Postal Device Training

Office Security (Classroom-based Training Course)

All individuals and organisations are potential targets for postal devices and postal bombs, which have been sent in the past for political or religious reasons, for extortion and by mentally unstable individuals. Recognising postal devices is difficult, because their physical appearance is limited only by the imagination of the senders. Postal devices are now one of the most common means of criminal and terrorist attack upon organisations and individuals worldwide. For example, the US postal service was thrown into crisis in October 2001 when anthrax contaminated letters were sent to several government officials; and in December 2003 European Commission President Romano Prodi narrowly escaped unhurt after a parcel bomb was delivered to his home.

The traditional postal bomb takes many forms – parcels, padded “jiffybags”, or envelopes of any shape or size. They may be delivered by hand or via a courier as well as “through the post”. Postal bombs are generally designed to kill or maim the person who is opening them, but a parcel bomb may be large and designed to cause mass casualties and structural damage. It is usually not necessary to open the envelope or package in any particular way to initiate a postal bomb. They can often be triggered off by any, even a slight, attempt to open the outer cover. The ease with which postal devices can be sent and the anonymity afforded the sender makes them extremely attractive and deadly tools for vicious and calculating individuals. Hazardous items that have been sent by post include bombs, incendiary devices, hazardous chemicals, razor blades, needles and broken glass.

It is imperative that all personnel who handle or receive mail become familiar with the characteristics of suspect parcels, and that they follow correct procedures to mitigate the postal device threat. Renful’s OFFICE SECURITY training course is designed for security officers, mailroom supervisors and staff, facility managers, office and building service managers, receptionists, secretaries and all personnel who normally handle postal mail.   The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment.

Please contact Renful for further details:

E-mail: mc@renful.co.uk   website: www.renful.com

Other security training courses available from Renful include:

X-ray Screener Training

X-ray screeners have one of the most important jobs in our airports.  Each year they detect many thousands of dangerous objects that individuals intentionally or inadvertently attempt to carry through checkpoints.  It’s important to bear in mind that although airport x-ray machines may look very sophisticated, they are essentially just IMAGING SYSTEMS, and NOT automated weapons and explosives detectors. The effectiveness of the x-ray screening depends on the performance of the technology of course - but also just as importantly, on the performance of the PERSONNEL operating the equipment.

Although security screeners have the option, in theory, of hand-searching every item of carry-on baggage, this would be totally impractical in a busy airport environment.  ICAO Annex 17 - Security, Recommended Practice 2.3 states: “Each Contracting State should whenever possible arrange for the security controls and procedures to cause a minimum of interference with, or delay to the activities of, civil aviation provided the effectiveness of these controls and procedures is not compromised”. In this context, airport authorities need to have security procedures that maintain passenger flow and so responsibility must be placed on screeners to VISUALLY examine the vast majority of hand-carried bags using x-ray, rather than hand-searching. 

The human operators manning airport x-ray machines must carry out a wide variety of tasks, including ensuring baggage is placed properly on the feed belt of the x-ray equipment to ensure effective image production, operating the controls, monitoring the x-ray images and making decisions about each baggage item, as well as carrying out risk assessments of passengers to select those requiring enhanced security screening. A single mistake from an x-ray screener at an airport could result in a terrorist attack on an airliner, which could mean the loss of hundreds of lives. Therefore, it’s vital that training of screening personnel is of the highest possible quality as it has a direct correlation on the effectiveness of the security screening performed. 

The detection of threat items in baggage using x-ray is not as easy as many people may assume.  On the contrary, it’s an extremely challenging task and one of the most demanding roles in the aviation security system. It’s worth remembering that in a hospital a radiologist will examine each medical x-ray image for several minutes and often consult with colleagues before making a diagnosis. Also, a medical x-ray image is viewed in a quiet and darkened room, with no distractions.  In many airports, the screeners are expected to work at the speed of the conveyor belt of the x-ray machine, so the screeners have only about 6 seconds to inspect each bag image.  Within this very short time period the airport x-ray screener must intensively scan for prohibited articles and make a decision about each luggage item.  And x-ray images in airports are viewed in bright light with noise and a multitude of other potential distractions. The sheer number of bags that have to be screened and the cluttered patterns on each bag image makes it very challenging to identify dangerous items, especially as many objects look totally different under x-ray to how they appear in reality. A screener may find it relatively easy to identify large, predictable, high-contrast threats like firearms and metal knives viewed in familiar side profile - but if a weapon is viewed from above, or from its end, it will be far more difficult to identify.  And x-ray screeners aren’t just looking for easily identifiable threats like guns and knives. Since the 9/11 attacks, even objects such as containers of liquid, nail scissors, razor blades, cigarette lighters and plastic knives are classified as potential threats by many airports. But airport security operations haven’t generally increased the time available for screeners to find these increasingly harder-to-spot items.  

