MS 401 Domestic Physical Security

Peace Corps Act, 22 U.S.C. 2503(b); Homeland Presidential Security Directive (HSPD) 12, Policy for a Common Identification Standard for Federal Employees and Contractors.

2.0 Purpose

This manual section sets out the physical security policies and procedures applicable to all domestic facilities, property, and personnel.

3.0 Definitions

3.1 A visitor is an individual who is neither a covered individual nor Dignitary and who has a demonstrated and valid purpose for his/her visit to any domestic Peace Corps facility.

3.2 The term Dignitary includes a Foreign Ambassador to the United States; Foreign Minister; Foreign President or Prime Minister of a country; any individual requiring an armed escort; or an individual so designated by only the Peace Corps Director, Deputy Director, their delegate, or the Physical Security Unit (PSU).

3.3 Covered individuals, for the purposes of this manual section, include direct hire employees, contractors, interns, work study students, or any other similar individual, but does not include Volunteers or Trainees. See Section 5.4 regarding V/Ts on Medevac.

3.4 A Personal Identity Verification Card is an HSPD-12 compliant credential issued to covered individuals used to authenticate their identity.

3.5 A Facility Access Card is a card that allows for the electronic control of access to agency space.

4.0 Policies

4.1 It is Peace Corps' policy to ensure the safety and security of all domestic physical facilities, property, and personnel.

4.2 It is Peace Corps' policy to ensure compliance with Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12).

4.3 Revisions to the attachments to this manual section that do not establish new policies may be approved by the Associate Director for Safety and Security with concurrence from the General Counsel. Such revisions shall be issued by the Office of the General Counsel.

5.0 General Procedures

The following general procedures of the Emergency Preparedness, Plans, Training and Exercise Division (EPPTE) of the Office of Safety and Security (SS) apply unless overtaken by events requiring an immediate deviation. Immediate deviation may be necessary with or without warning in response to various factors such as changes in threat levels, security surveys, Federal Protective Service (FPS) guidance, special security events, or use of discretion based upon a reasonable assessment of associated risk. Any change must be approved by the Associate Director for Safety and Security or delegate.

The PSU performs all physical security surveys in coordination with the FPS, and selects and applies all appropriate countermeasures, including the methods and equipment to: screen personnel and items upon entry; control access; monitor and record images; alarm secured space; and protect national security information, sensitive data, funds, and Agency Space. The PSU serves as the lead contact in all communication between Peace Corps and all federal, state, and local physical security personnel and law-enforcement organizations on topics within the purview of this manual section.

All individuals must comply with the direction of the guard force and report all observations of inappropriate guard performance to the PSU.

5.1 Visitors

Visitors and their possessions will be subjected to review and inspection upon entering the facility in accordance with FPS procedures. No individual (except law enforcement officers, security details on official business, or similar individuals) entering or while on the property shall carry or possess explosives or weapons of any kind. Armed law enforcement officers must present credentials authorizing them to carry a weapon. Upon completion of the official purpose of a visit, the individual is required to leave the facility. Events with 10 or more visitors must be coordinated with the PSU at least 48 hours in advance.

Visitor access is limited and tightly controlled in all Peace Corps domestic facilities. Unescorted access within the Headquarters building at 1111 20^th St. is limited to the front lobby, Shriver Halls, kitchen, bathrooms, and all connecting hallways on the lobby level. Unescorted access at each Regional Office (RO) and the Peace Corps spaces within the offices at 2001 L Street is restricted to the reception area.

Visitors must be sponsored by a covered individual or a Volunteer or Trainee (V/T) on Medevac status to access additional areas within Peace Corps facilities. Visitors to Peace Corps Headquarters (20^th and L Street facilities) must enter the building at 1111 20^th Street and present valid government issued photo identification (drivers license, passport, federal ID, etc.) in order to receive a Visitor Badge (with the exception of dependent children 17 years of age or younger accompanied by a covered individual parent or guardian of a V/T on Medevac status). Visitors must display their Visitor Badge in plain view at or above the waist at all times while in the Agency's space. Sponsors must escort visitors at all times within Peace Corps facilities and are responsible for their oversight and compliance with stated Agency policies. Unescorted visitors are subject to immediate removal from the facility. All visitors exiting the facility will be subject to screening upon reentry.

5.2 Dignitaries

The arrival of a dignitary must be coordinated with the PSU at least twenty four hours in advance. The procedures for a Dignitary to enter the facility are set out in the Processing of Dignitaries Form. See Attachment C.

