Criminals and terrorists are becoming increasingly effective in collecting intelligence against U.S. agencies and corporations. To be successful, they need specific information about personnel, response plans, capabilities, and infrastructures.

 

Operations Security (OPSEC) is a five-step risk management tool used by security professionals and the military that public safety agencies could use to deny our adversaries the sensitive information they need to plan their crimes and attacks. The OPSACTP is designed for public safety and special operations teams such as WMD/Hazmat, Bomb Squads, Tactical Teams, Arson and Gang Investigations, and the like.

 

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) held a dedication ceremony for a unique advanced counterterrorism facility last March at the FLETC-Glynco site.

 

The Federal Law Enforcement Training Center's Building 76 is an 88,000-square-foot, multi-venue training site that is a key piece of the FLETC’s Practical Applications/Counterterrorism Operations Training Facility (PA/CTOTF). These facilities are a vital component of the expanded mission and training requirements of FLETC’s more than 80 Partner Organizations.

 

A former dormitory was converted to simulate a Federal building (including a courthouse, cell block, intake office, detainee processing areas and prisoner interview areas), hotel, motel, crime-scene-investigation apartments, restaurant and tactical training areas. The training venues are intended to replicate real-world settings, and designed to meet the goal of providing trainees with conceivable situations in a controlled training environment.

 

“The events on September 11 changed the way law enforcement trains by requiring new skills to combat terrorism,” said FLETC Director Connie Patrick. “These facilities were specifically built to allow our Partner Organizations to develop these specialized skills.”

 

"Serving in the Secret Service was a lot like having a front seat in history. I can tell you from personal experience that having that front seat is not always desirable. There are many events throughout our history we would like to be able to erase or perhaps to have prevented such as assassinations, world wars, conflicts, and natural disasters. To that list we now add the events of September 11, 2001."

 

The opening ceremony last March featured a color guard provided by the New York Police Department and The Port Authority of New York and New Jersey Police Force.

 

FLETC Director Connie Patrick, and several other FLETC Partner Organizations representatives, unveiled the facility's on-site memorial art piece in honor of the victims of the 9/11 terrorist attacks.

 

The centerpiece of the memorial is an “I” beam from the World Trade Center, which was donated by the city of New York. The beam is shielded by white marble to represent respect, love and remembrance; nine pieces to the left and 11 pieces to the right. The sculpture was created in remembrance of the tragic events on September 11, 2001.

 

“Both our training facility and the memorial were shaped by the heroic actions of the law enforcement professional who made the ultimate sacrifice on that fateful autumn day,” said Director Patrick.

 

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