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HomeMy WebLinkAbout9/3/2003 - STAFF REPORTS (8) DATE: September 3, 2003 TO: City Council FROM: Executive Director - Airports AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES - INTERACTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM RECOMMENDATION: That the City Council accept a proposal from the American Association of Airport Executives(AAAE)to provide and install an Interactive Training System (IET)for use at the Palm Springs International Airport in an amount not-to-exceed $225,000. SUMMARY: The Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) require the City to conduct, track, store and audit various types of training programs for the users of the Airport. This automated system will allow training to be conducted with minimal staff interaction, allow for changes as regulations are updated and will store the training records, which can be retrieved by staff. BACKGROUND: The American Association of Airport Executives(AAAE),a not-for-profit organization, is the largest professional organization for airport executives in the world, representing thousands of airport management personnel at public-use airports. AAAE's primary goal is to assist airport executives in fulfilling their responsibilities to the airports and communities they serve. Over the past decade, the changes in safety and security training that are mandated to be completed by the City has changed dramatically. These changes have only increased in response to the events of September 11 `h. Currently, this training is conducted by a staff member on a weekly basis, which takes 3-4 hours of staff time. In addition to the amount of staff time, there is very little flexibility for the users of the Airport. Based on AAAE's in-depth knowledge of the various Federal Aviation Administration (FAA) and Transportation Security Administration (TSA) regulations, and input from their members, they developed a fully, automated Interactive Training System (IET). The IET is the only automated training system that combines full-screen digital video, interactive computer-based training/testing and an application service provider(ASP). Created in response to specific requests from airports and federal regulatory agencies, the digital video format allows an airport to anticipate changes as new or revised federal regulatory requirements are mandated, or as new facilities are constructed at the airport. Programs are filmed on-site at the airport,thereby creating a familiar training background for employees, tenants and contractors. The ASP automatically records and tracks individual training records.AAAE,through the use of two Internet Service Providers (ISPs), manages and protects this data, which is stored in secure, redundant databases. The training records are backed up daily, so that an airport's training records are safe and available in real time, around the clock, to authorized airport personnel through any web-enabled device. American Association of Airport Executives - Interactive Training System September 3, 2003 Page 2 In July of this year,AAAE was awarded a patent from the United States Patent Office, protecting the technology AAAE developed and incorporates in its Interactive Training (IET) System. Issuance of the patent validates the unique combination of computer, customization and interactive digital video that are provided by the technology. With the pending completion of the Centralized Vehicle Inspection facility, there will be space to house this system,which will be an integral partt of the Airport's"one-stop shopping" method of training and permitting for the users of the Airport. After conducting a good faith review of available sources in accordance with Section 7.04.020 of the City's Procurement Ordinance, the Director of Procurement & Contracting finds that there are no other available systems that are comparable with AAAE's IET system. This system is eligible for the Airport Improvement Program (AIP) and is included in the recently received AIP 36 grant. The grant will cover 90% of the cost of the system, with the remaining 10% coming from Airport funds. Funds are available in Account No 415-60-6400-56060, AIP 36. vim% tj MIKE N WILLIAMS, A.A.E. ALLEN F SMOOT, A.A.E. Deputy Director - Operations Executive Director - Airports HAROLD E GOOD, CPPO Director of Procurement & Contracting APPROVE City Manage Attachments: Minute Order REVIEWED BY DEn OF FINANCE M\WordPerfect\City_Council\AIP Requests\AAAE_IET System 09-03-2003.wpd ;\ 6 // The American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE), a not-for- profit organization, is the largest professional organization for airport executives in the world, representing thousands of airport management personnel at public-use airports. AAAE's primary goal is to assist airport executives in fulfilling their responsibilities to the airports and communities they serve. A core business of AAAE is airport training. In this mission, our members are the guide. We develop training programs that are not available commercially but needed by our members. Airport training is a unique market niche. Many of the AAAE staff members have become "content experts" as a result of their research and experience with airports and the regulatory agencies. A number of formats are used for the delivery of airport training including conferences, on-site programs, interactive video/computer systems, the Internet and satellite transmissions direct to employee desktops. In the area of video training, AAAE has over ten years of extensive experience creating and presenting airport training. Page 2 Because technology products specifically designed for airport training are not readily available in the marketplace, airports have approached AAAE staff with the need to create and implement a comprehensive interactive employee-training (I ET) program. To meet this need, AAAE has designed a computer-based, interactive, training program for airport employees, including tenants. Touch screen technology makes the system easy to use even for individuals unfamiliar with computers. Full screen video creates a real life training experience that is customized for each airport. Because the video is digital, the training programs can be updated quickly to reflect changes in the dynamic airport environment. The system has been designed to automatically store and maintain training records. Test results are captured in a secure, redundant database, making the tracking of records easy and instantly available to authorized personnel. Salt Lake City International, Seattle Tacoma