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FAQs

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Shuttle Bus (Go to Shuttle Bus page)

1. What are the requirements to ride the DOE shuttle bus?
A DOE badge or a shuttle bus pass, which may be obtained from Forrestal or Germantown buildings for non badge personnel on official business.

2. Does the shuttle bus go to the Shady Grove Subway station?
No.

3. Does DOE have an adverse weather condition schedule?
Yes, schedule will be posted as DOECAST.

4. Can a non-passenger send packages/mail on the bus?
All packages must go through Germantown or Forrestal mail room or the Transportation Office.

5. Can a family member ride the DOE shuttle?
Yes, if accompanied by a DOE employee and badged per #1.

6. How long does it take the bus to travel between the Germantown and Forrestal buildings?
One hour depending upon traffic and weather conditions.

7. What happens to passengers left behind when the bus is full?
Passenger should call the 6-4187 at Forrestal or 3-4330 in Germantown for alternative means of travel.

8. Who do I contact about lost and found items?
Call 6-4187 in Forrestal or 3-4330 in Germantown.

9. Can I eat on the bus?
No. No eating or drinking is allowed on the bus.

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Conferencing (Go to Conferencing and Special Events page)

1. How can I obtain a teleconference call in number?
Contact the DOE Operator at 202-586-5000

2. How can I obtain a laptop for any room reserved through Conferencing?
Contact the Enterprise Service Desk at 301-903-2500

3. How can I schedule a Video Teleconference?
The Conferencing Office currently schedules Video Teleconferences (VTC) in the large and small auditorium and the Program Review Center. Please call or e-mail the Conferencing Office to schedule a room. Once the room has been scheduled, contact the VTC Office at 301-903-4555 to set up a bridge number for your meeting. You will then need to contact the Conferencing Office and supply the bridge number to the Conference Coordinator.

4. How can I schedule a room?
Forrestal: Contact Forrestal Scheduling at 202-586-6651
Germantown: Contact Germantown Scheduling at 301-903-4352
L'Enfant Plaza: There are no general use conference rooms in either the 950 or 955 buildings. You will have to contact the individual organizations located there and ask to use their rooms.

5. Where do I pick up the conference room key?
Forrestal Room GE-140; Germantown Room E-055

6. Are there any rooms with computers for training?
There are no general use conference rooms equipped for computer training.

7. How can I schedule a recurring meeting?
Recurring meetings can be scheduled by sending an email to the Conferencing Office. The meeting will be scheduled based on availability for a 3 month period. You will need to repeat this process every 3 months.

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Passport and Visa Photographs (Go to Photography page)

Passport/Visa photos can be obtained by visiting:

  • Forrestal - Photography Lab located in BH-071, (202) 586-1350.
  • Germantown - Conferencing Office located in E-055, (301) 903-4352. Germantown office hours 8:00 a.m. to 4:00 p.m. No appointment is necessary but call to ensure a staff person is available.

To better serve you, please call in advance to schedule passport/visa photos and portraits.

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DOE Photography Collection (Energy Technology Visuals Collection-ETVC) (Go to ETVC page)

1. Are the images in the collection available on-line?
Yes.  The images are available at http://www.doedigitalarchive.doe.gov/.

2. Are the images on the DOE Digital Archive available in high resolution?
Yes, most of the images are available in high resolution.  We can provide JPG and TIF files by email or CD/DVD.

3. How do obtain the high resolution images from the DOE Digital Archive?
Email the Image ID#s to the program manager at Heidi.palombo@hq.doe.gov.

4. Are your images in the public domain?
Yes the images on the DOE Digital Archive are in the public domain.

5. Is there a charge for the images?
There is no charge for DOE personnel or the public to use our images.

6. Do you have catalogs on-site to look at?
Yes.  We have a computer and catalogs customers may look through with the assistance of our staff.  Contact us to review the catalogs in Forrestal room BH-071.

7. What kind of images do you have from Headquarters events?
When requested by DOE personnel, we have pictures taken by the DOE Photographers, e.g. Secretarial, Congressional, award ceremonies, special and historical events.

