U.S. Geological Survey Manual

1. Purpose and Scope. This chapter establishes the physical security program for safeguarding U.S. Geological Survey (USGS) personnel and assets. The purpose is to assist responsible managers, organizational security officers, and the wide variety of property and information custodians in establishing appropriate physical security measures necessary to protect personnel, real and personal property, and information.

2. Authority.

A. Department of Justice Vulnerability Assessment of Federal Facilities dated June 28, 1995, establishes facility security levels and minimum physical security safeguards required for all Federal facilities to protect against acts of terrorism and other forms of violence.

B. Departmental Manual (DM) 444.1, Physical Security and Building Security, provides physical security guidelines for all departmental buildings and facilities.

C. Federal Property Management Regulations, Code of Federal Regulations, Title 41, Subpart 101-20.1, Building Operations, Maintenance, Protection, and Alterations, established standards and responsibilities for the protection of properties under the custody and control of the U.S. General Services Administration (GSA).

D. GSA, Public Buildings Service Order 3490.1 dated March 8, 2002, establishes GSA policy for the protection of sensitive but unclassified paper and electronic building information.

3. Policy. Physical security programs will be administered within each region, center, and field activity based on pertinent Federal and departmental regulations and the guidance set forth in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H). At a minimum, a physical security program will include:

A. A physical security survey as defined in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H), Chapter 3, of each facility occupied by USGS to determine the security level of the facility and to determine the minimum-security safeguards required for protecting USGS personnel and assets, including classified or sensitive information;

B. An initial physical security survey prior to constructing, leasing, acquiring, modifying, or occupying a facility or area to determine the minimum-security safeguards required to protect USGS personnel and assets. A follow-up physical security survey must be done before acceptance of the property or occupancy to ensure the completion of required modifications and security upgrades;

C. Periodic reassessments as defined in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H), Chapter 3, of facilities to ascertain whether the security program continues to meet pertinent Federal and departmental standards or regulations;

D. Procedures to take immediate, positive, and orderly action to safeguard life and property during an emergency. This includes the implementation of the Homeland Security Advisory System, which entails establishing protective measures for each of the five Threat Conditions and a system for disseminating information about threats; and

E. A comprehensive and continuing awareness and education effort to gain the interest and support of employees, contractors, consultants, and visitors.

4. Responsibilities.

A. The Associate Director for Administrative Policy and Services (APS) exercises the general authority delegated by the Director for security. Under the general supervision of the Chief, Office of Management Services, APS, the USGS Security Manager has been appointed to discharge these responsibilities.

B. Regional Directors are responsible for ensuring that security programs are carried out within their respective region assigning adequate resources to implement and maintain security programs and designating a Regional Security Officer, alternate, and other appropriately cleared security officials to discharge these responsibilities.

C. The senior official or manager of a center or field office is responsible for ensuring that security programs are carried out within his/her respective areas of responsibility or designating a security officer and other appropriate security officials to assist the Regional Security Officer and serve as the focal point for security programs.

D. The senior official having jurisdiction over an office, building, or other facility is responsible for safeguarding personnel and real and personal property under the control of, or assigned to, the activity.

E. The USGS Security Manager provides complete, effective security management, oversight, policy formulation, and compliance and quality assurance for the bureau’s national security classification program to include management of foreign intelligence materials and sites; the personnel security program concerning the employment and retention of persons in sensitive positions; the physical security, law enforcement, and counter terrorism programs to include the establishment of the Homeland Security Advisory System nationwide; and the protection of the bureau’s facilities/sites, property assets to include mission-essential infrastructures, and approximately 10,000 personnel. The Bureau Security Manager is also designated as the Facility Security Officer for the National Center, Reston, Virginia, responsible for all National Center physical security and law enforcement to include the contract management of National Center guard and physical security contracts.

F. Designated organizational security officers are responsible for familiarizing themselves with the applicable portions of the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H) and pertinent Federal, departmental, and USGS security directives; and for knowledgeably administering the security programs relevant to their respective activity.

(1) Regional Security Officers are responsible for administering the security programs relevant to their respective region and coordinating regional compliance with and implementation of bureau security programs.

(2) Center Security Officers are responsible for coordinating compliance with the implementation of bureau security programs through the Regional Security Officer and serve as the primary focal point for all security issues within the center.

(3) Facility Security Officers, designated by the senior USGS official having responsibility for the security of a Federally owned or leased space, administer the physical security program through the region or center as set forth in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H) for an office, building, or other facility. At the National Center, the USGS Security Manager serves as the Facility Security Officer.

G. Designated property and information security officers/custodians, e.g., custodial property officers, cognizant employees, cashiers, national security information security officers/custodians, firearms custodians, etc., are responsible for ensuring that an adequate level of security is provided for information and property under their custody or control in compliance with pertinent Federal and departmental regulations and the guidance set forth in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H).

