The mission of the Physical Security Program is to protect Department of Energy facilities in the Washington, DC area, provide for security of personnel assigned to those facilities, and ensure that classified, sensitive, and unclassified property and matter within these facilities is properly protected.

PERIMETER ACCESS CONTROLS

Access to Headquarters facilities is controlled by a combination of automated turnstiles, badge readers, and Protective Force personnel. To gain entry, most employees swipe their permanent DOE security badge through an automated access control system. After swiping their badge, employees are also required to show the badge to the Protective Force Officer stationed at the entry location. The Officer looks at the badge photo to make sure it matches the individual displaying the badge.

• DOE Federal and contractor employees and their hand carried articles may be randomly inspected upon building entry or exit.
• All employees or contractors issued temporary badges will be inspected upon entry and are subject to inspection upon exit.
• All visitors and their hand carried articles will be inspected upon entry and are subject to inspection upon exit.

During security hours, all DOE Federal and contractor employees and visitors will be inspected upon entry and are subject to inspection upon departure from Headquarters facilities. Individuals who do not consent to an entrance inspection may be denied access.

Security hours are 8:30 p.m. until 6:00 a.m. Monday through Friday, and all hours on Saturdays, Sundays and holidays.

At both the Forrestal and Germantown facilities, all vehicles must enter the property through security gates staffed by DOE Protective Force Officers. Federal and contractor employees must show their security badge to the officer to gain entry to the facility. All vehicles are subject to random vehicle inspection when entering the property.

All visitors arriving by vehicle onto DOE property must present some sort of government-issued photo identification for inspection by the Protective Force Officer. Drivers are required to present a valid driver’s license. Visitors who intend to enter the facilities will be directed to visitor parking and to the buildings’ main lobby for visitor registration and badging. All other visitors not intending to enter the building (e.g., vendor delivery) will be issued badges that expire on the date of issue.

Protective Force Officers inspect all visitors’ vehicles prior to entry. Employees hosting visitors should advise them before the date of the visit that they are required to have identification documents and that their vehicle will be inspected. Hosts should also advise visitors to plan for the additional time it will take them to be processed onto the property.

All drivers should be extremely attentive when entering DOE property to ensure that the Active Vehicle Barrier is completely lowered prior to driving through.

BADGES

Badges should be displayed on your person above the waist at all times when in DOE facilities. Badges should be removed when departing the building.

If a badge is lost or misplaced, the badging office must be notified as soon as possible and a Request for Badge Replacement form must be completed. A new badge will not be issued for 10 working days. During this waiting period, the employee must sign in at the reception desk on a daily basis. A temporary badge will be issued each day after the employee’s identity is verified.

DOE security badges are the property of the U. S. Government and must be returned to either of the Headquarters badging offices whenever an individual is transferred, terminates employment, or otherwise no longer requires a badge. Contact your HSO for additional guidance when outprocessing (see below.)

VISITOR ACCESS

All visitors who do not have a DOE security badge, regardless of clearance status, are required to present appropriate identification and sign in at the facility main entrance lobby. The receptionist or security personnel will verify that the visitor has been authorized entrance by the hosting organization. If not, then the hosting office will be contacted to confirm the visitor may be admitted. Once approved, a visitor badge will be issued. The individual may then pass through the building access control system.

BUILDING ESCORTS

During normal operating hours, 6:00 a.m. to 8:30 p.m. Monday through Friday, escorts are generally not required for visitors entering Headquarters facilities unless specified by the office or person being visited. However, all visitors must be escorted at all times and all days if they will be accessing a Security Area.

The sponsoring office or person being visited is responsible for providing the escort, if one is required. When escorting, you must stay with your visitor at all times. Also, if you delegate escort duties to someone else, you must make that person aware of his or her escort responsibilities.

Consult the HQFMSP or your HSO for a copy of the Headquarters Escort Procedures.

SECURITY AREAS

Limited Areas and Exclusion Areas, commonly referred to as Security Areas, have been established at Headquarters to protect classified matter and activities. These areas have clearly defined boundaries and access control points. Access to Security Areas is limited to appropriately cleared and authorized individuals. All uncleared individuals requiring access to these areas must be escorted by a cleared individual knowledgeable of his/her escort responsibilities.

CONTROLLED ARTICLES

Portable electronic devices, both Government- and personally-owned, capable of recording information or transmitting data (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, and/or data link electronic equipment) are not permitted in a security area without proper authorization. (Also see Cellular Telephone Policy, pg. 11.)

CELLULAR TELEPHONE POLICY

Under DOE Directives for Controlled Articles, it states that “Portable electronic devices, both Government- and personally-owned, capable of recording information or transmitting data (e.g., radio frequency, infrared, and/or data link electronic equipment), are not permitted in Security Areas (including Limited Areas (LAs) or Exclusion Areas (EAs) without authorization."

Issues have been raised at Headquarters regarding restrictions on Portable Electronic Devices (PEDs) in security areas imposed by current policy, specifically due to the employees who commute to work and have no place to properly store their PED. Responding to these issues, and recognizing the proliferation of certain PEDs, (specifically cellular telephones and BlackBerry-type devices) at Headquarters, the Office of Headquarters Security Operations has addressed the issue of permitting certain PEDs in security areas by utilizing Radio Frequency (RF) technology and through a deviation.

To compensate for the risks associated with bringing certain PEDs into security areas, a deviation has been approved that requires certain PEDs to be placed in standby mode, powered down, or have their batteries removed prior to being placed in a RF Transmission Attenuation Bag (RF Bag). The deviation also requires individuals bringing these devices into security areas to sign a User’s Code of Conduct acknowledging their responsibilities. For further information, contact the TSCM Program Manager / HQ TSCM Operations Manager at 301-903-9992.

OUT-PROCESSING PROCEDURES

All Elements are required to have out-processing procedures for both Federal and contractor employees. These procedures have been designed to ensure the return of all government the cancellation of access to Headquarters facilities and Headquarters security interests.