Identifying explosives with x-ray is even more difficult than detecting weapons, because explosives do not have defined, predictable forms. They can be liquid or gas, or solid in any shape or size. Terrorists use Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs), which don’t generally comprise sticks of dynamite and an alarm clock (stereotypical bombs are virtually nonexistent), but often utilise plastic explosives which can be moulded into an unlimited number of innocuous/ambiguous shapes and objects - including thin sheets which terrorists have used to line bags. Detonators, switches and the other metallic components in IEDs are usually extremely small, delicate structures, easily concealed in a packed bag. The problem of spotting IEDs with x-ray is further complicated by the fact that plastic explosives have densities and characteristics which make them appear similar to many non-threat, organic materials (such as plastic, leather, rubber, paper, textiles and foodstuffs) routinely carried in baggage. If an explosive device is present in a packed bag it will almost certainly be partially obscured by denser innocuous items.

Terrorists are extremely cunning in concealing IEDs, often camouflaging them in electronic items where the complex circuitry makes the bomb components difficult to identify.  The Pan Am Flight 103 bombing over Lockerbie, Scotland that claimed the lives of 259 passengers and an additional 11 people on the ground was the result of a small amount of Semtex, an extremely powerful plastic explosive, hidden inside a cassette recorder.  Suicide terrorists may even distribute components of an IED over several bags for later assembly during a flight, as they planned to do in the UK Liquid Explosives Plot of August 2006. The bombs, made from liquid hydrogen peroxide explosive carried in 500ml bottles of soft drinks, combined with batteries, wires and detonators, would have been assembled in flight and then detonated to deadly effect.

Screening equipment needs to be used in conjunction with highly-trained and motivated personnel. It is crucial that the knowledge and skills of airport screeners are continually reinforced, including gaining new skills based on evolving threats and new methods of concealment.  Properly trained x-ray screeners may help us avert another major aviation terrorist incident.  

X-Ray Screener Training Course (Classroom-based) 

Renful's X-ray Screener training course has been developed to help X-ray screening personnel gain critical knowledge, skills, and abilities for their duties at the checkpoint. The course includes the following subjects:

• The Threat to Aviation and the Objectives & Organisation of Aviation Security
• Profiles of potential perpetrators of unlawful act of interference
• Principles of Security Control
• Recognising and reacting to suspicious circumstances
• Recognition of and action on discovering a suspicious/prohibited article
• Human factors in security screening
• Methods used to circumvent security (How might terrorists infiltrate a bomb/weapon onto an aircraft or into a building?)
• Methods of concealment
• What are X-rays?
• X-ray penetration and absorption
• Limitations of X-rays and how to overcome them
• Screening detection equipment and Dual Energy X-ray Systems
• Safety features and radiation safety
• Requirements, roles and duties of screeners
• Threat Image Projection (TIP)
• Test Pieces
• Using image enhancements
• Improvised Explosive Devices (IEDs)
• Improvised Incendiary Devices (IIDs)
• Firearms
• Knives & other Bladed Weapons
• Dangerous Goods and Hazardous Materials
• New terrorist threats (Chemical, Biological and Radiological Threats)
• The importance of 'Context' in identifying threats
• Procedures to be followed in special circumstances
• Selecting items for further physical examination
• Past events analysis (including: Unabomber, Air India Flight 182, Korean Air Flight 858, Pan Am Flight 103, Anne Murphy, September 11th, Richard Reid, Moscow Airliner Bombings, UK Airports Liquid Explosives Plot)
• Role plays and exercises
• Ethics and conduct
• Report writing and documentation
• Knowledge and skills assessment

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment.

Innovations in X-Ray Training & Testing using SIMFOX  (Management Level Classroom-based Training Course)

Many of the X-ray training and testing systems available comprise a library of composed static bag images, which have been prepared in advance by the manufacturer of the system and cannot be changed. Current operational methods of testing the employees in detecting threat projection images, such as TIP, may not adequately reflect all types of threat objects that they might encounter. In all cases, problems occur when students have been presented with the same image repeatedly, which results in image recall from memory causing an improvement in threat identification and an apparent increase in competence, which are artificially generated.  Students very quickly learn to recognise many of the X-ray images in the system, remembering where threat items are concealed.  This means that their test results improve, but the improvement in their scoring is misleading because their actual detecting ability is not improved.  It is no longer acceptable for screeners to pass tests on sub-standard X-ray training systems.  The new realities of global terrorism mean that X-ray operators must be truly proficient in their work. The lives of literally thousands of people may depend on their ability to identify guns, knives, IEDs and other dangerous items in the luggage they screen. 

