By Alan Fleck | DFW Newsflash | December 2017
The Global Security Team at DFW recently received the Merit Team of the Year Award for 2017 at the AVSEC Symposium in Dubai. There were 600 delegates from worldwide airline regulatory and security agencies as well as Emirates Airline staff present who saw the DFW team win the award for their teamwork protecting Emirates passengers and facilities.
William McGuire, President and CEO, Global Elite Group, was on stage in Dubai to receive the award from the COO of Emirates. On Dec. 11, he brought the award with him to present to the DFW team in person.
“Over 200 Emirate stations around the world were submitted for an award as best security company, best contractor, best teamwork, and best working with the authorities,” McGuire said. “With the job you are doing on a daily basis, you have protected over 200,000 people in the last year just flying on Emirates. That does not count other people in the building or other travelers. That’s your job every day and you are doing it good, doing it well. Everyone is in on security.”
McGuire presented the award to Matt Mills, DFW Manager, Global Security Consulting Group, and Lauren Sheffield, Duty Manager, Global Security Consulting Group.
Also attending the DFW presentation were Phil Cain, Senior Vice President, Global Elite Group, Sherrese Morris, Airport Services, Emirates and TSA representatives, as well as several DFW Global Security Agents.
“A special thank you to our team for showing up today,” said Phil Cain. ”You are probably just starting or ending your shifts. For our partners in security, the TSA, we don’t always get it right, but we are trying hard. We have good leadership here, we have a great staff here. Thank you for coming in and showing your support.”
Matt Mills received personal thanks from Cain for leading the team at DFW. Mills mentioned that he couldn’t do anything without the Global Security staff present in the conference room.
Sherrese Morris, Airport Services for Emirates, described Global Security responsibilities.
“Global Security Services is our contracted security company,” said Morris. “They do our security search, cabin search and customer search when coming down the jet bridge.”
“We interact with them every single day on every aspect of security with regards to the airplane itself, both above wing and below wing,” Morris said. “They ensure baggage carts are securely managed, ensure non-authorized people are not within the footprint of the aircraft, nor add something to the aircraft or take it away from the aircraft.”
Morris further described Emirates’ relationship with Global Security Services.
“They work for us in all 12 of our U.S. cities,” she said. “We have a great relationship with the TSA and the security company as well. We have a new pilot program with full disclosure in the security process. We work together very closely with the TSA inspectors.”
Cain reiterated that there were 220 airports worldwide that Emirates flies to that entered this competition that the DFW Global Security team won. The DFW team responsible for Emirates beat out the security provided by other security companies and airlines at other Emirates airports worldwide. This competition takes place every other year.
Sherrese Morris previously worked in airline industry for 15 years, including for British Airways, Virgin America and American Airlines before joining Emirates.
William McGuire worked in aviation security for over 20 years, starting as a security guard at Air France, and was Director of Virgin Atlantic security in the United States for seven years.
Global Security contains 1,300 employees and has existed for 16 years.
All attendees got to enjoy a barbeque meal following the ceremony.
