TSA changes protocol to ensure safe travel for children with special needs after parents complain
SANFORD, Fla. - Two distraught families and two incidents involving their children's medical equipment – both involving TSA. After a month of investigating lots of calls and emails, FOX 35 was finally able to meet with someone from TSA in person.
They set the record straight about their policy, and what changes are being made after our stories aired.
Easton,5, was born at 35 weeks with a genetic disorder known as Cat’s Cry Syndrome, on top of many other medical conditions that require him to travel with a medical stroller.
That medical stroller had to be inspected so his mother felt forced to put Easton on the floor of the Orlando Sanford International Airport while TSA checked all their things.
Then there's 5-year-old Ollie with spinal Muscular Atrophy and chronic respiratory failure who is in a motorized wheelchair.
In each case, moms Jessica Carter and Amanda Groth say sterile medical equipment was put in jeopardy, putting the child's health at risk.
FOX 35 took the concerns straight to TSA to get answers, and for the first time, they agreed to meet with us face-to-face, to talk about what happened.
Special needs son made to sit on floor: Mom
An Indiana family flew to Florida for a wish trip, to take their son with disabilities to Disney World, but their trip went from magical to difficult when checking in with TSA on their flight home. The Carter family travels with tons of medical equipment to make sure their 5-year-old son Easton is safe. He’s spent most of his life in the hospital, so this trip was really special.
"We didn't have a streamlined way to see what was coming in for the day outside of you, just using regular email," Mike Howell, a TSA spokesperson, said.
Howell said after Groth’s complaint, they noticed flaws in the system.
Groth signed up for a passenger support specialist with TSA Cares, a program designed to help families with disabilities or anyone that needs a little extra help when traveling. Despite that, no one was there to help.
"Since then, we found a few shortcomings in the way that we look at the requests that come in," Howell said.
Howell said they've made a change to their protocol.
MORE: TSA responds after mom says son with disabilities forced to sit on airport floor during inspection
"We have a way for the officers that are working that morning to have a full listing of all those passenger support requests that are coming in for the day," he said.
This change strengthens communication between TSA and the contractor to let them know when a passenger support specialist is needed, which can make the screening process easier.
"If they have medical devices, if they have liquids that need to be screened, if they have pacemakers, things like that, knowing those things ahead of time, we can alter the way that we're doing security screening,"Howell said.
TSA responds to child stroller incident
After weeks of complaints, phone calls, and emails to the Transportation Security Administration (TSA), an Indiana mother said she finally feels like she is being heard. A few weeks ago, we introduced you to Jessica Carter who was traveling home after a Make-A-Wish trip to Disney World with her son. He is in a medical stroller and cannot walk or stand. She told us an agent with the TSA forced her to take him out of his stroller, and she had nowhere to put him while they conducted their inspection, leaving him on the airport floor.
Through investigating, FOX 35 learned that Carter wasn't actually signed up for TSA Cares, she was signed up with a program through the airport, which explains why there was miscommunication with the agents that are contracted through TSA, but because of her situation, the contracted company Trinity Technology Group is learning from it.
"Well, I think at the end of the day, everyone that we're screening, they're our neighbors," Brian Tessier with Trinity Technology Group said. "We see ourselves in these passengers, so you know, just treating everyone the way that that we would want to be treated."
The moms of the two boys aren't happy about what happened initially, but they are relieved to see change.
"It's rewarding to see that maybe this won't happen to somebody else," Groth said.
"I just think that I’m really grateful for you doing this story and following up with it; I feel like it's making a difference," Carter said.