In the challenging environment of an airport it is often difficult to allocate time for the important task of assessing the detection level capabilities of x-ray operators, thereby ensuring that they maintain the high degree of accuracy that the job requires. To address the need for a new Training System for X-ray, the SIMFOX system was developed. SIMFOX provides a significantly enhanced testing environment capable of producing a comprehensive analysis of the actual abilities and current skill levels of the operator.

The Renful "Innovations in Training & Testing using SIMFOX" training course is suitable for managers and decision-makers involved in overseeing security X-ray screening operations.  It includes the following subjects:

• Hand Luggage Screening Systems - Operational Assessment
• Designing Standards & Norms for Detection
• Methods of Employee Assessment
• Operational Research
• Training and Evaluation
• Data Analysis & Training Records
• Remote Training and Testing using the SIMFOX Broadcast System

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Cargo Security - Classroom-based Training Course

The devastating terrorist attacks of September 11th brought new challenges to the transportation industry; in particular the need to secure the transportation infrastructure against terrorism while maintaining the infrastructure's continued commercial efficiency. With experts in general agreement that it is question of ‘when’ and not 'if' a terrorist attack occurs involving some part of the cargo transportation infrastructure, all those involved in the international cargo industry must take action to ensure their operations are as secure as they can be. Cargo security is a huge technical and practical challenge. To protect against modern day terrorist threats, it is essential for security personnel to understand the changing nature of terrorism, create measures that take account of new types of threats and devise a framework to review these measures and ensure they are adequate. It is also critical that security planners innovate when designing counter-terrorism measures because terrorists are always trying to exploit new vulnerabilities. Critical lessons can be learned from understanding how others are hardening security and rethinking their approaches. The volume of cargo being transported world-wide is continually on the increase, emphasising its vulnerability and reputation as being the weak point of any airport and seaport security regime. Virtually every passenger flight, for example, is carrying some freight along with the passengers and their baggage. Commercial airlines make a significant percentage of their revenue from hauling freight. Screening and searching of cargo presents unique problems, including cost and complexity of different methods of screening technologies; as well as problems caused by sheer volume, time restraints and pressure on resources. The September 11th attacks were horrific in terms of the loss of human life and financial damage inflicted, yet they were not the worst-case scenario that many security experts believe could befall us in future, either in terms of the numbers of casualties or specifically in the use of new Weapons of Mass Destruction. The increasing innovation, sophistication and destructive potential of modern terrorists, armed with conventional, as well as Chemical, Biological and Radiological weapons, means that we must continually monitor these threats, remain vigilant, and ensure that security personnel are correctly trained and implement effective procedures to prevent the infiltration of explosives and hazardous materials via cargo shipments.

The training course is designed to help airports, seaports, shippers, carriers and transport operators manage a range of security risks to cargo operations. Participants will discuss the implications of terrorist threats including physical security changes and improvements that should be made and the effects of these on the freight/cargo business. Participants will analyse and discuss the evolution of methods used by terrorists and criminals to circumvent cargo security procedures; the implementation of effective security systems; and the technologies available for cargo protection. Participants will learn how the freight transport industry can prepare for and respond to terrorist attacks and learn how leading airports, carriers and shippers are deploying the latest technologies to improve the security and safety of international cargo shipments.

The course will include the following topics:

• Insight into the capabilities & tactics of terrorist groups
• Current and emerging security risks, including chemical, biological and radiological threats
• Threat & Risk Analysis
• Current cargo security initiatives
• Current regulatory requirements for shippers & carriers
• Cargo Screening Procedures
• Security Management of Warehouses
• Security Approach in the UK
• International best practice and initiatives
• Technology Available for Cargo Screening
• Screening Cargo with X-ray
• Ensuring appropriate security without hindering operations

The course will be of interest to cargo transportation and security professionals from the entire spectrum of cargo security: air, truck/rail and maritime, including:

• Police officers and other law enforcement personnel
• Cargo services and operational managers
• Cargo acceptance & handling staff
• Customs officers
• Risk management specialists
• Aviation and AVSEC inspectors
• Terminal, airport, seaport & airline managers

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Profiling Techniques - Classroom-based Training Course

Civil transportation infrastructures, including airports and seaports, have proven to be irresistible targets for terrorists, owing to the massive publicity and fear that such attacks generate. These outrages have included hijackings, infiltration of bombs onto aircraft, bombing of ships, and the September 11th suicide attacks. The increasing innovation, sophistication and destructive potential of modern terrorists (armed with conventional, as well as Chemical, Biological and Radiological weapons) means that we must continually monitor these threats and remain vigilant. It is no secret that modern detection technologies become less effective when used in a busy environment and/or in an automated mode.

