Blnnlngh.m, AL Po'l- H.llld BirmIngham M,t Arli WedneldlY o18,081 OCT ;>4. iJihi4J£'· -.,. AMEAII'Ai:IESl!ONDS • • • I-r Ine CDC I S a asers Scripps Howard News Service illustration Sgt. Steve Hadley of the Glendale, Ariz., Police Department to two points on the assailant's body. The 50,000 volts and an actor demonstrate the use of a M26 stun gun. White Immobilizes muscles, causing the assailant to collapse for lines have been added to show the path of electric current 15 minutes. Other carriers reinforce doors By RICHARD POWELSON names of America West Express, SCRIPPS HOWARD NEWS SERVICE US Airways Express and Mesa Air­ Of all the airline .security up­ lines. l\Ieanwhile, major air car­ grades under way, me plauned by riers report they are almos! fin­ some regional air carriers would tshed streogibeaing their cockpit give hijackers the biggest jolt. doors against the kind of intrusioos Mesa Air said it plans.ro train its that occurred Sept. 11. United, pilots ro use stun guns, which can Northwest and Continental said send 50,000 volts inro an assailant they recently fmished adding either from up ro 15 feet away, and have removable bars across cockpit doors or dead-bolt locks me in the cockpit ready ro use III every flight. The stun guns, also By early November, American, called tasers, can immobilize some­ TWA, America West and US Air­ me for 15 minutes but reportedly ways expect ro complete their cause no permanent damage. cockpit-door upgrades, they said. Southwest Airlines will finish the ·We thought this was a way ro job within two days, spokeswoman make customers feel more secure Linda Rutherford said. Deita and m our flights,· Mesa Air spokeswo­ Frontier airlines said that all cock­ man Benet Wilson said. Mesa Air, pit doors will be more secure by which also is reinforcing its cockpit mid-to late November. Hadley uses laser sight on an Advanced Taser, made by doors ro keep oot assailants, oper­ Taser International of Scollsdale, Ariz. ates in several regioos under the Please tum ro TASER, page E3 This stun gun,called the Advanced Taser, or M26, is made by Taser International of Scottsdale, Ariz. Scripps Howard News Service door reinforcement program and and plan tbe training program, the speed with which we have de­ spokeswoman Wilsoo said. It also ployed it is a testament" to the em­ plans to ask the FAA for a waiver of the rule or await passage of the From page E2 ployees and tbeir unioos, United ex­ ecutive Andy Studdert said aviatioo security bill pending in Coogress, which has a provisioo al­ United and Northwest praised Mesa Air's stun-gon plan faces lowing non-lethal weapons like stun their employees for quick security an obstacle, but' ooe the company guns to be used hy cockpit crews, work 00 cockpit doors to reassure hQPes to overcome. she said. both flight crews and customers. ."Federal reguIatioos prohibit the "We need to do everything we United, with 611 aircraft, put secu­ use of any deadly or dangerous can to regain the confidence of our rity bars 00 all of them "in just over weapons 00 flights," and the latier passengers," such as adding stun two weeks" after the design was se­ category woold include stun guns, guns for cockpit security, said Mesa lected. said Paul Takemoto of the Federal. Chairman Jonathan Ornstein In the next 90 days, Mesa Air will Richard Powelson can be reached "The effectiveness of the cockpit choose where to buy its stun guns at.