5.3 Covered Individuals

Escorted covered individuals visiting Peace Corps three or less times in a given month are not required to be processed for a Personal Identity Verification/Facility Access (PIV/FA) Card. All other covered individuals are issued a PIV/FA Card by the PSU once they have completed the requirements of the Workplace Access Authorization Form (WAAF). See Attachment A. These requirements include a National Agency Check and subsequent adjudication process (which may take up to ten business days to complete) and entrance into the Personnel Tracking System (PTS). Only after issuance of the PIV/FA Card will a covered individual be allowed unescorted access to Agency space.

Covered individuals are required to present their PIV/FA Cards to the guard force upon entrance to the Headquarters building to ensure that they visibly correspond to the photo on the card in their possession. PIV/FA Cards are electronically coded to allow for the control of access to Peace Corps space. Covered individuals at Regional Offices are required to utilize their PIV/FA Cards (not keys) for routine access. Card usage information is available for law enforcement/investigative purposes only. Covered individuals must maintain PIV/FA Cards free from alteration and display them in plain view at or above the waist at all times while in Agency space. Covered individuals are required to return PIV/FA Cards upon their final departure.

A Temporary Facility Access Card (TFAC) is issued only to a covered individual who is either permanently stationed overseas and is temporarily at the Headquarters building, or who forgets, misplaces, or reports that his or her PIV/FA Card has been lost or stolen. The PSU will confirm the identity of the requesting covered individual, verify active status in PTS, issue the covered individual a TFAC, and deactivate the covered individual's PIV/FA Card (if applicable) until the TFAC is returned.

The Initial PIV/FA Card and TFAC issuance confers basic facility access to only the front doors, turnstiles, and stairwells of the Headquarters building on Monday through Friday from 7:00 am to 8:00 pm (limited additional access is granted to other domestic Peace Corps facilities on an as-need basis). To obtain access outside of these parameters with respect to days, timeframes, and/or locations (i.e. 24/7, sensitive computer or telecom spaces, storage spaces, Regional Offices, etc.) a covered individual must submit a completed WAAF to the PSU. Requests may be subject to the review and approval of the Agency official responsible for the operation of the identified space.

5.4 Medically Evacuated Volunteers

V/Ts on Medevac requiring access to Peace Corps Headquarters are issued a specialized TFAC. To obtain a Medevac TFAC, a V/T on Medevac must present a completed Medevac Access Form obtained from the Medevac Coordinator in the Office of Medical Services. See Attachment D. V/Ts on Medevac must display their Medevac TFAC in plain view at or above the waist at all times while in Agency space. The Medevac TFAC will be issued for a period of up to 45 days. Upon completion of their time at the Headquarters building, the Medevac is required to return the Medevac TFAC to the Medevac Coordinator or the PSU.

5.5 Individuals Barred from Facility Access

Peace Corps may bar a person from accessing domestic facilities, for example, in response to an identifiable and credible threat to the safety and security of the Agency and/or its covered individuals. This process must be coordinated with the PSU to ensure that all procedures are followed and all necessary offices are involved. In a non-emergency situation, when there is a request to bar an individual from access to the facilities, the decision whether to bar the individual shall be made by the Associate Director for Safety and Security in consultation with the Chief of Staff.

5.6 Door Locks

Perimeter doors (doors on domestic facilities that allow entrance into Peace Corps space from the outside) must remain locked at all times unless an armed guard is present. Any changes to locks and locking hardware at any domestic facility must be initiated by the PSU. All locks will be keyed to be opened by their respective floor master. Requests for locking devices shall be approved and selected with an emphasis on demonstrated need and functionality. Regional Office perimeter door keys are issued only to the Regional Officer Manager, Administrative Officer, and the building engineer.

Prior to the procurement of any locking device intended for interior or exterior doors, designated representatives from the offices of Safety and Security and Management shall meet to define and agree upon requirements associated with the action. All selected devices shall comply with national and local safety and security standards and shall satisfy any unique operational requirements to the maximum extent possible.

The Office of Management procures, installs, and maintains all locking devices located on file cabinets, storage containers, and furniture.

5.7 Keys

A copy of each Headquarters door key is maintained by the PSU. Individual office keys are issued to staff with a valid PIV/FA Card upon completion of the WAAF. A staff member who has signed the WAAF and has been issued an office key must immediately report a lost or stolen key, not share their key with another person, not reassign their key to another person, and return the key upon change in office location, certain job responsibilities, or upon departure from the Agency.