Owing of the limitations of existing security technologies, we have sought effective ways to improve security by utilising the “human factor”. To be most effective, security systems must now fully utilise human-centred security screening – use trained staff to actively assess threats and adapt investigation/search techniques based on the potential risk posed by the person being investigated. This security methodology, which is based on risk assessment, is referred to as the “Security Profiling System“. This system has been implemented successfully by many authorities such as Customs, Immigration, and Airline Security. The Security Profiling System is a method used for identifying illegal travellers, criminals and terrorists by behavioural analysis, documentation and expert questioning techniques - ignoring characteristics not relevant to security such as their race, ethnicity, age and gender. Using this system, we can selectively target certain individuals for additional searches and questioning and quickly isolate those few individuals who might warrant more thorough scrutiny by security personnel. The Security Profiling System can reduce delays and increase passenger throughput, whilst actually enhancing security - but it requires unique skills as the clues are invariably subtle and the time to observe them is limited.

This training course is designed to equip all participants with the knowledge, techniques and practical skills required to organise and implement an effective Profiling System at their location. The training will also help dispel the myths surrounding Profiling by explaining the differences between Profiling and crude stereotyping.

The training course will be of particular interest to:

• Airport, airline and seaport security managers and officers
• Representatives of Embassies and Consulates
• Police officers and other law enforcement personnel
• Security managers from corporate companies
• Security officers from shopping centres, transportation companies, theatres and sporting arenas
• Government representatives involved in Security, Customs and Immigration
• Personnel involved in critical infrastructure protectio

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Tackling Suicide Terrorism - Classroom-based Training Course

Modern suicide bombing was introduced by the Shi’ite terrorist organisation Hezbollah in 1983 in Lebanon, and it was in Lebanon that this modus operandi was refined throughout the 1980’s. There have now been well over 300 suicide attacks carried out in 14 countries by 17 terrorist organisations. Suicide attacks, like all other terrorist attacks, are first and foremost aimed at giving their perpetrators widespread media coverage. The choice of this type of attack also emanates from the fact that it is easily put into practice and materially inexpensive to execute, requiring no sophisticated weaponry; while at the same time being very damaging to public morale. A determined suicide terrorist is often able to get closer to a target than other delivery methods could and can make last-minute tactical decisions - like walking toward crowds or pausing before they detonate until more potential victims gather - that render their attacks more effective and more deadly.  In light of the July 2005 attacks in London - there is a raised awareness of the threat of attacks on other 'soft' targets, such as shopping centres, theatres, sports stadiums and so on.

To address this unprecedented and grave threat, Renful conduct specialist training courses focusing on the methods and means of countering suicide terrorism.  This training provides attendees with extensive information about the motivation, preparation, equipment and techniques used by the suicide terrorist. It also provides vital information on how to identify and counter these threats.

Topics to be covered in the training are:

• The current suicide terrorist threat
• Terrorist strategy, psychology & operational methods
• Past events analysis
• Profile of a Suicide Terrorist
• Suicide bomber IEDs & technical aspects of attacks
• Chemical, Biological & Radiological Threats
• Suspicious signs - Identification & detection using specialised Profiling techniques
• Security Technologies to help counter the “walk-in” suicide bomber & suicide hijacker threats

The training will be of particular interest to:

• Airport, airline and seaport security managers and officers
• Representatives from Embassies and Consulates
• Police officers and other law enforcement personnel
• Security managers from corporate companies
• Security officers from shopping centres, transportation companies, theatres and sports stadiums
• Government representatives involved in Security, Customs and Immigration
• Personnel involved in critical infrastructure security

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Bomb Warning Assessment - Classroom-based Training Course

Although most bomb threats are hoaxes aimed at causing disruption to the normal day-to-day routine of an organisation, they must be taken seriously. The most common form of threat is by telephone, warning that a bomb has been placed in a building or on an aircraft. 

Phone threats require prompt action. A systematic approach to assessing bomb threat warnings is essential to ensure that, as far as possible, when there is a bomb or other device the assessment leads to positive action.  Similarly, that where the warning is a hoax, the assessment results in minimum disruption.

