Info

Office of Public AffairsMiami-Dade Aviation DepartmentP.O. Box 592075Miami, Florida 33159

Phone: (305) 876-7017Fax: (305) 869-1270www.iflymia.com

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00024 Inside Cover News Media.qxp 7/26/2005 10:12 AM Page 1

Introduction . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 1

Glossary of Terms . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 2-3

Parking of Media Vehicles . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 4

News Media Access . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 5-6

Interviews with MDAD Staff . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 7

Events Concerning Business Partners . . . . . . . . . . 8

Emergency Procedures. . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 9

General Procedures for an Alert III . . . . . . . 10-11

Activation of EOC . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 12

Specific Emergencies . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 13-15

Emergencies at the General Aviation Airports . . 16

Radio Station . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 17

Summary . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . . 18

Pocket Inserts

• Miami International Airport Map

• Airlines Serving Miami International Airport

• MIA Facts-at-a-Glance

• Telephone Directory

• Board of County Commissioners

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The Miami-Dade Aviation Department(MDAD) is supportive of the newsmedia's efforts to inform the public ofactivities and events developing atMiami International Airport (MIA)and its five General Aviation airports.In order for MDAD to maximize itsservice to the media it is essential thatjournalists cooperate by following thesafety rules and procedures stated inthis guide.

The News Media Guide containsinformation about procedures forcovering news events both duringnormal circumstances andemergencies. In all emergencies,initial contact should be made withthe MDAD Manager of Public Affairs.

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Office ofPublic Affairs

Miami-Dade Aviation Department

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AOA Air Operations Area or Airfield

CIP Capital ImprovementProgram

Concourse Post-security portion ofthe building were

aircraft arrive and depart

DERM Department of Environmental Resources Management

EOC Miami-Dade County Emergency Operations Center

FAA Federal Aviation Administration

FBI Federal Bureau of Investigation

FIS Federal Inspection Services

Lower Drive Roadway leading to the baggage claim areas

MDAD Miami-Dade AviationDepartment

MIA Miami International Airport

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NTSB National Transportation Safety Board

OPF Opa-locka Airport

PIO Public Information Officer

Ramp Paved surface where aircraft park, load and unload baggage

Runway Paved surfaces used for departing and arriving aircraft

Taxiway Paved surface between the ramp and the runway

Tenant Airlines or concessions; airportbusinesses on airport property

Terminal Pre-screening portion of the building where ticket counters are located

TMB Kendall-Tamiami Executive Airport

TNT Training and Transition (Dade Collier)

Upper Drive Roadway leading to thedeparture level of the Terminal

X46 Opa-locka West

X51 Homestead General Airport

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Parking of all news media vehicles, except formicrowave vans and satellite trucks, will be in theAirport's parking garages. Each local newsorganization has been issued a temporarycomplimentary parking card for the Airport's long-term parking garages.

Microwave vans are allowed to park in the VIP lotlocated on the upper parking deck across fromConcourse E. Satellite trucks can park only indesignated areas. Only one microwave van, perstation, will be allowed in the VIP lot at all times.Special arrangements must be made ahead of timefor parking of satellite trucks and microwave vansin certain areas along the Upper Drive. If mediavehicles are improperly parked, they will be towedat the owner's expense.

Parking ofMedia Vehicles

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News media access to "public" areas of theAirport will be the same as for the general public.For security purposes, access beyond screeningcheckpoints to the concourses is prohibited withoutprior approval from the Office of Public Affairs.According to Federal Aviation Administration(FAA) regulations, access to the airfield must bestrictly controlled at all times. MDAD rules requirethat all visitors be issued a temporary I.D. and beescorted while on the airfield.

Access to restricted areas may be obtained bymaking advance arrangements through the Officeof Public Affairs at (305) 876-7017. Afterhours, you must contact the duty officer at(305) 342-1849, or via pager at1-888-273-5642.

Access to any MDAD business partner's leaseholdarea must be arranged directly with that company,

News MediaAccess

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followed by notificationto the Office of PublicAffairs. Access to theairfield can only begranted by the Office ofPublic Affairs with theproper escort and atemporary I.D.

