The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) recently presented the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada (RTC) with its Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) Gold Standard Award.
The review assesses 17 categories of fundamental security and emergency preparedness action items including topics an agency’s security plan, security training, drills and exercise programs, public outreach efforts and background check programs. The transit agencies that achieve the highest scores on its BASE review receive the award.
“The RTC should be commended for being recognized at the national level for the commitment and hard work this level of achievement requires,” Robert McGuire, regional transportation security inspector with TSA’s Surface Compliance Branch, said. “TSA looks forward to a continued partnership with the RTC and applauds its continued dedication to the security of its customers in Southern Nevada.”
Three out of 200 transit agencies evaluated in 2016 received the award. This is the second time the RTC has received the award. It also earned the Gold Standard Award in 2011 and, because of this, was not reviewed again until 2016.
During its 2016 review, the RTC received a 99.8 percent, up from 2011’s 97 percent.
“Ensuring the safety for an average 175,000 daily transit trips in a city that never sleeps is not only a top priority for the RTC but a monumental task,” RTC Board Chairman and Clark County Commissioner Larry Brown said. “I accept this great honor on behalf of all RTC employees and contractors who work day in and day out to ensure our passengers travel safely. In particular, I want to acknowledge the efforts of our safety and security team that is constantly looking for ways to improve.”