By Steve Kemme
The Cincinnati Enquirer

Greater Cincinnati's smaller, regional airports are using everything from fences to hot lines to plain old word-of-mouth as they try to boost security and head off the threat of terrorist acts.

Pilots are being urged to notify police about any suspicious activities or people they see at the airports.

Vigilance, airport officials know, is one of the best deterrents they have.

At Butler County Regional Airport-Hogan Field, signs have been posted near its terminal and at most gates asking that suspicious activities be reported. The signs include the telephone numbers of the Hamilton police, the Fairfield police and the local FBI office.

"We're bringing it to the pilots' attention," said Ron Davis, airport administrator. "It just helps our overall security."

Cincinnati's Lunken Airport sends security information to pilots through fliers, bulletin-board postings and e-mails. The latest postings include a national toll-free hot line that opened Monday for reports of suspicious activities at general aviation airports. The hot line, 866-GA-SECURE, is operated by the Transportation Security Administration's National Response Center and channels tips to the appropriate local, state and federal agencies

"We keep the pilots fully engaged in information we receive," said Dan Dickten, manager of Lunken and Cincinnati-owned Blue Ash Airport.

Jeff Soder, a pilot who works for a Fairfield company, said he has noticed signs popping up at regional airports around the nation asking pilots to report anything suspicious.

But he said that - with or without signs - pilots have been more watchful for unusual activities at airports because of 9-11.

"If anything suspicious was happening, it would stand out to us," said Mr. Soder, who flies out of Butler County's airport two to three times a week.

Lunken has spent $300,000 in the past year to beef up security. A month ago, Cincinnati police set up a substation in the passenger terminal.

An unmanned guard shack at an open access gate on Airport Road could be used by police to shut down the airfield in emergencies, Mr. Dickten said.

This year, the airport began requiring tenants and other personnel to go through training programs to earn passes that will enable them to go into restricted areas at Lunken.

There are plans to make security improvements next year at the Blue Ash Airport, Mr. Dickten said.

Butler County has used $260,000 in federal funding to erect a security fence and gates at its airport. The fence installation is almost complete, Mr. Davis said.

He said everyone who works at the airport has become more sensitive to security issues.

As an example, Mr. Davis mentioned a recent incident at the airport involving a briefcase that an executive had left at a customer drop-off point. The receptionist at one of the airport's fixed-based operators noticed the abandoned briefcase and alerted Mr. Davis.

"Pre-9-11," he said, "she never would have given it a second thought."

E-mail skemme@enquirer.com