8. Do you have historical images?
Yes, we have images dating back to the Manhattan Project.

9. How do we credit the pictures?
Credit the U.S. Department of Energy.

10. Do you have contacts at the DOE labs?
Yes, we have contacts at DOE’s national laboratories and sites.

11. Do you have FTP site capabilities?
No. 

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Parking and Garage (Go to Parking and Garage page)

1. I would like to park in the Forrestal garage. How do I apply for parking?
First you've got to see if you qualify for parking, then you must file a parking request. See "Applying for a Parking Permit" on the Parking and Garage page for additional information.

2. What is "Unusual Hours" parking, and does an Alternate Work Schedule qualify?
Unusual Hours (UH) parking is reserved for DOE employees who are required to work beyond their normal scheduled work hours. An Alternate Work Schedule (AWS) by itself does not qualify as Unusual Hours. (For additional information, refer to Unusual Hours Qualifications on the Parking and Garage page.) 

3. I am a contractor. I have been told that contractors cannot park in the garage, yet I see other contractors that do park there. Can you clear up these guidelines as they pertain to contractors?
Contractor personnel working in the Forrestal complex may not park in the garage but may be members of car/van pools that park here. With a car/van pool, there must be a minimum of two DOE persons who use the same vehicle for transportation to and from work who ride together daily. Two of the regular car/van pool members must be DOE employees, one of whom is the car/van pool principal; the individuals must work in the facility for which they seek or have been authorized parking privileges. If one member of a two-member car/van pool is a contractor, the Federal employee must be the primary permit holder.  Contractors assigned to the Forrestal or L'Enfant Plaza facility are not allowed to park in the garage. Contractors assigned outside of the Forrestal Building are considered Visitors and can make a reservation for parking. For more information, refer to Visitor Parking on the Parking page.

4. How do I arrange for visitor parking?
Call (202) 586-4271 a day in advance to make reservations. For more information see the Parking page. Please note, due to the limited amount of available visitor parking spaces, reservations are made on a first come first serve basis.

5. Are there spaces reserved for handicapped visitors?
No, but all the visitor lanes are right next to an entrance to the Forrestal building. The Parking Management Office will try to accommodate any handicapped visitors. This includes over booking the visitors lanes so any handicapped visitor can have easy access to the Forrestal building.

6. Is there a waiting list for parking permits?
There is no waiting list for new parking permit applications. There are over 800 parking spaces in the Forrestal parking facility. Even during the busiest days, the garage has more than enough spaces for 1-day, temporary permits and monthly permit holders.

7. How can I receive a reserved parking space?
The Parking Management Office does not assign reserved parking spaces. The Deputy Secretary's staff assigns reserved parking spaces. The Parking Management Office only manages these spaces.

8. Do I need a permit to park on the weekend?
No. The parking garage is open after 5:00 P.M. on weekdays and all day on weekends to DOE employees with a valid DOE badge. Just show your badge to the guard at the garage entrance. Non-DOE employees must sign in before entering the building.

9. When do monthly permits go on sale?
Permits go on sale four working days before and three working days after the first of the month. The previous month's parking permit is valid until the fourth working day of the month. On the fifth day, the old permit must be removed before entering the garage, and you are required to buy a permit on that day.

10. I just got a parking violation, what can I do?
There is no monetary penalty for a parking violation, but violations can result in the suspension of parking privileges. It recommended that all violations be appealed. (Refer to Suspension, Violation and Appeals on the Parking and Garage page.)  If you received a ticket from the Federal Protective Services, those tickets are appealed through the Federal Court and not by the Parking Committee.

11. What do I do about lost or stolen permits?
When a valid parking permit is suspected to be lost or stolen, the permit holder must report the circumstances to the Parking Management Office. Failure to comply with this requirement may result in suspension or termination of parking privileges. You should also be aware that duplicate permits are available in the garage. They are to be purchased only if a permit has been lost or stolen. You can purchase the duplicate, once the circumstance has been reported to the Parking Management Office. It is a violation to split a permit which means, if you find the lost permit, no one is allowed to drive in on that permit or the duplicate, except the permit holder.

