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Tower staff outlines runway, wildlife and security risks; authority weighs cameras, fencing and staffing
Summary
Tower staff delivered a detailed safety briefing covering runway incursions, lighting and communications, wildlife strikes, suspicious‑persons incidents and limited staffing; members noted the need for fencing, cameras and a coordinated strategy before expanding passenger services.
Tower staff Jessica — an on‑site controller with several years of experience — gave a comprehensive presentation on operational safety at the Athens‑area airport, focusing on runway incursions, communications errors, wildlife hazards and perimeter security.
Jessica described common causes of runway incursions at smaller airports — pilot confusion at night, visibility changes during fall athletic events, and communication/readback errors — and said the airport is taking training steps such as refresher sessions before football seasons. She provided examples of recent incidents and said three accidents had occurred this year (small, nonfatal events) and that the airport maintains close coordination with county fire and local hospitals for emergency response.
On wildlife, Jessica told the authority that deer, coyotes and birds (notably turkey vultures) create regular hazards and that fencing and harassment techniques (pyrotechnics and, at larger bases, air cannons) can reduce strikes. She also noted limits: removing birds can require reporting to federal wildlife agencies and that fencing will reduce but not eliminate wildlife risks.
Security and unauthorized access were raised after Jessica described a recent incident in which two people entered ramp areas, took photos of aircraft and departed; staff said the ramp is public property on one side and that first‑amendment limits apply, but the episode underscored gaps in perimeter surveillance. Staff said they had sought camera pricing and noted Cobb County obtained a comprehensive camera system with grant assistance; staff recommended exploring similar grant opportunities to augment local funding.
Staff also outlined operational constraints: limited tower hours require coordination and insurance extensions for special events; aging tower infrastructure will likely need another structural analysis within the next decade; and staffing shortages nationally have driven some airports to adjust hours. Jessica emphasized that safety remains the controlling priority: “Our job is airplanes,” she said when describing training that may require low or unusual flight paths for safety and proficiency.
What the authority will do: members asked staff to gather more detailed cost estimates for cameras and fencing and to consider grant options; staff will also continue training and coordinate game‑day procedures with athletics and public‑safety partners.
The briefing concluded with a discussion of a potential reservation system for transient aircraft parking during special events and next steps on parking and landscape projects to be delivered to the incoming director.
