ALARM RESOLUTION TRAINING AND JOB AID FOR EXPLOSIVES DETECTION SYSTEM OPERATORS

摘要

The present paper presents the results of an evaluation of previous and current alarm resolution performance of Explosives Detection System (EDS) operators in United States airports. The evaluation was conducted in three phases, with a small sample. Phase I involved the data analysis of existing performance data for operators, for both field tests conducted by the Federal Aviation Administration and on-line testing software. Phase II evaluated the training program that was recently revised for new hires. While Human Factors Engineers (HFE's) evaluated the course in its entirety, from the slides and operator manuals to the alarm resolution protocols and written exams, only the results of the in-class alarm resolution exercises are discussed. In Phase III, HFE's conducted a field evaluation of the performance of newly certified operators, as well as operators trained with the previous training. HFE's used real bags, of which half contained a simulant improvised explosive device and half contained a non-threat alarm object. The results showed a trend in which operators trained with the new training performed somewhat better at detecting threats than did operators trained with the previous training program. Because the performance data of EDS operators is sensitive security information, only the general results of the evaluatioa-could be discussed in this forum.