DHS Seeks Information on Self Screening Systems
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) issued a request for information (RFI) this week to gather information on “the feasibility, technological capacity, and general levels of effort required to develop a passenger self-screening solution” for airports. The agency notes that this is part of on-going efforts to improve security while lowering wait times for airport passengers.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Apex Screening at Speed (SaS) program is working with the Transportation Security Administration’s Innovation Task Force to incorporate self-screening into the TSA PreCheck program, the RFI explains.
Apex SaS requests collaboration from stakeholders in order to develop a solution that would:
“Enable a self-sufficient experience in the passenger screening process
Allow for passenger on-person screening and divestment of personal property (for X-ray screening) to occur in a single step, compared to the two distinct steps that exist at airports today
Enable passengers to directly receive on-person alarm information while divesting, and allow for the passenger self-resolution of alarms through continued divestment to reduce instances where a pat-down/secondary screening procedure would be necessary
Allow passengers to complete the screening process more quickly
Maintain or improve the current security posture at the airport checkpoint"
The outlined objective is to create a passenger friendly self-screening system that would improve security, accelerate passenger throughput, and reduce pat-down rates.
DHS explains in the RFI that they have not yet defined specific cases and concepts in which this program would be used, but anticipate it would initially be connected to the TSA PreCheck system. A “firm requirement” for ideas is that security posture can in no way be reduced compared to the current TSA PreCheck model.
DHS requests stakeholders respond by 1:00pm EST on December 4, 2019.