12. What if we have an accident in the garage?
If a driver accidentally strikes another vehicle in the parking facility, the driver must stop and check for any damages to either vehicle. If the other vehicle is damaged, the driver must notify the owner/driver immediately. The driver must also provide pertinent information about the accident to the security office and the parking attendant on duty. The parking attendant notifies the Federal Protective Service and Headquarters Security Office. In the event the parking office is closed at the time of the accident, or the discovery of the accident, these notifications should be accomplished at the first opportunity when the parking office is open for business. Files to claim damages caused by the contractor parking attendant employee should be filed with that contractor. The requisite forms may be obtained from the parking attendant.

14. What do I do about my car being parked in the garage while I am on travel?
Many permit holders are required to travel around the country on official business. As a courtesy to our customers, the Forrestal garage is available for permit holders to park their car for the duration of their trip. The following are guidelines that you should take if you wish to leave your car in the Forrestal garage.

  • The car must be parked against the wall.
  • Have your valid monthly permit displayed in the parked car for the duration of your trip.
  • Notify the parking attendants of your desire to leave the vehicle in the garage.
  • Notify the attendants of the lane the car is parked in to avoid any confusion.
  • Make sure your vehicle is locked. Do not leave your keys with anyone. The parking attendants are not responsible for moving your car.

15. What if my car becomes disabled in the garage?
First of all, notify the parking attendants (before 6:00 P.M.) or the security guard (after 6:00 P.M.) at 202-586-6900. They are not there to help with repairs to your car, but they can help insure that no one is blocked by your disabled car.

Call a tow truck or your towing company (e.g., AAA).  Please inform the tow truck that there is a 6'9" height clearance in the garage.

Notify the garage attendants or after 6:00 P.M. the security guards about the tow truck. Inform them of the name of the towing company and their time of arrival.

Please note, the parking attendants do not have the equipment to "fix" your car. The attendants cannot open locked cars, they do not have jumper cables, spare tires, etc.

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Travel (Go to the Travel page)

1. Does ADTRAV have a system to allow travelers to retrieve their itinerary at their convenience?
ADTRAV emails the itinerary with the ticket number and service fee information to the traveler. At no cost to the traveler.

2. What are the fees that airlines are charging to print paper tickets?

$50.00 Paper Ticket Fees

  • American Airlines
  • American West
  • Alaska Airlines
  • Continental Airlines
  • Northwest
  • U.S. Airways

$25.00 Paper Ticket Fees

  • Hawaiian Airlines
  • Delta Airlines

$20.00 Paper Ticket Fees

  • Midwest Airlines
  • Lufthansa Airlines
  • United Airlines
  • Air France
  • British Airway

3. Will ADTRAV provide a standard form (template) for e-mail and fax travel reservations?
Yes, you can obtain a copy of the form from the ADTRAV Web site: http://www.adtrav.com/doe/rezrequest_doe_form.htm

Travel: Non-Refundable Tickets

1. How do I find a non-refundable ticket?
Call ADTRAV or research at FedTrav.com, Click on “All Flight Schedules” before initiating the search.

2. Can I purchase the ticket immediately if I find it? 
No, as a Federal employee, travelers must travel in accordance with the rules and regulations set forth in the Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) 301-2.1 [shown below].  The FTR states that you must have an approved Travel Authorization (TA).  TAs will need to be approved within 24 hours to secure the non-refundable price, however, prices are not guaranteed.

3. §301-2.1  Must I have authorization to travel?
Yes, generally you must have written or electronic authorization prior to incurring any travel expense. If it is not practicable or possible to obtain such authorization prior to travel, your agency may approve a specific authorization for reimbursement of travel expenses after travel is completed. However, written or electronic advance authorization is required for items in §301-2.5(c), (i), (n), and (o) of this part.

4. After I have an approved TA, can I make the reservation myself? 
No, Federal Travel Regulations (FTR) states that all government travel must be through a Travel Management Center under contract to the government, FTR 301-50.3 [shown below in #5].  DOE HQ’s TMC is ADTRAV.

