NFTA Earns TSA’s Gold Standard Award for Safety
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) honored the Niagara Frontier Transportation Authority (NFTA) with the prestigious Gold Standard Award for safety in its rail system on Thursday, April 6. NFTA is one of only four transit agencies nationwide to receive this recognition this year.
The Gold Standard Award is the highest level of recognition TSA can give to a transit agency for achieving top scores during an annual review of 17 categories of security and emergency preparedness elements. The review evaluates several aspects of a transit agency’s operations, including its security plan, security training, drills and exercise programs, public outreach efforts and background check procedures.
“This Gold Standard Award symbolizes NFTA’s commitment to its passengers, its adherence to core principles and its leadership in mass transit security,” said TSA Administrator David Pekoske, who was in Buffalo this week. “We are proud partners with NFTA and we are pleased to recognize them for their continued commitment to transportation security.”
The NFTA is a regional multi-modal transportation authority responsible for airport and surface transportation in Erie and Niagara counties. NFTA/NFTM businesses include a bus, rail and ADA paratransit system, two commercial airports, and transportation centers in Buffalo and Niagara Falls.
In 2016, a J.D. Power study ranked the Buffalo Niagara International Airport second highest in customer satisfaction for medium sized airports in North America.
“We are so proud to receive the TSA Gold Standard Award,” said NFTA Executive Director Kim Minkel. “This serves as a testament towards our commitment to the safety of our riders and community. Everyone in the organization is dedicated to the highest standard of safety and security.”
TSA has oversight of nearly 6,800 public transit agencies in the country. Every year, the TSA assesses a select number of transit agencies nationwide for evaluation through its Baseline Assessment for Security Enhancement (BASE) program. Just a fraction of those evaluated achieve scores high enough to receive the Gold Standard Award.
In the most recent round of BASE evaluations, TSA reviewed 108 mass transit agencies for their security posture. NFTA distinguished itself among the nation’s transit agencies to earn its second Gold Standard Award. In addition to NFTA, the other three agencies that earned honors were the Regional Transportation Commission of Southern Nevada, Sacramento Regional Transit District and Jacksonville Transportation Authority.
