When it comes to critical infrastructure, airports are key. Tidal Basin was recently selected to produce a Synthesis research project sponsored by the Airport Cooperative Research Program (ACRP).

The ACRP is “an industry-driven, applied research program that develops practical solutions to problems faced by airport operators. Funding more than 20 projects a year,ACRPfocuses on issues that other Federal research programs do not address. So far,ACRPhas produced more than 400 practical resources and tools for airport practitioners and makes them available for free.ACRPis managed by the Transportation Research Board (TRB) of the National Academies and sponsored by theFAA.1

TheFAAdoes not just fundACRPprojects, they also use the results.ACRPfindings have helped shape successful initiativesand recent guidance incorporatingrecommendations and guidelines fromreports, which are made available on the FAA websiteas useful references. “TRB manages transportationresearchby producing publications and online resources. Itconvenesexperts that help to develop solutions to problems and issues facing transportation professionals. TRB also providesadvicethrough its policy studies that tackle complex and often controversial issues of national significance.2

The goal of the Tidal Basin research project is to understand the challenges airports face when developing, revising and using their Airport Emergency Plans (AEPs) for emergency response and recovery.

The objectives of the synthesis, which will be developed by Assistant Vice President, Resiliency – Critical Infrastructure Programs, Stephanie Murphy, MS, CEM and the Critical Infrastructure team are: [1] to identify the issues, challenges and work-arounds experienced by airport managers with making AEPs useful and actionable documents; and [2] understand FAA inspectors’ perspective on how AEPs ameliorate risks and guide emergency response actions. The audience for this report is the airport community, FAA, and stakeholders.

For additional information, visit:

1https://www.faa.gov/airports/acrp/

2 http://www.trb.org/AboutTRB/MissionandServices.aspx