New Defense agency will protect Pentagon
The Defense Department on Thursday announced the creation of a new agency to protect Pentagon workers and respond to terrorist threats.
The new Pentagon Force Protection Agency will assume responsibility for all functions currently performed by the Defense Protective Service, the Pentagon's security force, but will also have an expanded law enforcement and anti-terrorism mission. In addition to protecting the Pentagon, the new agency will have jurisdiction over other Defense-occupied buildings in the Washington area that are not part of a military department.
The agency was established in response to the Sept. 11 terrorist attack on the Pentagon, in which 125 Defense employees were killed.
The new agency will be in charge of preparing for, protecting against and responding to crises. Its responsibilities will include:
- Coordinating emergency communications, evacuations and training.
- Controlling physical security and access at the Pentagon, including identification badges, parking, alarms, locks and closed-circuit TV.
- Providing training and equipment for responding to a chemical, biological or radiological attack.
- Maintaining a terror threat assessment.
- Conducting vulnerability assessments.
- Providing personal protection for the Secretary of Defense and other senior Defense officials.
"The agency will allow the Defense Department to take appropriate measures to address the full spectrum of these threats by using a robust strategy of prevention, preparedness, detection and response," a Pentagon statement said.
John Jester, currently chief of the Defense Protective Service, is serving as acting director of the new agency.