Today marks the 18th anniversary of the September 11, 2001, terrorist attacks on the United States of America. Nearly two decades later, our country has not forgotten the sacrifices made on that fateful day. First responders and their families still bear the brunt of these lasting impacts, but with the passage of the September 11th Victim Compensation Fund Act on July 23, 2019, the United States has vowed once again to truly never forget.
News
Extending a Lifeline of Support
On July 29, President Donald Trump signed the 9/11 Victim Compensation Fund legislation into law, extending a financial lifeline to the thousands of police officers and firefighters suffering from illnesses related to the September 11 terrorist attacks. This was a great day for America, and particularly for first responders.
Checkpoint Security: A Growing Threat
On Tuesday, June 18, 2019, several TSA agents were injured at Phoenix’s Sky Harbor Airport when a man attempted to rush through the security checkpoint.
Police Week 2019
In 1962, President John F. Kennedy signed a proclamation that designated May 15 as Peace Officers Memorial Day, and the week in which it falls as National Police Week. This symbolic act would set into motion a tradition, bringing together tens of thousands of law enforcement officers from around the globe to honor those who pay the ultimate sacrifice.
Manning the Gates
On March 7, the Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Department arrested a Bronx man who, after claiming to be a new airport employee who did not have his identification, pushed his way through a security checkpoint at John F. Kennedy International Airport. Before the man could reach the secure area of the airport, TSA agents blocked him from entering and escorted him from the checkpoint.
A Numbers Game
On Friday, August 10, Richard Russell, an airport ground worker who learned how to fly planes from playing video games, took a Bombardier Q400 turboprop plane belonging to his employer, Horizon Air (an Alaska Airlines subsidiary), from Seattle-Tacoma International Airport and crashed it on Ketron Island, located southwest of Tacoma, Washington.