They've always been on the lookout for dangerous people and weapons. Now 70 security officers at South Florida's three major airports are getting college credit for learning to be extra alert.
"We're being taught how terrorists are adapting and getting more sneaky," said Jonathan Torlage, a Transportation Security Administration officer based at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International Airport.
The TSA officers either have completed or are enrolled in a college-level program that focuses on Homeland Security strategies to counter terrorism. They include 20 officers at the Fort Lauderdale airport, 25 at Miami International and 25 at Palm Beach International Airport.
The training makes the airports safer, said Sari Koshetz, TSA spokeswoman.
"Our workforce is the frontline in the fight against terrorism," she said. "Studying the details of past terrorist attacks gives our workforce more tools."
Torlage, of Tamarac, said he already is familiar with potential threats; a few years ago, a man set off an explosive detection machine, prompting the evacuation of a terminal.
"It ended up that the gentleman worked in demolition with high explosives, so he had explosive residue all over him," said Torlage, who has been with the TSA for seven years.
Kimberly Carhart, a supervisor at Palm Beach International, said the program is teaching her how to handle a range of emergency situations, including hurricanes. She said the training also will help officers advance their careers.
"You have more opportunities," said Carhart, of Lake Worth, who has been with the TSA since it was created in 2002.
The TSA is paying the tuition costs, allowing local officers to attend either Broward College, Miami-Dade College or Palm Beach State College. The program, which takes more than a year to complete, includes three courses that dig into counter-terrorism measures and intelligence gathering.
"We picked instructors who are specifically skilled in these areas and each of the professors have tried to make the course especially relevant to the TSA officers and to the job that they do," said Elaine F. Cohen, associate dean of the Institute of Public Safety at Broward College.
The officers attend classes once a week in their off time. The selection process is different at different airports, "for instance, first to sign up,? been with the agency the longest, or a lottery system," Koshetz said.?
If they pass, the officers receive three college credits. That has motivated many of them to continue working toward an Associate's Degree in Homeland Security or a related field. More than 3,300 security officers from airports nationwide are either taking the program or completed it.
Athene Collins, a security officer at Fort Lauderdale-Hollywood International, said the program has made her more "focused on the mission."
"Terrorism unfortunately is very real," she said. "You can't let your guard down because there are people around the world who really hate Americans."
kkaye@tribune.com or 954-572-2085.
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