Unauthorized access toa restricted area of theAirport will result in thatperson's arrest anddenial of future access.This includes accessprovided by Airport

business partners to any common use (non-leasehold) restricted area.

In all cases, an escort is required into restrictedareas. Contact should be made with theAviation Department's Office of Public Affairs tomake arrangements.

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Interviews with MDAD staff must be arrangedthrough the Manager of Public Affairs. Inmost cases, someone from the Office of PublicAffairs will act as the spokesperson for theDepartment. Arrangements for interviews must bemade in advance.

Interviews withMDAD Staff

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When covering events that concern airlines andother Airport business partners, the news mediashould direct their questions to the public relationsrepresentative for that respective business. In caseswhere the news media wishes to question theAviation Department about the impact of an eventon Airport operations, the Office of Public Affairswill be the point of contact.

Events ConcerningAirlines and otherMDAD BusinessPartners

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Emergency Categories

Alert I: Minor Difficulty - Indicates that apotential emergency exists that may requiredispatch of emergency equipment at a later time.Emergency equipment is on stand-by.

Alert II: Major Difficulty - Indicates that apotential emergency exist requiring immediatedispatch of emergency equipment to stand-bypositions on the airfield.

Alert III: Accident - Indicates that an accident isimminent or has occurred, requiring immediatedispatch of emergency equipment to the scene.

EmergencyProcedures

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In the event of an accident with substantialdamage to an aircraft or involving injuries orfatalities on Airport property, all media shouldproceed to the International Press Center locatedon the second floor of Concourse E, adjacent tothe checkpoint. The Office of Public Affairs willgrant access to the Press Room, where pressreleases and announcements will be issued. In theevent of an accident off Airport property, allmedia should contact the on-duty PublicInformation Officer (PIO) for instructions on astaging area.

BriefingsMedia briefings will be conducted every 30minutes at the designated media site by authorizedofficials. Aviation Department officials will providethe following information:

• Type of aircraft• Airline involved• Number of passengers• Runway used• Flight number• Origin/Destination

Access to Site of an EmergencyIn the event of an aircraft accident, the Office ofPublic Affairs assists the Fire Rescue and Policedepartments, the National Transportation SafetyBoard (NTSB), FAA, County officials, and FBIrepresentatives in the coordination of newsbriefings. Access to the scene will be granted afterrescue and fire fighting efforts have been

General Proceduresfor an Alert III

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completed, and clearance has been granted byfederal authorities. Media will be allowed as closeto the incident as possible, consistent with rescuerequirements and federal investigative operations.Only hand-held cameras will be allowed on thescene. Live broadcast trucks will be staged in aremote location. Whenever possible, the Miami-Dade Fire Department will provide footage ofrescue efforts.

In some circumstances, the media may be allowedwithin the accident site after rescue and recoveryefforts are completed. This decision will bedetermined by the appropriate authorities.Unauthorized access to the site will result in theviolator's immediate arrest and denial of futureaccess. For your protection, smoking is prohibitedat the scene of any emergency.

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In case of a major aircraft accident outside of theAirport's property, the Miami-Dade County Officeof Emergency Management will implement itsMass Casualty Plan. The FAA will disseminateinformation through its Atlanta Regional Office.NTSB officials will also be available for briefings.You may contact the Office of Public Affairs forperiodic updates.

Activation of EOC

Photo courtesy of Miami-Dade Fire Rescue

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Hijacking or DiversionIn the event of the hijacking of a flight, the FAAhas the sole responsibility for the aircraft while itsdoors are closed (Public Law 93-366). Once thedoors open, FBI and local authorities take over.The Office of Public Affairs will provide thefollowing information: name of the airline; flightnumber; origin and destination; approximate timeof the incident; and current location of the aircraft,if known.

If a hijacking occurs and the aircraft comes to MIAor one of MDAD’s five General Aviation airports,the press will be given the information stated in theabove paragraph. In addition, the press will bedirected to an area where they can easily bebriefed by the appropriate authorities. Because ahijacking is a federal offense, FBI spokespersonswill be responsible for official statements. Themedia is asked to exercise discretion in covering ahijacking, because the information couldcompromise the safety of the passengers aboardthe aircraft. In addition, law enforcement agenciescaution against media coverage of live broadcastswhere the hijacker may monitor any movementsaround the aircraft through electronic equipment.

