TSA union says LAX report deeply disturbing

FILE - In this Nov. 1, 2013 file photo provided to the AP, which has been authenticated based on its contents and other AP reporting, police officers stand near a weapon at the Los Angeles International Airport after a gunman opened fire in the terminal, killing one person and wounding several others. A report on the emergency response to the shooting cites serious shortcomings in communication between agencies that left major commanders in the dark and a long lag in establishing a coordinated response. (AP Photo/File)

LOS ANGELES — The head of a union representing 45,000 Transportation Security Administration workers says the union is deeply disturbed by the findings of a report on the emergency response to a shooting last year at Los Angeles International Airport.

The report released today found the airport ill-prepared for the crisis when a gunman attacked security officers. It also found emergency response was delayed and hindered by communication problems and poor coordination.

J. David Cox Sr., national president of the American Federation of Government Employees, says the lack of coordination is “absolutely unacceptable” and medical aid to a fatally wounded TSA officer shouldn’t have been delayed.

Cox called on the TSA and airport’s board to take swift action to close security and emergency response gaps. He says TSA officers, who are unarmed, shouldn’t be in fear for their lives when going to work.