Security upgrades coming into focus By Alan Levin, USA TODAY WASHINGTON =97 The initial test of security measures required under=20 legislation passed in November comes today. Airlines must for the first=20 time screen all checked bags for explosives or at least ensure that no bag= =20 is loaded onto a plane unless its owner has boarded the flight. As part of= =20 a flurry of new security measures, the Federal Aviation Administration=20 today also is proposing standards for how flight crews will be trained to=20 prevent terrorism. Also, the first wave of federal airport screeners will= =20 be hired in March as the government rushes to create a 30,000-member=20 security force by Nov. 18, according to a draft report obtained by USA= TODAY. The report says the Transportation Security Agency may train screeners in=20 empty airports at night, at National Guard facilities and at community=20 colleges near airports. In addition to security, the training will=20 emphasize stress management and conflict resolution to minimize passenger= =20 frustration with long lines. In addition to security, the training will=20 emphasize stress management and conflict resolution to minimize passenger=20 frustration with long lines. The latest developments on aviation security: =B7 Screener training: Creating a screener force to guard 429 airports= =20 by Nov. 18 presents an "immense challenge," the draft report says. To meet= =20 that deadline, the security agency today will seek proposals from private=20 industry for Internet training, video conferences and other ways to speed=20 the process, a senior transportation official says. It's unlikely that=20 private screening companies, which came under criticism after Sept. 11,=20 will be hired to help, the official says. The draft report outlines tough= =20 standards to weed out people who cannot perform. Each screener must undergo= =20 40 hours of classroom study and 60 hours of on-the-job training. Only after= =20 being tracked over six months will screeners receive certification.=20 Trainers will be hired starting next month. By March, the agency hopes to=20 begin training screeners. The training will expand rapidly by the spring=20 and summer. Meanwhile, a lawsuit filed Thursday claims that a requirement= =20 that screeners be U.S. citizens is unconstitutional. =B7 Flight crew training: The Sept. 11 attacks forced airlines to= throw=20 out guidelines for how pilots and flight attendants should handle=20 hijackers. Those guidelines advised crews to comply with hijackers'=20 demands. The FAA today proposes rules requiring updated training. FAA=20 Administrator Jane Garvey would not discuss specifics of the proposed=20 rules, which will not be made public. She says crews will be trained in=20 ways to thwart hijackers and terrorists. The FAA hopes to finalize the=20 rules within 90 days. Airlines will then have six months to put new=20 training in place. =B7 Baggage screening: Airline and airport officials are cautiously=20 optimistic that heightened scrutiny of checked bags starting today will=20 cause minimal delays. Because there are too few explosive-detection=20 machines, most airlines are instead making sure that passengers cannot=20 check a bag and then fail to board a flight. Critics say the screening=20 still has loopholes. Ways to scrutinize bags Starting today, airlines are required to scrutinize all checked bags. The=20 airlines will use a combination of four methods: =B7 Hand searches: Security agents manually open and search checked=20 luggage. =B7 Bag matching: Each bag in the luggage compartment must be matched= =20 to a person on board the plane. =B7 Bomb-detection machines: Minivan-sized machines examine luggage= for=20 explosives. About 160 of these $1 million machines have been installed at=20 large airports. =B7 Bomb-sniffing dogs: Trained dogs try to detect explosive= substances=20 in bags. About 175 dogs are currently in service. 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