5. FTR 301-50.3  Must I use the ETS or TMS to arrange my travel?
Yes, if you are an employee of an agency as defined in §301-1.1 of this chapter, you must use the E-Gov Travel Service when your agency makes it available to you. Until then, you must use your agency’s existing Travel Management Service (TMS) to make your travel arrangements.  If you are an employee of the Department of Defense (DoD) or of the Government of the District of Columbia, you must arrange your travel in accordance with your agency’s TMS.  Your agency may grant an exception to required use of TMS/ETS under §§301-50.4, 301-73.102, or 301-73.104 of this chapter.

6. Why do we need to have a TMC? 
GSA has the responsibility to report to Congress as to ALL government air travel, and GSA utilizes the TMCs to provide the information to meet its accountability and reporting/tracking requirements to Congress and provides critical data for its actual contractual discussions with the airlines each year.  The TMC provides the agency with a check and balance ensuring that the agency is meeting its legal requirements as set forth in the FTR. 

Additionally, ADTRAV will conduct a side by side comparison between the contract fare and non-refundable fare to ensure that the lowest fare to the government is being ticketed.

7.  Why will the price change if not ticketed within 24 hours? 
Non-refundable ticket prices are not guarantee as with contract fares.  Carrier tariffs change frequently throughout a 24 hour period and are never guaranteed.  The closer you get to departure, the higher the price.

8.  Does a contract fare change? 
No, contract fares are the result of negotiations between the government through GSA and the airlines.  The contract fares are set each October and are valid for that FY and do not change.

9.  Can the traveler be held financially responsible for the transaction?
Yes, the traveler can be held responsible:

  • The FTR states that the traveler can be held financially responsible for his/her travel transactions if the transaction is not in compliance with the FTR.
  • As to penalties and fees associated with any changes to a non-refundable ticket, please refer to DOE Notice “Travel using the Government’s Contract City-Pair Air Fares and Non-Contract Air Fares (including non-refundable air fares)”.

10. How can I pay for a non-refundable ticket that has to be issued against my government credit card immediately if my travel is scheduled for a later date?
All tickets issued more than 30 days to travel will be placed on the House Account.  Traveler/Travel Arranger will need to call the Travel Desk at (301) 903-2500, Option 4, Option 2 to arrange for House Account approval.

Useful Travel Telephone Numbers and Websites:

AdTrav: 1-888-205-2369
   Fax #: 205-444-4839
   Email: doedc@adtrav.com

GovTrip Help Desk: 301-903-2500
                                 Option 4, then 2
Gov Trip On-Line Reference: http://gotravel.doe.gov

DOE Travel Manual:  https://www.directives.doe.gov/directives/archive-directives/552.1-DManual-1/view

Federal Travel Regulation: http://www.gsa.gov/ftr

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Document Imaging (Go to Document Imaging page)

1. How do I submit a job?
Bring the documents to Room BH-071 in the Forrestal building.  The documents need to be marked with the file name.  Customers will be asked to fill out an order form with their information.

2. Is this service done on-site?
This service is done on-site at the Forrestal building.  There is not an office at Germantown.

3. How long does it take to scan in a request?
It depends on how many pages need to be scanned.  The group will work with you to meet deadlines or other timeframes as needed.  There are often several jobs being worked on at the same time and normally your job is put into the workflow and will be processed when proper attention can be paid to the preparation and scanning.

4. What file formats do you provide?
We generally provide PDF files to the customers in Acrobat + Text format, where you see and print the scans of the actual page and there is a layer of text from the optical character recognition (OCR) behind the image for text searching and indexing purposes..  The conversion can also create RTF files that are editable in word processors; the conversion does an excellent job of recognizing and creating text though formatting and other word processing cleanup is often needed.

5. What is the cost for this service?
The cost is 28 cents per page.  This includes: document preparation, scanning in black and white and color up to 11" x 17", quality controls to ensure all pages are scanned in and as readable as possible, optical character recognition using a state-of-the-art system, and creation of discs of the converted files.

6. Can you scan classified documents?
No.

7. Do you recycle or return original documents?
It is up to the customer whether they want their documents returned to them or recycled.  We can recycle documents if there is not any PII (Personally Identifiable Information) on them.  If you need the papers shredded or placed in burn bags that is the responsibility of your office.

