by Marty Brown
Northern News Services

NNSL (DEC 13/96) - Gerard Lainey is one of the people responsible for keeping the airport secure -- and that can involve anything from finding lost mittens to dealing with mechanical breakdowns.

"It's never boring. Because I'm in uniform, people ask me everything from where the washrooms are to how to get out of the parking lot," he said.

"I feel like a tourist guide for the airport." He says that with a smile, but there's more.

Lainey deals with anything that can jeopardize the airport building or it's personnel, including people who have had just a little too much to drink.

Drunk passengers trying to board planes, even if they have tickets, may meet Lainey.

Airlines won't fly drunks and if passengers get unruly Lainey is called to remove them with assistance from the RCMP. That's not a favourite part of the job.

Security officers patrol the airport building, the grounds including the parking lot, but not the runway. They're looking for trouble in the form of fire hazards or doors that won't open, anything that obstructs the safe and smooth operation of the airport.

There was no formal training for the job but because Master Security won the contract for the job, federal government regulations must be followed.

Lainey has 14 years service with the Canadian Armed Forces so following orders, helping people and knowing what to do in a crisis comes easy.

He's learned what to do in case of a bomb threat and how to deal with smokers in the building.

One thing he'll never understand is how anyone can lose television sets or computers. Both have ended up in the lost and found department of his office.