Originally Posted by
LV702
Again...
Why did they stop with the puffer machines (the real name escapes me)
I know they were buggy, but didn't they work? Why not go back to the drawing board?
- ETP - Explosives Trace Portal was the proper name for the "puffer"
- They were shut down after failing to manage the dusty environment that is an airport checkpoint
- They failed because TSA only required the awarded vendor to comply with laboratory testing, lacking any provision in the contract for real-world checkpoint testing and subsequent remedy modifications
- TSA, apparently, has tried to blame the vendor for their inaction, while the vendor has pointed out that the contract does not have appropriate remedy language that requires the vendor to make modifications after the laboratory certification process was completed at no charge to the government
As far as why not go back - that would require two things:
- TSA admission that the original ETP specifications were written incorrectly
- More money be spent on a technology that is not "whiz-bang glamorous"