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Courier Services (Go to Courier Services page)

1. What are the times of the courier runs?
The courier leaves Germantown at 11:15 a. m. and 3:15 p. m. The Forrestal courier leaves for Germantown at 10:15 a. m. and 2:15 p. m.

2. Do you deliver to (various addresses)?
Transportation office delivers to other government agencies in the Washington Metro area.

3. Can I send (varied sizes of boxes, awkward size packages, fragile packages) on the regular courier run?
The limit is five boxes unless classified. Fragile packages must be properly wrapped, and the Transportation Team is not liable for damage to pictures, plants, computers etc. The items must be able to fit into the trunk of a compact sedan.

4. Does the Transportation Team hand deliver packages to the addressee?
No, the Transportation Team does not hand deliver courier packages. The addressee is contacted to pick up package.

5. How long does it take a courier to get downtown?
Approximately one hour depending on the traffic and weather conditions.

6. Can I send classified material via courier service? What are the requirements to send classified material via courier?
Yes, material must be properly wrapped with proper receipt completed. See: Headquarters Facilities Master Security Plan Chapter 11, Paragraph 11c and 11d.

7. If I miss the regularly scheduled courier run, what can I do?
Please contact Transportation Office, Forrestal 6-8600 or Germantown 3-4330.

8. Where do I get status on courier package?
Contact the Transportation Team from which the service was initiated.

9. If I am unable to a pickup package when called how long will the Transportation Team hold the package?
After 24 hours an e-mail is generated to the person and their supervisor.

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Carpeting

1. How can I get my carpet shampooed or repaired?
Submit your requisitions in room 1F-038. Once received a representative will come to your office to make an analyses of your request. At that time you will receive more information on how to proceed.

2. How can I get new carpet in my office?
New carpet is provided only when an office current carpet has reached its life cycle or has been severely damaged due to normal wear and tear.

3. What can I do when I have a carpet emergency such as water damage or bad spills?
Call Kelvin Jamison on (202) 586-9126, or Pat Love on (202) 586-6100 for assistance.

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Moving

Moving Labor Information
Our team provides office relocations and reshuffles, office pre-renovation moves, furniture and equipment delivery and pick-up for turn-in, set-up of exhibits or venue for special projects and various other labor services.

Warehousing Information
The Department of Energy Headquarters warehouses furniture, equipment and office supplies at its Germantown, Maryland facility. This facility receives, inspects, and readies for delivery new equipment and furniture ordered for HQ program offices. This facility also serves as a hub for the property and equipment you no longer want. Those items are offered to other government agencies on the federal, state, local and municipal levels for use at their offices, unless the property is damaged.

1. How do I schedule a move?
For more than a five station move you must attend the Space meeting, which is held every Tuesday at 9:00 A. M. in room 1G-079. For less than five stations, in contact the Support Services Group directly (Helen Bailey) on (202) 586-6508.

2. Where do I go to get packing boxes?
All packing boxes are located in the Self Service Store in room GA-171. If you're getting (15) or less boxes you can pick them up from the self service store yourself. For more than (15) contact Helen Bailey on (202) 586-6508, and provide her your badge number along with the number of boxes you are requesting.

3. Who is my contact if furniture is damaged during a move?
If your furniture is damage during a move, please contact Terry Butler on (202) 586-2001 for assistance.

4. Who do I call to put furniture in position after construction, painting, and carpet replacement have taken place in my office?
When construction and painting take place in your office, you should call your Facilities representative. For carpet replacement please contact Anthony Walker on (202) 586-0202 or Mike Johnson on (202) 586-0202 for assistance.

5. What paperwork is needed for a move?
A to/from move sheet is needed for any station move. All items to be moved must be checked off on the to/from sheet. This sheet must contain each person who is moving, room numbers where items are being moved from and to, also it must have the signature of the Administrative Officer. This information MUST be sent to Helen Bailey's no later than 1 day before your move. Her number is (202) 586-6508. If forms are not received or you haven't contacted Helen before the scheduled move, the move will not take place.
 

Last updated 06/15/12