Since we all spend so much time within our scope of work, one of the initiatives we have identified to increase employee engagement, morale and encourage good working relationships amongst our colleagues was to create a social committee within our
Toronto office.

Having a dedicated committee that primarily focuses on fun, lighthearted, team building opportunities and allows us to incorporate a fun-filled calendar into our workplace, will allow us to achieve a good work-life balance for our health and wellbeing. Having organised social events will give all of us something fun to look forward to and help us all relieve workplace stress.

Some of the benefits that our team members will see is increased employee engagement, opportunities for networking and career growth, lower employee turnover, minimizing conflict in the workplace and opportunities for diversity and inclusion. Our goal is to focus on Diversity and Inclusion workplace wellness and set up events that we all can participate and have a great time.

Stephanie Power was appointed as the chair of the social committee, and I was able to pose a few questions to get some insight on how she sees the impact of the social committee having on our team members.

Why do you think having a work social committee is so important and beneficial?

I believe it is important and beneficial because it’s where colleagues get to come together, brainstorm and put together events, or ideas on how to have employee engagement and employee recognition in the workplace.

Having a social committee stimulates a real collaborative process where it allows team members to get to know one another while contributing to the workplace in a new and exciting way.

Our first event was the Summer Bash, which was a great success! We had everyone in the office participating, laughing, smiles on their faces and getting to know each other on a different but professional level.

What are you looking forward to the most as the chair of the Social Committee?

I am looking forward to working with the team on more events or ideas on how we can continue to build team moral in the workplace.

The best feeling is watching everything come together and seeing everyone participating and enjoying themselves. Also, when the employees come to us and say thank you, they had so much fun, and appreciate our hard work we put into the event is very rewarding.

RES/CIC will be hosting another session in the coming weeks for our Human Resources team.

ASP is supported by ICTS initiatives for the post-COVID-19 era in the aviation sector. The COVID-19 crisis is dramatically impacting the aviation industry.

ICTS Europe – the aviation security specialists, the Company with Aviation DNA flowing in its veins, has set an objective for the organization: To help the industry bring airplanes back to the air as soon as possible.

We are addressing COVID-19 risks with solutions that will boost global confidence that “Flying is Safe”.

Our approach is modular and intended to benefit as much of the Aviation eco-system as possible. From airports, airlines, regulators through to competitors, our objective is a simple one – to address COVID-19 risks through pragmatic solutions and increase global confidence in air travel.

We would like to share with you the current initiatives we have taken in ICTS Europe and jointly with specialized partners.

Our team is ready to explore with you how these concept and products could be adapted to match your vision, objectives, plans and preferences. If you would like to explore any of these products further, please do not hesitate in contacting Angus Wilson – awilson@security-asp.com

Flight Reservations for Passengers/Airline

Document Verification and Security Processes at the Airport

Social Distancing: Enforcing Guidance at Airports

Sanitation of Baggage, Equipment and Surfaces

Sanitation of Baggage, Equipment and Surfaces

We are adding some healthy competition to your iSpring online learning experience by adding a leaderboard.

The leaderboard will show your points and the points of your closest competitors. We will start this program by first assigning points to the Basic Training course and will then expand from there.

Making it to the top of the leaderboard will give you the bragging rights to be called an iSpring champion! For Toronto Pearson Security staff, please visit me when you are either in 1st place or tied for 1st place to receive a token of appreciation. We will expand the reward program for top learners at other sites in the near future. Happy learning!

Calgarians are no strangers to extreme and rapidly changing weather conditions. On June 13, 2020, however, the city experienced a particularly severe thunderstorm with heavy rain, strong winds, and tennis ball-sized hail.

In some areas. the wind gusts were up to 100 km/h, with multiple reports of tornadoes near the city. Although the storm only lasted approximately two hours, it resulted in significant property damage throughout areas of the city, including smashed-out car windshields, damaged home exteriors, major flooding, and electrical issues. The estimated total costs for the damages are near $1 billion.

As you can imagine, a severe storm such as this has significant impact on airport operations, and our ASP security team reacted quickly to assist airport operations personnel. A special thank you to the SOC Operators, Airside Patrollers and Supervisors who were given additional duties during the storm and in the recovery period which followed. They all went above and beyond to assist while equipment was repaired, and operations returned to normal.

The first few months of 2020 have brought some exciting changes to the type of technology used by the Calgary team. These new systems and devices make our lives easier and our work more efficient and effective.

Tracking Training and Credentials

We are also in the process of implementing a new way of tracking training and credentials in SharePoint, which will make it easier for us to ensure that all employees receive notification well in advance of their license and training expiration dates.

Although we have had small challenges to overcome with transitioning to the new technology used in Calgary, the team has adapted well to the changes and has become better as a result. We will continue to look for new ways that we can support the team with better technology in the days to come and are always open to suggestions. If you have a suggestion, please reach out to your supervisor or manager.

What a year we have had already! I would like to start by thanking every employee for their hard work and dedication as we traverse our way through these uncertain times.

