GA A3.:lo . PJ T4 lo/~ A Newsletter of the Georgia Building Authority Helen Scholes, Executive Director Volume 6, No. 4 Fall Issue GBA TIGHTENS ACCESS /Jy Heather Hedrick Shatee Wilson (left) and Rob Saunders (right) are bo th Wackenh ut Security Offi cers, working in the courtyard between the AgTiculture and G BA buildings. T he events of Tuesday, September 11, 2001 changed the lives of people all over the United States. Terrorist attacks on the World Trade Center in N ew York C ity and on the Pentagon in Washington, D. C. made citizens feel vulnerable in the ir workplace. Workers in Atlanta, G eorgia are no exception . The G eorgia Building Authority (G BA) , which handles the daily operation of over 50 buildings housing thousands of state government employees in the metro Atlanta area , sprang into action following the attacks. CLOSURE OF UNDERGROUND PARKING On the morning of September 11, G BA severely restricted access to all underground parking situated beneath buildings housing state employees. Thi s act ion allowed only those with a properly programmed card to ga in entry. G BA Executive Director Helen Scholes then quickly formulated a team of individuals to organize and plan a methodica l approach to respond to America 's new threat. GBA TEAMS WITH STATE PARTNERS GBA began by teaming with the G eorgia Emergency Management Agency (GEMA), headed by Director Gary McC onnell. GBA positioned a staff member at the GEMA Central Operations Center to provide information about GBA facilities. GEMA put GBA in touch with a group of extensively trained security experts, to evaluate risks and potential dangers in GBA facilities. This group of highly trained experts is currently performing a comprehensive risk assessment of all GBA properties , one building at a time. In the meantime, GBA is implementing the experts' specific recommendations to improve control over the entrances and ex its to its facilities. GBA also teamed with the Georgia Merit System (GMS), the Department of Public Safety Capitol Police Division (DPS), and the State Fire Marshal to eva luate risks and develop mitigation st r a teg ies . INCREASED PROPERTY RESOURCE OFFICER PRESENCE Sh ortly after September 11, G BA contracted with the Wackenhut Corporation, a private security firm based in Atlanta, to employ an additional 36 individuals at G BA buildings. While this number change fro m day to day, GBA has increa ed the pre ence of Property Resource O fficers around Capitol Hill. Many locatio ns that once had no manned post are now staffed with an officer during regular business hours. Fo r exa mple, most pedestrian footbridge , courtyards, parking decks, underground parking and main entrances to GBA facilities are now staffed with Property Resource Officers during normal working hours. GBA is currently seeking to employ several Property Resource Officers by advertising on the age ncy web site and contacting airline employees who were affected in recent layoffs. VALIDATION OF THE CARDKEY SYSTEM Over time, many employees who were issued a card have left state employment and no t returned their card. Many have been deactivated, but in some cases GBA was never notified that the employee was gone. Still other cards have been handed down to replacement employees but are still carried in the GBA database under the name of the original owner. - continued on /x1ge 2 GBA TIGHTENS ACCESS continued from page I Pro/Jerry Resource Officer Vicky Jackson verrifys rha r Joan Simmons, Capitol Tour Manager, is carrying her ID upon entering the Twin Towers building. GBA is producing a comprehensive report for each agency head of all the individuals from his or her agency who h ave been issued a card , including each person's access locations. GBA is requesting that each agency review employees' access locations and times and then send back the list, marking out all individuals who are no longer employed. This will ensure that GBA allows employees to have access to the buildings that they need to perform their jobs, without granting excess access. ID AND CARD ENFORCEMENT GBA has begun to strictly enforce rules regarding identification badges and card entrances to buildings and parking lots. All state employees are asked to wear the ir GBA issued ID badges visibly at all times when on state property. Officers station ed at the entrances to buildings are asking to see a state ID badge from everyone who enters. G BA is also enhancing the use of the card doors to its facilities. Employees are asked not to tape or prop open any doors and GBA is insisting that all employees use their prog rammed card to enter a locked door. TESTING OF CALL SYSTEMS G BA has recently completed a comprehensive test of all emergency blue light panic buttons located thro ughout GBA parking fac ilities. These panic buttons, which are located underneath flashing blue lights in parking lots, are connected directly to the G BA VCR roo m, which is manned 24-hours a day. VC R operators watch telev ision screens show ing hundreds of locations all over Capi tol Hill and the surrounding areas. When operators receive an incoming panic button call, they immediately contact the Capitol Police Division (DPS ), which will dispatch an officer to the location . The recent test of panic buttons identified a few h ardware problems, which are being repaired immediately. EXTERIOR DOOR EVALUATION Contracted security experts are working with GBA staff to evaluate all exterior doors to GBA fac ilities to determine which ones need added card and emergency egress mechanisms. The team is gathering information on the traffic flow for each door, as well as additional signage and emergency exit n eeds. Th e GBA Facilities Support Team pours Iconcrete at the 244 Washington parking garage w create a swrdier entrance . UNDERGROUND PARKING MODIFICATIONS Upon recommendations from DPS, GBA instituted new policies involving many of its underground parking lots located underneath GBA buildings housing state employees. Specifically, one such area is the large parking lot located under the Judicial, 244 & 254 Washington, 270 Washington , 47 Trinity and Department of Transportation buildings. This parking lot h as 5 roll-up door ex its, opening on to many different streets. The parking lots all merge underneath the buildings. Due to potential risks unde rneath these buildings, GBA has