RDU INTERNATIONAL — Security at

RDU International

has been pretty tight since Sept. 11. The airport is adding another gadget to try and make it even safer.

RDU decided to buy a new high-tech fingerprint machine before Sept. 11. Now, they have two of them. They will be used to fingerprint airport employees and others who work in secured areas.

The Identix TouchPrint system quickly captures very high-quality fingerprints that can be sent to the FBI for criminal history checks. Those checks are now required of all airport employees who work in secured areas.

The digital scanner transmits fingerprints to the FBI. Turnaround can be as quick as 72 hours as opposed to many days or months with the old ink method.

Processing workers at RDU International begins next week. Twenty-five-hundred people who work at the airport in secure areas must be checked before Dec. 6 of this year.

The machines, which cost RDU International more than $70,000, can process 32 applicants a day at a cost of $31 each.

RDU is ahead of many airports in putting in place the process, which is part of the Standard Airport Facilities Employment Risk Reduction program.