I am not going to talk about COVID-19 and the impact it has on the operation, as we all know the effect it has caused and how we are working through each changing day. What I am going to highlight is some of the excellent work that has happened over the last three months.

Collective Bargaining Agreement

Firstly, we would like to welcome UFCW 401 as the union representation to our employees. As you are aware, the Collective Bargaining Agreement has been signed and is in effect.

STOP Program

We held a Townhall introducing an employee reward and recognition program called the STOP program. The Security Threat Observation Program (STOP) is comprised of training and an incentive program to recognize the individuals who identify the most security threats during a monthly period.

We encourage you to continue to work on the program and, by doing so, enhance the service delivery we are offering to the Calgary Airport Authority.

We have held a workshop with the following attendees: Angus Wilson, Elizabeth Warwick, Daniel McCormack, Ron Greenberg, Dan Watkins, Shannon Jacobson, Ronnie Dias, Shaun Devaux and Laraib Khan. We discussed the potential of improving security procedures and improving our service delivery through access points.

Several excellent suggestions were brought forward, which we are currently working on to not only improve the service delivery to our client, but to provide more significant support and assistance to our employees at these locations.

Shift Bid

Finally, we held a shift bid to realign all the shifts as per the request of many security guards and to be compliant with the CBA. This went without any hiccups – thank you to you and the team for working through this process. In addition to this, we have also realigned the shift supervisors back into teams. By doing this, it will create a better structure for the operation and create a better team spirit.

In closing, we have had a very active first quarter of the year. If anything is evident, it shows how well we as a team, adapt to the ever-changing environment that is working at an airport. I would like to reiterate my appreciation to the whole ASP team for their incredible efforts and support in making this operation the best it can be.

Start Each Day with Exercise

• One of the most important things that you can do for your brain and your overall well-being is to start every day with exercise. Simply getting the blood flowing for 20 minutes will sufficiently spark your mind and help you develop stronger focus throughout the day.

Eliminate Pointless Distractions

• Too much stuff within arms’ reach or on your desk can prove to be really distracting. To stay focused at work, only have the things you need neatly organized on your desk — put the rest away properly. Put your phone on silent mode and keep it out of sight at work.

Get Enough Sleep

• Nothing will ruin your focus more than consistent sleep deprivation. To be in top form during your working hours, get at least seven hours of sleep every night, but be careful to not overdo it. If you sleep too much, you may start to have trouble falling asleep at night, which can disrupt your healthy sleep cycle. The best way to get enough sleep on a regular basis is to go to bed at the same time every night and wake up at the same time every morning. Once you do this for a while and your body gets into the routine, it will be easy for you to fall asleep and wake up naturally without using an alarm clock because your mind will be used to the regimen.

Stay Hydrated

• Your concentration tends to dwindle when you’re dehydrated. Increase your daily water intake to stay alert and healthy. Your brain depends on sufficient hydration to function at its best. Your brain cells need to have a delicate balance of water and other elements to work well, and when you don’t have enough water, the balance becomes disrupted and your brain cells lose the ability to work efficiently. Start your day with a big glass of water and continue to drink while you’re working at your post.

 A heartfelt thank you to the entire OSR team for always reflecting the true spirit of Customer Service through teamwork, dedication and resilience.

The GTAA will be starting a construction project on May 4th to replace concrete slabs on Taxiway H. Originally, the project was supposed to start on April 20^th, but was delayed due to the COVID-19 pandemic.  This project requires 4 D AVOPs, 2 DA AVOPs and one Airside Access Control guard.

ASP will be providing the Access Control guard for this particular project.  As the project unfolds, more guards might be required.  This project is a 24/7 operation; however, the majority of the work will be completed overnight. A vehicle will be provided to the guard if there is no booth available at the construction sites.

The guard will be responsible to provide access to the GTAA’s subcontractors according to post orders. GTAA is looking into prioritizing this project, which will subsequently lead to more Taxiway/Runway work this summer.  The work has been planned in three phases and could last until September.  In order to make this project successful, we would require the help of our Airside Access Control guards and our supervisors.

For large classes, it is likely that recertification programs will take place in a virtual classroom.  Many will welcome this change, due to the convenience of a more comfortable learning environment of your choice.  However, there is a misconception that online courses are an easier way to learn rather than a more convenient one.

You must dedicate your attendance, time, and concentration just as you would for a regular in-class course.  Security professionals are highly self-disciplined, and must be able to carry that quality into any environment they choose to learn in.

For those that are not tech-savvy, we can assist with connecting to an e-learning session or provide alternative learning methods. When learning in a virtual classroom, it is important that you have reliable internet access.  Connection issues during a live session means missing out on important content that you may be tested on.  It is also important to have a dedicated study space that is quiet and distraction-free.  Your attention to the instructor should be given just as much as it would be in the classroom.

We will keep you informed of updates regarding the development of our e-learning plan.  Keep safe and we’ll see you online!