LOS ANGELES (AP) - U.S. lawmakers praised the swift response of police to a shooting at Los Angeles International Airport last year but didn't reach a conclusion at a hearing Friday on how to improve security for screening officers at checkpoints.
The hearing before a House subcommittee on transportation security was marked by pointed questions after two recent reports were critical of airport security and the emergency response.
Before the hearing began, subcommittee members and the administrator of the Transportation Security Administration retraced the gunman's steps through Terminal 3 and met with the widow of Officer Gerardo Hernandez, who was killed in the attack.
Their discussion included the findings of a TSA report this week that reviewed security at nearly 450 airports nationwide.
U.S. Rep. Richard Hudson, R-N.C., said the two recent reports exposed significant weaknesses in the ability of local and federal personnel to coordinate in an emergency - "weaknesses I suspect in other airports across the country."
The TSA report made 14 recommendations to improve airport security, including more training on active shooter response; technological upgrades such as a greater number and more high-tech panic alarms at airports; and an armed law enforcement presence at checkpoints and ticket counters during peak hours.
The report by Los Angeles World Airports, which operates LAX, found that lapses in communication and coordination led to delays in responding to the gunman and providing aid to victims.
The Associated Press earlier reported that Hernandez did not receive medical aid until 33 minutes after he was shot multiple times. He was pronounced dead after surgeons worked for an hour at a hospital. A coroner's release later said he was likely dead within two to five minutes.
TSA Administrator John Pistole also testified before the panel of the House Committee on Homeland Security along with airport Executive Director Gina Marie Lindsey, LAX Police Chief Patrick Gannon and J. David Cox Sr., national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, which represents 45,000 TSA officers.
Airports are run by local operators, and because each airport is different, each is responsible for creating its own security plan that must be approved by TSA. The agency has general guidelines that airport plans must meet. Airport differences mean there's also a lack of consistency in security provided to TSA officers, who aren't armed.
The TSA review found that officers were concerned about their safety and wanted more done to improve their security.
The TSA national union renewed its call at the hearing for the agency to create its own unit of armed law enforcement to ensure consistent security of its officers at airports.
"This is not a call for arming of TSA officers," Cox said. "Current law enforcement operations have gaps and inconsistencies that leave TSOs and passengers vulnerable."
Both reports noted systemic flaws, but neither assigned responsibility to any person for failures on Nov. 1, the day of the attack.
The airport's review also didn't mention an earlier AP report that found the two armed airport police officers assigned to Terminal 3 were out of position when the shooting started without notifying dispatchers as required by department policy.
Hudson said at the hearing that the airport's report "conspicuously" left out mention of where the two officers where when shots rang out.
"I believe the location of these officers is crucial to understanding the viability of" roaming officers, Hudson said, especially without good interagency communication.
Gannon testified that even with an airport police officer posted at the checkpoint Hernandez's death could not have been prevented and in some circumstances a fixed officer might be more vulnerable to an attack.
Gannon later acknowledged during questioning by Hudson that his two armed officers were outside the terminal when the shooting started and one went on a bathroom break without informing dispatchers as required.
Hudson said he plans to have a second hearing in Washington to ensure lessons are followed up on and applied nationally and that a clear timetable is established for reforms.
Paul Ciancia is accused of targeting TSA officers in the attack, killing Hernandez and wounding two other officers and a passenger. The Pennsville, N.J., native has pleaded not guilty to 11 federal charges, including murder of a federal officer. Hernandez was the TSA's first line-of-duty death.