Hazardous MaterialsTo cover incidents involving hazardous materials,the media should call the Office of Public Affairsfor information on access near the area inquestion. When access is granted, it is importantthat all media representatives obey the perimeterset by the Fire Department. Information about the

SpecificEmergencies

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nature of the material and the hazard it mightpose to the public will be available from the FireDepartment's PIO or the Department ofEnvironmental Resources Management (DERM).

Bomb ThreatsIn case of a bomb threat to an aircraft, newsmedia should contact the respective airline.

In case of a bomb threat to the Airport, the Officeof Public Affairs will be available for initialassistance. Any further details must be obtainedfrom the attending Miami-Dade PoliceDepartment’s PIO. Areas roped off to the publicwill also be off limits to the news media.

Weather-Related EmergenciesHurricanes - The Office of Public Affairs will beavailable to provide information about measurestaken, general conditions as the threat of ahurricane approaches, as well as informationregarding the closing of the Airport for arrivals ordepartures. Information about flight delays,cancellations, or stranded passengers must beobtained from the individual airlines. As the threatof a storm increases, it is essential for media toinstruct the public that only ticketed passengers willbe allowed to enter the Airport grounds. Theparking garages will not be available for storingvehicles during the storm.

If a storm threatens Miami-Dade County, the EOCwill be activated. All news media should report to

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the EOC for official County bulletins regarding anydevelopments pertaining to the Airport.

Weather Problems Around the Nation - In case ofsevere weather in other parts of the nation, mediarepresentatives should contact individual airlinesand airports for information on flight delays andcancellations.

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In case of an emergency at one of Miami-DadeCounty's General Aviation airports, news mediashould call the Office of Public Affairs forinformation and special instructions. In general, thesame rules governing access for incidents relatedto MIA will apply. The Office of Public Affairs willact in the same capacity.

Emergencies atGeneral AviationAirports

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Information RadioStation - 1610 AM

Motorists traveling near Miami InternationalAirport (MIA) can now hear vital informationregarding traffic patterns, parking, travel tips, andother issues related to MIA by tuning into theairport's radio station, 1610 on the AM dial.

Within this system, messages are stored in adatabase and programmed to address roadwayemergencies, parking garage closures, traffic jams,and directions into MIA. The new broadcastsystem can accommodate more than 1,000carefully crafted messages that meet the needs ofthe Miami-Dade Aviation Department (MDAD).

The radio station is 10 watts strong, which allowsa listening range within a two-mile radius of theairport. Bright blue roadway signs along StateRoads 836, 826, and 112 direct motorists to theradio station's location on the AM dial.

International Press CenterJournalists covering breaking news at MiamiInternational Airport may use the InternationalPress Center (IPC) located in Concourse E, SecondLevel, adjacent to the security checkpoint. The IPCis a state-of-the-art facility for press conferencesand media-related events. This facility will serve asthe main location for official announcementsregarding Miami International Airport.

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• Please contact the Public Affairs Office before covering any events at MIA or any of theGeneral Aviation airports.

• In case of an aircraft accident at MIA, all media should proceed to the InternationalPress Center located on the second floor of Concourse E, adjacent to the checkpoint.

• In case of an aircraft accident off-airport, contact the on-duty PIO for information on a news media staging site.

• In case of an aircraft accident, the safety of passengers, their property and their relatives will be our priority.

• Only one microwave van per station will be allowed in the VIP lot at all times. Media vehicles improperly parked will betowed at their owner’s expense.

• Interviews with MDAD staff must be arranged through the MDAD Manager of Public Affairs.

• Unauthorized access (not approved by the Public Affairs Office) to a restricted area of the airport will result in that person’s arrest and denial for future access. This will be enforced at all times.

• The media is asked to respect the wishes of passengers and others involved in any incident, who do not wish to make a statement. Access to airline passengers will be approved by the individual carrier, or authorized agency.

• Media representatives must abide by all local, state and federal laws, and if found to be in violation, will be addressed in the same manner as members of the public.

Summary