The course includes the following subjects:

• Assessment of Bomb Warnings – Credible/Not Credible
• Principles of Security Control
• Recognition of Explosive Devices
• Methods used to circumvent security
• Methods of concealment
• Searching Buildings and Facilities
• Recognising and Reacting to Suspicious Circumstances
• Procedures to follow if a Suspect Item is Found
• Security technologies
• Human factors in security
• Developing and maintaining liaison with police and other outside agencies
• Case studies of incidents/attacks illustrating current trends

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Hijack Management - Classroom-based Training Course

Aviation is, and will remain, an attractive target for terrorists. The hijacking of an aircraft not only produces massive public anxiety, but also guarantees the perpetrators and their cause extended media coverage as events gradually unfold. Hijackings usually follow a pattern of negotiations between the hijackers and the authorities, followed by some form of settlement - not always the meeting of the hijackers' original demands. During negotiations, hostages may become bargaining chips, and lives may be threatened. Correct handling of a hijack situation can help prevent injury and loss of life, whilst also minimising economic damage and negative publicity for the carrier and the industry as a whole.

This course will provide a unique opportunity for participants to learn from case studies and industry best practice how to manage hijack situations through the establishment of a crisis management team.  The training makes great use of Case Studies which are analysed in detail, enabling delegates to learn through actual experience. 

On the last day of the course, a full Hijack Management Exercise is conducted.  During the exercise trainees will be able to put their new learning into practice by becoming a member of a crisis management team faced with the task of organising and co-ordinating the response to a hijack scenario. The tutor will utilise intelligence from previous events to create a very realistic ‘Crisis Situation’.  Working as a team, participants will make decisions based on information which will develop throughout the course of the day. A tense and rapidly changing environment will be created which will both challenge and prepare them with skills which could be called upon in the future.   

The course includes the following subjects:

• Legislation and Aviation Security Programmes The Threat to Aviation and the Objectives and Organisation of Aviation Security
• History of hijacking
• Risk assessments
• Contingency Planning
• Principles of Security Control
• Methods used to circumvent security (How might terrorists infiltrate a bomb/weapon onto an aircraft?)
• Recognising and Reacting to Suspicious Circumstances
• Stages of a hijack
• Hijack syndromes
• Airline/airport responsibilities
• Airport crisis management team
• Developing and maintaining liaison with police and other outside organisations and agencies Negotiations
• Managing the media
• Case studies: Singapore Airlines Flight 117, FedEx Flight 705,  Air France Flight 8969, Ethiopian Airlines Flight 961, Ariana Afghan Airlines, Indian Airlines hijack 2000, Philippine Airlines Flight 812, American Airlines Flight 11, American Airlines Flight 77, United Airlines Flight 93, United Airlines Flight 175, Turkish Airlines Flight 1476, Aeroflot Airbus A320, Air Mauritanie Boeing 737
• Hijack Management Exercise

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details:

Flight Deck and Cabin Crew Security Awareness - Classroom-based Training Course

Flight deck and cabin crew members (pilots and flight attendants) are often the last line of defence in the event of an attempted hijacking or other terrorist/criminal incident onboard an aircraft. Training flight and cabin crew to handle potential security incidents is an important element in securing civil aviation worldwide. Our Flight Deck and Cabin Crew Security Awareness Training Course will help participants understand crew responsibilities for in-flight security and increase their proficiency in recognising suspicious behaviour, prohibited items and dangerous articles.  It incorporates the procedures for pilots and cabin crew in the event of security incidents or emergencies on the ground or in flight; and details the precautions that should be applied to counter the risk of hijack, and procedures that should be adopted by personnel in the event of an aircraft take-over and hostage situation.

The course includes the following subjects:

• The Threat to Aviation and the Objectives and Organisation of Aviation Security
• Legislation and Aviation Security Programmes
• Risk assessment
• Principles of Security Control
• Crew responsibilities and recommended Security Procedures
• Methods used to circumvent security (How might terrorists attempt to infiltrate a bomb/weapon onto an aircraft?)
• Methods of Concealment
• Combining security with Customer Service
• Passenger types
• Recognising and reacting to Suspicious Circumstances
• Suspicious signs in appearance and behaviour
• Categorising and managing disruptive passenger behaviour
• Disruptive passenger triggers
• Verbal de-escalation
• Aircraft checks and searches
• Improvised Explosive Devices and methods of triggering
• Biological/Chemical attack - practicality and effects
• Bomb threat management (on ground, in flight)
• Least Risk Bomb Location (LRBL)
• Secure flight deck doors, CCTV, Air Marshals
• Hijackers' motivations and characteristics
• Stages of a Hijack & Crew Role
• Case studies of incidents/attacks illustrating current trends

The course can be customised to the precise requirements of clients. Renful will send an instructor to present the training at your own location and participants who successfully complete all course modules will receive a Security Training Operations Programme (S.T.O.P.) Certificate of Accomplishment. Please contact Renful for further details: