The Sacramento County Department of Airports leads the nation in implementing safety measures and policies, guided by its four-member Airport Safety and Risk team. The team oversees the FAA’s Safety Management System (SMS) requirements and federal and state OSHA requirements, among other duties, to ensure the safest environment possible for all airport users.
Launched with the 2017 hiring of Ron Reichel as Airport Safety and Risk Manager, the team has grown in personnel and responsibilities. Today, Reichel and Jamie Burton, Airport Operations Officer, oversee SMS and liability claims, while Jennifer Cowell, Safety Specialist, and Cindy Martinez, Safety Technician, are responsible for OSHA compliance and training.
“Our purpose is to ensure the safety of the flying public, airport employees and airport tenants such as airlines, concessionaires, rental car agencies and more,” says Reichel. “We support the airport’s mission of putting people at the center of every trip, every experience, every day, and the foremost way of doing that is by keeping them safe.”
SMS, a proactive safety program, focuses on identifying risks prior to an incident or accident. Team members collaborate with each other and pursue input from the public, tenants and employees on safety concerns. “All airport employees receive safety training and other formal safety program requirements to ensure we comply with regulations,” says Reichel. “Our strong working relationship among our team members helps improve our efficiency, too.”
“We support the airport’s mission of putting people at the center of every trip, every experience, every day, and the foremost way of doing that is by keeping them safe” Ron Reichel, Airport Safety and Risk Manager
FAA’s SMS regulations concentrate on airside activities, but Sacramento implements them in public areas, too. Airlines nationwide began adopting SMS more than two decades ago, but now that the FAA is requiring SMS for airports, Sacramento leads the field with early implementation. “We’ve been ready with our SMS for a long time as one of the first airports to fully implement the program and are on course to be the first U.S. airport to have a fully sanctioned FAA-compliant SMS in place,” says Reichel. “Sacramento can be proud of this airport and our dedication to the safety of everyone onsite.”
