Hello [firstname],
FFDO Stakeholder Meeting 11-15-23:
Attendees
TSA Aviation Programs Branch (APB):
Denise Stark-Jones, APB Branch Manager
Dan Kuhn, APB Deputy Branch Manager
FFDOA:
Bill Cason, President
Mike Karn, Executive Vice President
Paul Nelson, Exécutive Vice President
Gary Cason, Director of Operations
FFDOA attended the quarterly FFDO stakeholder meeting held at the FAMS Training Center / FAA Technical Center in Atlantic City, NJ on 11-15-2023.
The biggest program development is the Senior FFDO Program, which is coming soon! FFDOA was briefed on the syllabus and new courses of fire for the Senior Program. We are very excited to see this offered soon to those FFDOs who qualify for this opportunity. The Senior FFDO training course will be two days long and be held at the FAMS Training Center in Atlantic City (ACY).
The mission count for FY23 was just over 983,000 including international destinations. Total FFDOs is still just over 7,000, which is low compared to previous years. Even with total FFDO numbers down from previous years, we still accomplished an impressive mission count in 2023, increasing total missions flown to over 21.5 million over the life of the program.
The budget for FY24 is proposed at approximately $25-26M; however, this is still not confirmed while the federal government remains on a continuting resolution through February 2, 2024. The FFDOA spends much of our time lobbying for a viable budget for the FFDO Program, and the proposed FY24 budget will return the FFDO Program closer to previous operating standards. Even though the federal government is currently operating under a continuing resolution, we expect the FFDO budget to remain in place when the final budget passes.
At that funding level, the program expects to add over 1000 new FFDOs to the population in FY24 and FY25! This will not only increase our total numbers but should reduce the time for those who are in the pool awaiting a class date. This is great news and we ask that you encourage your fellow pilots to join the program!
IMPORTANT NOTE ON THE WEAPONS REFRESH!!!!
Once again FFDOA is reminding all FFDOs that the weapons refresh program ends on 4/30/2024. There will be no exceptions and no extensions, so please schedule an RTP to receive the new weapon system if you have not done so already. There are still over 1300 FFDOs that have not attended an RTP to get the new firearm. We advise not waiting until the last month or even the last quarter. The Atlanta RTP site is temporarily closed due to having to be relocated. This means only DAL and ACY RTP sites are currently available for weapon refresh and the DAL RTP classes fill up fast. The ACY RTP has open seats in most of their classes and we encourage you to take advantage of that opportunity. As a reminder, the program office offers transportation to/from PHL airport to training, or you can fly directly to ACY and catch a short taxi or Uber to the training site.
In FY24, the program will be adding a position to assist in pursuing international agreements, in accordance with the 2018 FAA Reauthorization Act. There are over 20 countries interested in allowing FFDOs to operate into their sovereign territory, which is great news for expanding FFDO international opportunities.
On a disappointing note, FY23 resulted in double the number of firearm incidents from FY22. The program has asked that we remind FFDOs to follow the SOP and be vigilant with your weapon and credentials.
FFDOA Curriculum review process begins next month and FFDOA will be in attendance, which is another great opportunity for us to have a voice. We will share the expected changes to the program and training as we are able.
Upcoming initiatives include:
- Build out a full RTP facility in Atlanta, GA
- Open house briefings at FAMS field offices throughout the country
- Moving initial training from Artesia, NM to the FAMTC in Atlantic City, NJ
- West Coast RTP facility
Happy holidays and thank you for membership! Please spread the word about FFDOA! Word of mouth is our best way to increase our membership and continue to advocate for our officers!
Fly safe. Fly secure.
Semper Vigilans,
Gary Cason
Director of Operations