H. Each employee is responsible for adhering to the security requirements prescribed in pertinent Federal, departmental, and USGS regulations governing the safeguarding of personnel, facilities, property, and information. Employees shall report any incident or condition contrary to these requirements to the responsible official or to their security officer.

5. Real Property Protection. Within the Department of the Interior (DOI), the senior official having jurisdiction over an office, building, or other facility is assigned responsibility by DM 444.1 for safeguarding personnel and real and personal property under the control of, or assigned to, the activity.

A. For building and grounds for which GSA has space assignment responsibility, Department of Homeland Security, Federal Protective Service (FPS) is responsible for furnishing normal protection not less than the degree of protection provided by commercial building operators of similar space for normal risk occupants, as determined by a FPS physical security survey. Special protection required due to the nature of the business conducted within the space or unusual public reaction to a USGS program or mission, whether or not of a continuing nature, is determined jointly by FPS and the senior USGS official having jurisdiction of the space and is provided by FPS on a reimbursable basis.

B. In facilities where GSA has delegated protection authority to the USGS, some of the protection responsibilities are transferred to the senior USGS official having jurisdiction of the space, including procurement, installation, maintenance of physical security equipment and systems, and procurement and management of any guard contracts. Normally, FPS will retain responsibility for physical security surveys, mobile patrols, monitoring of alarms, response to incidents, and request for criminal investigations.

C. For building and grounds owned or leased by the USGS, the senior official having jurisdiction of the real property is responsible for determining the degree of protection to be provided the space. The level of protection shall be based on a physical security survey of each facility conducted by the Facility Security Officer using the guidelines and requirements cited in the USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H) to evaluate the security of that facility on a case-by-case basis considering the facility's location, size and configuration, number of occupants, and mission.

6. Personal Property Protection. The prescribed policies for management of USGS personal property and the responsibility of designated property officers are contained in SM 408.2. Detailed procedures for accountability and responsibility, including record keeping, transfer of accountability, relief of accountability, property removal permits, theft or vandalism reporting, etc., are contained in the Property Management Handbook (408-2-H). Additional supplementary guidance is provided in the Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H) for applying physical security standards; reporting property thefts to law enforcement agencies; and for protecting government funds, firearms, and office and laboratory equipment.

7. Information Protection.

A. National Security Information. The policy for protecting information classified as national security information under Executive Order 12958 and prior orders is set forth in SM 440.3 and the National Security Information Handbook (440-3-H). Supplementary guidance on designating controlled and restricted areas, vault construction standards, intrusion alarm equipment, and approved security storage containers is contained in the Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H).

B. Sensitive Information. Security measures for building and office interiors, access control, storage equipment, locks and key control, etc., that may be applied to safeguarding sensitive information is discussed in the Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H).

(1) Privacy Act Records. SM 319.l assigns system managers with the responsibility for establishing and maintaining appropriate administrative, technical, and physical safeguards to ensure the security and confidentiality of Privacy Act records.

(2) Proprietary Information. SM 500.14 establishes policies and requirements for safeguarding and releasing USGS information and proprietary information received from private sources.

(3) Sensitive But Unclassified Building Information (SBU).

(a) USGS Physical Security Handbook, Chapter 10, Security For Special Activities, Section F, Document Security For Sensitive But Unclassified Paper and Electronic Building Information establishes requirements for protecting sensitive paper and electronic building information. This section sets forth USGS policy on the dissemination of SBU paper and electronic building information of USGS controlled space. This policy applies to all SBU building information regarding USGS-controlled space or procurements to obtain USGS-controlled space, either owned, leased, or delegated. Security procedures needed to reduce the risk that sensitive paper and electronic building information will be used for dangerous or illegal purposes are outlined.

(b) The senior official having jurisdiction over a USGS owned, leased, or delegated facility must ensure that their SBU building information is protected from unauthorized use as delineated in the USGS Physical Security Handbook, Chapter 10, Security For Special Activities, Section F, Document Security For Sensitive But Unclassified Paper and Electronic Building Information. The principal manager of each USGS facility is also responsible for ensuring that USGS employees within their facility who handle SBU building information have security training outlining these procedures.

(c) Each employee is responsible for assuring that SBU records are only given to those who have a need to know, for keeping records of who gets the information, and for safeguarding the information during use and destroying it properly after use. USGS employees are responsible for ensuring that authorized users, both Government and non-Government, are aware of and adhere to specific obligations with respect to SBU building information.

8. Physical Security Handbook. The USGS Physical Security Handbook (440-2-H) supplements the provisions of the physical security directives referenced in paragraphs 2A, 2B, 2C, and 2D above and provides a compact source of basic physical security information to assist responsible individuals in understanding and performing a wide variety of physical security responsibilities.

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Carol F. Aten 8/15/05
Associate Director for Administrative Policy and Services