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Explanation of DOJ Standards

Following the bombing of the Alfred P. Murrah Federal Building in Oklahoma City, the President directed that an assessment of federal facilities be conducted to determine their vulnerability to acts of terrorism and other forms of violence. As a result, a set of minimum security standards was developed that could be applied to the various federal facilities.  The standards covers the subjects of perimeter, entry, interior security and security planning.

Because of the considerable differences among federal facilities and their security needs, the federal holdings were divided into five security levels to determine which minimum standards should be applied.  These five levels are determined by facility size, number of employees, use and required public access.  The levels range from Level I (typically leased with ten or fewer employees) to Level V (such as the Pentagon or CIA Headquarters with large number of employees and critical missions). 

Because of the diverse mission and size of the Department of Commerce  facilities, each individual site is reviewed individually taking into account their unique missions, threat, crime and surrounding environment.  Following is the criteria for assigning facility Levels:

Level I

  • 10 or fewer employees
  • 2,500 or less square feet of office space; and
  • A low volume of public contact

Facility Security Certification Form Doj Security Level I

Level II

  • 11 to 150 federal employees
  • From 2,500 to 80,000 square feet;
  • A moderate volume of public contact; and
  • Federal activities that are routine in nature, similar to commercial activities.

Facility Security Certification Form Doj Security Level II

Level III

  • 151 to 450 federal employees
  • From 80,000 to 150,000
  • A moderate/high volume of public contact
  • Tenant agencies may include law enforcement agencies, court/related agencies and functions, and government records and archives

Facility Security Certification Form Doj Security Level III

Level IV

  • Has over 450 federal employees
  • More than 150,000 square feet
  • High volume of public contact; and
  • Tenant agencies that may include high-risk law enforcement and intelligence agencies, courts, judicial offices, and highly sensitive government records

Facility Security Certification Form Doj Security Level IV

Level V

  • Similar to Level IV in terms of employees and square footage
  • Similar building Pentagon or CIA Headquarters that contains mission functions critical to national security
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Last Modified: Tuesday, 04-Sep-2007 09:44:02 PDT