the following:
• How many earrings may a federal airport security screener wear on each earlobe?
• What is the function of an airport's walk-through metal detector officer?
• How many inches below the collar may a screener wear his hair?
• If 50 screeners call out sick on the first shift, what steps would a screening manager take to make sure there are enough screeners for the next shift?
• How should a manager on duty handle competing issues that could develop on a given day, such as a security breach, a complaint from an individual about employment discrimination and a safety issue?
The questions were part of a battery of 19 questions a panel of TSA officials were prepared to ask job candidates in the first of a series of tests and reviews slated to begin at the airport yesterday.
Forty-three candidates, most of them from among the more than 1,097-member security force at Newark, had applied for the seven openings for screening manager, a position with considerable authority in the TSA's hierarchy at the airport.
Screening managers oversee the tens of thousands of daily searches conducted by screeners and lead screeners who operate checkpoints and bomb-detection machines. Newark Liberty has approximately two dozen screening managers; of the seven open spots, three are newly created posts and four are vacant.
Managers report to lead screening managers and Hatfield and his top subordinate
