USGS Homeland Security Operations Center

Please ensure that employees without access to email receive a copy of this transmission. 

In Reply Refer To: 
Mail Stop 119 


                           MEMORANDUM 

                                                                        
                                             September 27, 2001 

To:             All USGS Employees 

From:            Chip Groat (signed) 
                Director 

Subject:        USGS Homeland Security Operations Center         

To provide a coordinated bureau response to requests for assistance 
related to the September 11 tragedy, I have established the USGS Homeland 
Security Operations Center (HSOC).  The HSOC will serve as the focal point 
for all external requests for USGS assistance and information. 

The Department has issued specific guidelines for responding to requests 
for information from Congress and the media.  We are required to keep 
senior management in the Department informed about the nature of the 
inquiries and our response, so they in turn can keep the White House 
informed.  In certain cases, we may be asked to let the Department handle 
a given inquiry. 

All inquiries and requests about the attacks or USGS activities related to 
them, in the past and future, must be sent to the HSOC (Marty Eckes (703) 
648-5746).  HSOC will catalog the requests and responses and the USGS 
Office of Communications, which serves as our link to the Department, will 
review and approve all responses to congressional and media inquiries.  If 
you have any questions about handling media or congressional inquiries, 
please contact the Office of Communications at (703) 648-4599.