Suite master keys allow one key to open multiple offices within a work area. Suite master keys are issued only upon approval of the Associate Director/ Office Head responsible for the identified space. If a suite master key is lost or stolen all doors within that suite will be re-keyed and new keys issued at the expense of the office to which the key was issued.

One set of master keys per floor is issued to: PSU, Management/Administrative Services/Facilities Management Division, and the building engineers. The PSU will perform a monthly accounting of each set of floor master keys. If a floor master key is lost or stolen, all doors on that floor will be re-keyed and new keys issued at the expense of the office to which the original key was issued.

5.8 Unlocking of Doors

A covered individual who forgets the key to their own office or a supervisor wishing to gain access to the office of a subordinate covered individual may verbally request that the door be unlocked. A covered individual requesting access to the office of another covered individual or to the office of their supervisor must submit the request via email to the PSU and the covered individual or supervisor. Upon unlocking the requested door, the requestor is responsible for ensuring the security of the materials in the office space.

5.9 Deliveries

All mail entering domestic Peace Corps facilities is screened utilizing appropriate measures and equipment as directed by PSU prior to delivery. All items delivered to Peace Corps Headquarters (at 20^th and L Street facilities) must be brought to the mailroom entrance at the rear of the building for screening and delivery by mailroom personnel with the exception of employment applications that may be deposited in the designated box in the front lobby.

5.10 Garage

Requests for parking at Peace Corps Headquarters must be submitted to and approved by the Office of Management. Vehicles of approved garage users are screened by the guard force upon each entrance. At a minimum, vehicle screening consists of a convex mirror examination of the vehicle's under carriage, a physical search of the trunk, and observation of the vehicle's interior. In addition, the driver and all passengers (with the exception of dependent children 17 years of age or younger accompanied by a covered individual parent or guardian) must present valid Peace Corps PIV/FA Cards. Exempted dependent children must then be escorted to the first floor for security processing. Any non-exempt passenger without a PIV/FA Card must exit the vehicle before it is allowed to enter the garage but must/may enter the building through the security process in the front lobby.

5.11 Camera Surveillance

All domestic Peace Corps facilities are monitored by closed circuit television (CCTV) cameras and all images are recorded. Surveillance devices monitor entrances, ensure adherence to access control policies and procedures, and record security violations. Camera surveillance information is available for law enforcement/investigative purposes only.

5.12 Alarm Monitoring

Contact, motion, and duress alarms are present in various locations throughout domestic Peace Corps facilities. Alarm monitoring devices alert first responders to emergency situations and security violations requiring immediate attention. Alarm information is available for law enforcement/investigative purposes only.

5.13 Incident Management

In the event of a life-threatening incident or emergency, staff must immediately contact 911. All other incidents or emergencies affecting the safety or security of personnel or property within Peace Corps domestic facilities must be immediately brought to the attention of the PSU to ensure a proper response. Such incidents include but are not limited to a threat to persons or property, theft, and assault. All incidents must be documented and submitted to the PSU using the Incident Report Form. See Attachment B.

5.14 Removal

The anticipated removal of a covered individual must be coordinated with the PSU which serves as liaison among Headquarters offices that play an active role in expediting the removal process and ensures that all proper procedures are followed. In addition, offices are required to notify the PSU a minimum of 24 hours prior to the expected removal action. The PSU, in coordination with FPS, may immediately remove any individual in an emergency based upon reliable information indicating disruptive behavior or threat to Agency personnel or property.

5.15 Lost and Found

All found personal items must be brought to the PSU for storage. Items are kept securely for approximately 6 months before being discarded.

5.16 Situation Room

The situation room is available for crisis management, emergency preparedness, and safety and security-related events or meetings. The situation room is not part of the Agency-wide shared conference rooms and is not available for general meetings or presentations. To reserve the situation room for crisis management or emergency preparedness meetings or trainings, contact the Administrative Officer in the Office of Safety and Security.

5.17 Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12 (HSPD-12)

Homeland Security Presidential Directive (HSPD) 12 and associated regulations direct Federal departments and agencies to ensure that all covered individuals undergo identity verification and background investigations prior to the issuance of a PIV Card and the granting of physical and/or logical access to Federal government facilities and/or computers. SS/EPPTE serves as the Peace Corps PIV Card Issuance (PCI) Manager and, as such, is responsible for the reliability of associated PIV services. Additional information is outlined in HSPD-12 Roles and Responsibilities. See Attachment E.

6.0 Effective Date

The effective date is the date of issuance.