LAX Emergency Exits: No Escape?

Apparent safety hazards have been gathering at numerous emergency exit corridors at the Los Angeles International Airport, according to a three-month investigation by CBS Radio News station KNX in Los Angeles.

Photos taken by a source who is an employee at LAX with extensive fire fighting experience show various objects such as ladders, chairs, carts blocking exit corridors. The source says the apparent safety issues were brought to the attention of superiors who failed to fix the problems.

Many of the pictures were taken over the past nine to 12 months, according to the source. The source snapped several new pictures last week also showing corridors cluttered by various objects after an airport spokeswoman questioned whether there were any current photos.

An LAX spokeswoman, Nancy Castles, has shown copies of the pictures to airport operations personnel as well as fire officials.

KNX has previously reported that LAX police were sometimes sent off airport grounds to help with routine, non-airport related police work in nearby communities; and revealed a letter sent from the head of the LAX police union to several city officials last month warning that budget cuts left the airport - considered a prime terrorist target by law enforcement officials - "more vulnerable to a terrorist attack than at any time since 9/11." LAX officials disputed the union's allegations.

A Los Angeles City Council committee is planning hearings on the security issues at LAX on August 4.

More from CBS Radio News station KNX:

Interview with Nancy Castles, LAX PR Director
LAX's Security Gap
Police: LAX Vulnerable to Terrorists