International, NW Arkansas Regional, Savannah International, San Jose International, Tampa International, Boston Logan, Port Columbus, Pittsburgh International, Providence-T.F. Green, Dulles International, Bradley International and Washington National Airports have purchased IET systems for their employees. Salt Lake, National, Seattle, Boston and NW Arkansas' systems are fully operational. Tampa's system is being installed. The other airport systems are currently in production. Dayton, Fort Lauderdale, Oakland and several other airports are in various stages of approving the purchase of the interactive employee training system. Statement of Problem Currently, there is no automated system in place to track employee training test results. This often calls for a cumbersome information- gathering process when the FAA, TSA or another agency asks the airport to produce training records. Some airports also rely on an honor system for the actual implementation of the present systems. Airport staffs have found overall system tracking and verification of the present procedures difficult. The FAA has also strongly suggested that airports implement a more viable record-keeping system and create a recurrent training program for those employed at the airport for many years. Page 3 AAAE has created an interactive, easy-to-use touch screen training system with a customized training module that includes a secure, computerized database to alleviate the difficulties in tracking employee training. The system has the ability to train and track employees at any time, in order to accommodate personnel requiring either new or recurrent training each year. We designed this system to be upgradable in hardware and software, so that it can be configured to meet future training needs of the airport -- such as, airport movement area driver training, new employee orientation, runway incursion avoidance training or other programs the airport may deem necessary. Once the core system, which includes a complete, customized training module has been installed, creating additional training modules will be easy and inexpensive since the hardware and software will already be in place. AAAE will only have to shoot additional film footage, create new interactive tests, and customize the user interface to include the new training program. ProcedUresfor Impleme tagon ri Speedy implementation of the system will depend on several variables: approval of our proposal; good weather (for video taping purposes); PSP staff schedules and responses to the implementation timetable; availability of PSP staff to answer questions and review our work throughout the process; availability of equipment, and agreement between AAAE and PSP on the system parameters and video script. System Design The lmpiomentation The program has been developed as follows: Each participant in the training begins the process by entering required information--name and his/her social security number--on a touch screen customized computer terminal. The individual then views up to 30 minutes of full screen video, detailing procedures for the training desired such as SIDA. The interactive program is designed to ask the participant questions intermittently, based on the facts provided in the video. If a passing grade is achieved by the end of the program, the participant is finished. If the participant fails, several loop options are available which, at the airport's discretion, can allow the individual an immediate retest or simply exit the program. All test and participant data are logged into a central repository on the ANTN/Digicast server, stored on the local hard drive for each workstation and stored in a searchable database on a secure web server. Once a person has completed the Page 4 interactive training program, his or her results are accessible to approved personnel on a secure, redundant web site. Data will be accessible to authorized personnel in a database format. It provides easy searches and reports of test and participant data in pre-defined parameters (i.e., by date, employer, name, etc.). PSP staff will have the ability to set security parameters and view the data via any web accessible device. AAAE is cognizant of the need to provide the most reliable and dependable product possible since PSP will rely on the IET program to deploy well-trained employees on the airport. We are aware that employees will not be allowed to perform their duties until they test successfully, and therefore PSP requires an extraordinarily reliable system. Stability and the elimination of downtime of the hardware, software and database are a top priority for this system. AAAE has designed this system to place an absolute minimum burden on an airport's busy IT Department. Our staff makes certain the system is compatible with the network and security requirements of the airport and coordinates all network issues with the IT Department. The IET workstations require only outbound FTP access to the Internet and do not require access to the airport's secure network. AAAE will install and test all components as part of this turnkey project. The facilities required to house these computers will vary depending on their intended use and space availability. Five (5) workstations can be placed in a training center environment that will require approximately 300 square feet. Each workstation includes a desk that is approximately 3'8" wide, 3' 6" deep and 2' 5" tall. (Desk units can be deleted for a full credit, if not needed by the airport.) AAAE also has the ability to place, at the airport's discretion, some of the workstations in remote locations. These units will require sufficient space and access to the Internet. These systems can be placed in locations where the Airport's computer network is not available. The remote workstations will be capable of "stand-alone" operation and delivery of data to the central database. Page 5 MINUTE ORDER NO. 7361 ACCEPTING THE PROPOSAL FROM THE AMERICAN ASSOCIATION OF AIRPORT EXECUTIVES (AAAE) TO PROVIDE AND INSTALL AN INTERACTIVE TRAINING SYSTEM (IET) FOR USE AT THE PALM SPRINGS INTERNATIONAL AIRPORT, IN AN AMOUNT NOT TO EXCEED $225,000. ------------------ I HEREBY CERTIFY that this Minute Order, accepting the proposal from the American Association of Airport Executives (AAAE) to provide and install an Interactive Training System (IET) for use at the Palm Springs International Airport, in an amount not to exceed $225,000, was adopted by the City Council of the City of Palm Springs, California, in a meeting thereof held on the 3'd day of September, 2003. T PATRICIA A. SANDERS City Clerk S