Thwarting Terrorists

Security advice for truck drivers;feds plan stricter driver screening.

DEBORAH WHISTLER
EDITOR

      Suppose a hazmat driver looks in his rearview mirror and sees a flashing police light coming from an unmarked car, followed by a signal to pull over. What should he do?
      Before Sept. 11, there would be no doubt: pull over and find out what's going on. Now, though, you have to pause to think. After all, anyone can rent a cruiser look-alike, such as a Ford Crown Victoria, and buy a flashing light at an auto store. A terrorist might think it an easy way to gain control of hazmat loads.
      Officials at the Federal Motor Carrier Safety Administration put the question to the law enforcement community. Here's the advice they received.
      Pull over. If the person who gets out of the car is not wearing a uniform, put the truck in gear and get out of there. Go directly to the nearest police facility and report the event.
      If the person is in uniform, crack the window and ask to see an ID. Then — since IDs are relatively easy to forge — tell the person that company policy requires you to go to the nearest police facility before you can submit to an inspection.
      If the car is clearly marked as a police vehicle, odds are the officer is legitimate.
      Other advice on guarding against terrorism comes from the FBI. The bureau investigated truck bombings to find any characteristics that might give early warning. It found a number of indicators that trucking personnel should watch for — recognizing that the presence of an indicator does not necessarily reveal terroristic intent.
      One obvious indicator is the theft or purchase of the tools of terrorism, such as chemicals, blasting caps or fuses, chemical mixing devices and respirators.
      Also on the watch list:
      • Rental of storage space for chemicals, or the delivery of chemicals to these facilities.
      • Theft or purchase of trucks or vans with capacity of 2,000 pounds or more. Or, trucks or vans that have been modified to handle heavier loads.
      • Chemical fires, toxic odors or brightly colored stains in living spaces or storage units. Explosions in rural or wooded areas — they might be tests.
      • Hospital reports of missing hands or fingers, or chemical burns, as well as untreated injuries or burns.
      • Suspicious surveillance of potential targets, or "dry runs" of routes to identify speed traps, road hazards or bridge clearances.
      • Inquiries about, or purchase of facility blueprints.
      To report an incident or get more information, contact your local police or FBI office, or call the National Infrastructure Protection Center at (202) 323-3205, or (888) 585-9078.
      In a related matter, DOT is close to publishing a rule requiring that all hazmat drivers pass a strict federal background check. The rule, required by a law Congress passed in the wake of the Sept. 11 terrorist attacks, was due last February but has been delayed by the difficulty of sorting out details.
      The rule will require hazmat drivers to be fingerprinted in order to prove their identity and have their records checked by the FBI and, possibly, the Immigration and Naturalization Service.
      This rule foreshadows a requirement that many trucking policy makers consider inevitable: background checks for all truck drivers.
      Trucking interests such as American Trucking Assns. and the National Tank Truck Carriers are actively supporting universal background checks.
      They say it should apply to all drivers. If the rule isn't applied universally, says NTTC president Clifford Harvison, tank carriers are concerned that drivers will leave the hazmat business in order to avoid the "hassle and expense" of obtaining or renewing the clearance under the stricter guidelines.
      And, count on it, there will be hassle and expense involved. Initially, at least, drivers will have to go the local police station to be fingerprinted, since most state motor vehicle departments are not equipped for the job. FMCSA wants the states to provide that service, but it will take several years to get the system in place. Meanwhile, drivers can expect that the clearance process will take up to two months.
      The expense? As much as $75, including $24 for the background check, $20 for fingerprinting and additional costs if an INS check is necessary.
      The safety agency will not address the issue of who pays, although the driver will be ultimately responsible. The agency assumes that many trucking companies will decide to cover the cost.