TSA Employee Spotlight: Christina Marks

TSA’s Christina Marks has Helped Austin-Bergstrom Airport Safer

Christina MarksIn a year when the number of unruly passengers and gun catches have broken all records and upended civility, Austin-Bergstrom (Texas) International Airport TSA Officer Christina Marks is doing her job exceedingly well. Credited with discovering five firearms in carry-on bags since January, the eagle-eyed officer takes her X-ray and customer service duties seriously.

“We make critical decisions based on what kind of risk the item may pose if it were to go through the checkpoint,” said Marks. “So, once I make my decision about an item, it's my final decision.”

Dedicated to detecting prohibited items and emphatically resolving alarms, Marks is incredibly gifted at going with the flow and adapting to change. Before joining TSA in October 2016, Marks moved 14 times in 13 years as part of a military family. Her ability to roll easily with whatever is just around the corner is one of the reasons the checkpoint appeals to her.

“Each day at TSA brings new challenges, and you have to learn to adapt to each situation,” said Marks. “Not only do officers have to adapt to new policies and procedures, but we have to be the face of TSA.”

One of the five firearms Austin-Bergstrom International Airport TSO Christina Marks discovered in carry-on bags this year.

Before TSA, Marks spent time on the working side of a Starbucks counter in Fort Polk, Louisiana, servicing hurried customers demanding their java fix fast. Now, dressed in TSA blue, she takes her customer service skills to heart when working with airline passengers.

“Each person should be treated with dignity and respect,” Marks said.

She specifically remembers the extra mile she walked with a grateful passenger. Working at the front podium as a document checker, Marks verified the travel documents of a passenger who was visually impaired and traveling only with a service dog. When the passenger asked for help while trying to navigate the checkpoint, Marks asked to be tapped out and escorted the passenger through the screening process and on to her gate with a quick side trip for a grab-and-go breakfast before boarding.

It is easy to be nice to the nice, but when confronted with nasty? Well, Marks has definite ideas about that, too, saying, “It’s my job to make sure each passenger has a great experience going through the checkpoint.

“There are many days, especially our busy days, when we constantly get berated by passengers,” Marks said. “I have been the punching bag for upset passengers who are about to miss their flight. I try my best to inform them of their options and de-escalate the situation, explaining their options are limited but not impossible.”

What I Do Matters
I am helping to keep the traveling public safe. The most important part of my job is to help passengers through the screening process while maintaining the integrity of our screening procedures.

Empathy in this line of work speaks volumes, because each situation is unique and each passenger is going through something that you know nothing about. Kindness goes a very long way.

Why My Job is Rewarding
I know what I do matters to the traveling public. I get to know many passengers who travel weekly. Many of those passengers become like family as we regularly see each other and get to know each other on a more personal level. I do not have family who live anywhere close to me, so it’s nice to see their familiar faces on the checkpoint every week.

In addition, I enjoy helping train and coach new employees who might have questions about certain procedures. Between COVID-19 and receiving new [computed tomography] X-rays, this has been a challenging year, but that’s what I love about this job – always something new. 

Featured

  • Leveraging IoT and Open Platform VMS for a Connected Future

    The evolution of urban environments is being reshaped by the convergence of Internet of Things (IoT) technology and open platform VMS. As cities worldwide grapple with growing populations and increasing operational complexities, these integrated technologies are emerging as powerful tools for creating more livable, efficient, and secure urban spaces. Read Now

  • Securing the Future

    Two security experts sit down with Security Today’s editor in chief Ralph C. Jensen to discuss what they see emerging and changing over the next several years along with how security stakeholders can harness these innovations into opportunities. Read Now

  • Collaboration Made Easy Using a Work Management Platform

    Effective collaboration between security operators, teams and other departments is critical to the smooth functioning of organizations. Yet, as organizations grow in complexity, it becomes more difficult for teams to coordinate with each other. This is compounded by staffing shortages, turnover and ineffective collaboration tools. Read Now

  • Creating a Safer World

    Managing and supporting locks and door hardware within a facility is a big responsibility. A building’s security needs to change over time as occupancy and use demands evolve, which can make it even more challenging. Read Now

New Products

  • EasyGate SPT and SPD

    EasyGate SPT SPD

    Security solutions do not have to be ordinary, let alone unattractive. Having renewed their best-selling speed gates, Cominfo has once again demonstrated their Art of Security philosophy in practice — and confirmed their position as an industry-leading manufacturers of premium speed gates and turnstiles.

  • ResponderLink

    ResponderLink

    Shooter Detection Systems (SDS), an Alarm.com company and a global leader in gunshot detection solutions, has introduced ResponderLink, a groundbreaking new 911 notification service for gunshot events. ResponderLink completes the circle from detection to 911 notification to first responder awareness, giving law enforcement enhanced situational intelligence they urgently need to save lives. Integrating SDS’s proven gunshot detection system with Noonlight’s SendPolice platform, ResponderLink is the first solution to automatically deliver real-time gunshot detection data to 911 call centers and first responders. When shots are detected, the 911 dispatching center, also known as the Public Safety Answering Point or PSAP, is contacted based on the gunfire location, enabling faster initiation of life-saving emergency protocols.

  • FEP GameChanger

    FEP GameChanger

    Paige Datacom Solutions Introduces Important and Innovative Cabling Products GameChanger Cable, a proven and patented solution that significantly exceeds the reach of traditional category cable will now have a FEP/FEP construction.