b'OPERATIONSDAL|SMF 37which netted valuable comments that prompted the agency tofor it to work, he says. Likewise, the SMS manager has to build develop an improved proposal. To allow additional comments ontrusted relationships with airport tenants. You cant have efficient or those revisions, FAA issued a Supplemental Notice of Proposedeffective communication unless you trust each other.Rulemaking in July 2016. The final rule issued last year is basedDuring his presentations and conversations, Reichel would on the comments received following that notice and a third openexplain what SMS is and then ask people, If you were king for a comment period in 2021. day, what would you change? Sacramento International Airport (SMF)The answers helped create an organizational structure and is one of the airports that participated in anidentify risks, and allowed Reichel to start building a reporting initial SMS pilot program and spent moreprocess and documentation tool in a slow and deliberate manner. than five years developing its system. SMSWe were pretty busy with hazard reports the first three years,Manager Ron Reichel joined Sacramentohe recalls. I would say, pace yourself as you go forward. Thats County Department of Airports in Octoberwhat we did.2017, bringing with him prior SMS experience from the federal level. They were beingRON REICHEL The next step at SMF was reaching out to airport stakeholders, proactive, Reichel says of SMF leadership.including the airlines, airfield maintenance staff, planning and They were trying to get ahead of it. The rule wasnt out yet, soengineering departments, ARFF personnel, ground support we had time to build the program slowly without having timelinesequipment operators, security and access control personnel associated with it. and more. The wide cross-section of participants helped build a Safety Action Team to share information and develop objectives Dallas Love Field (DAL) is anotherand goals for the emerging safety program. SMS has really frontrunner in SMS compliance. Javierprogressed in the airline industry, notes Reichel. So when you Centeno, superintendent of Airporttalk to the airlines, its going to be an easier conversation. Theyre Operations at DAL, explains that leadershipalready familiar with it.at the airport had a strong desire to enhance safety and be proactive, so it closelyOverall, however, Reichel stresses that it was a slow process. monitored the development of the SMS ruleTalking to various stakeholders was very valuable because its over the years. In late 2020, the city of Dallas,JAVIER CENTENO a great way to share information, identify potential issues and which owns and operates DAL, engageddevelop action items, he adds. Landry Consulting to develop and implement all the componentsA risk assessment that affects other tenants on the ramp, of an SMS. We are lucky to have leadership support, which isfor example, would involve all of those stakeholders to discuss a big thing, Centeno notes. Without that support, we couldntissues, decisions and potential follow-up actions. I try to use have been ahead of the game.a round robin technique to make sure everybody has a chance Landry has been actively involved in SMS research andto speak, Reichel explains. Everybody has a vote. Once a development since 2007, including contributing to regulatoryhazard that requires action is identified, the group performs a risk review and FAA collaboration. assessment and discusses potential mitigation strategies. Assurance, one of the SMS regulations key tenets, has Relying on Relationships caused some confusion in the industry. For Reichel, assurance FAA notes that one of the defining characteristics of an SMS ishas several components: a confidential reporting system, annual the emphasis on risk management. Through reporting and dataassurance audits, the ability to analyze numerous sources of data, collection, airports can analyze, assess and control risk. The conceptand continuous communication with leadership. By compiling of SMS is all about decision making, according to FAA. It has to be adata from airside notices of violations, incidents, and hazard decision makers tool, not a traditional safety program separate andreports onto a single dashboard or spreadsheet, an airport can distinct from business and operational decision making.recognize possible trends, red flags or areas that might need Further, the agency wants safety to move from both the topaddressing. At SMF, personnel chart the airports safety objectives down and the bottom up. Everyone from the receptionist andon the same dashboard to easily compare the data and bring ramp worker to pilots, managers and FAA inspectors has a role about continuous improvement and positive change.to perform.Reichel advises other airports to take a metered approach SMS is based on relationships, Reichel stresses. Youto risk assessments rather than trying to perform too many too have got to build trusted relationships. The first time you talk toquickly. You can oversaturate your groups, he cautions. You somebody about a problem shouldnt be the first time youve everhave to be patient. A quick implementation may overwhelm staff talked to them.and stakeholders. Beginning with senior leadership, Reichel worked his way throughFinally, Reichel stresses the importance of implementing a the SMF organization to ensure that all teams, especially frontlineconfidential reporting system or portal. He suspects that small personnel, understood the requirements and what would need toairports may be able to rely on paper forms for this, but larger be done to meet them. You need senior leadership commitmentairports will likely have to tap their IT department or bring in an AirportImprovement.comJuly | August 2024'