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Airport may get bomb shield Building the wall could allow resumption of curbside pickups By JILL BRISKEY Building a wall that will withstand the blast of a bomb is one thing, but making it pretty is another. But that's exactly what director Bern Case plans to do at Rogue Valley International-Medford Airport before Christmas, if Jackson County decides to build a berm or bomb wall to protect the terminal. The county is researching the pros and cons of building it to resume curbside pickup and dropoff, a practice that was banned for safety reasons following the Sept. 11 attacks in New York and Washington, D.C. "You can landscape a berm and make it look good," Case said. "I'm optimistic. This is going to be permanent." According to Case, curbside dropoffs aren't allowed unless each vehicle can be inspected by a trained security officer. Case said Jackson County cannot afford to post a security guard outside to conduct the checks. The six National Guardsmen assigned to protect the airport are not allowed to search vehicles, he added. "We got the National Guard with some strings attached," Case said. "They are required to stay inside the terminal." The county has put off building a berm that would protect the terminal from explosives until the FAA sets standard requirements for such a structure. Case said Jackson County has joined with other Oregon counties to hire an engineering firm that will subcontract with an expert blast analysis group and come back with a variety of options for berms at smaller airports, such as Medford's. The cost of the study was not available Friday evening. Case said he hopes to come up with a solution, whether it's a berm or some other option, to allow curbside dropoff and pickup before the holiday flight rush. "That's one of our goals," Case said. "It's our new mission." Results of the analysis aren't due back for at least two weeks, Case added. Despite a lack of curbside dropoffs, Case said air travel at the Medford airport appears to be slowly rising. Locally, flights dropped approximately 28 percent in September following the attacks. Although October's flight total isn't available, Case said it appears that flights are only 7 to 8 percent below normal. Reach reporter Jill Briskey at 776-4485, or e-mail jbriskey@mailtribune.com |
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