FAQs Tri Mission France Security Requirements

Transcription

1 FAQs Tri Mission France Security Requirements We appreciate all of the due diligence being conducted by each of the travel offices to ensure that DOE travelers are in compliance with established requirements and regulations. Traveler safety and compliance with established security requirements are of utmost importance. We would like to reinforce that this is a requirement of the Tri Mission that Control Officers are able to contact and speak with all travelers who are in country if needed. Travelers are required to respond to s and phone calls inquiring about their safety immediately. Please reinforce with the traveler that their vigilance and responsiveness to s/calls from the US Embassy is of paramount importance. Inability of the U.S. Embassy to reach the traveler in a timely manner will result in serious consequences up to and including expulsion from the country and/or disapproval of future travel. We would also like to remind travel offices that due to the overwhelming volume of DOE federal and contractor employees visiting France, DOE France requires a lead time of two weeks for ecc processing. The Department of Energy France (bilateral engagement) points of contact are: Jess Bahnak Kim Walterthum Office Director/Attaché Assistant Bahnakjd@state.gov walterthumka@state.gov Office Phone: +33 (0) Office Phone: +33 (0) Mobile: +33 (0) Mobile: +33 (0) The following information is REQUIRED for all travelers and MUST be noted on the ecc: An ACCURATE INTERNATIONALLY ENABLED MOBILE PHONE NUMBER IS REQUIRED Work and, if relevant, personal addresses that are immediately accessible to the traveler 24 hours a day/7 days a week Point(s) of Contact (name/phone number/title) and all official meeting/venue information (address/venue phone) in France. THIS INCLUDES INFORMATION FOR ALL VISIT LOCATIONS THROUGHOUT FRANCE. Emergency contact information in the US: traveler s Work Supervisor (name/ /office phone/mobile phone). Emergency contact information in the US: DOE facility watch office/emergency operations center (phone number and ) Complete travel information for ALL legs of travel this includes travel by car between destinations Travelers are advised to register in the STEP system Q: Who is the control officer of the visit? A: In general that will be the DOE France Office Director. Control officer information is listed on the approved ecc. This is the person the traveler would reach out to if they needed assistance while in country.

2 Q: I have multiple travelers going to the same conference; can I send one ecc for all travelers? A: The ONLY time that multiple travelers will be accepted on one ecc is if all travelers arrive and depart the same day/time from France AND they are all staying in the same hotel. In this case, all legs of travel need to be clearly indicated by traveler s last name. All other required information is needed for each individual traveler. If the travelers are arriving and/or departing from France on different days/times and/or staying at different hotels, then an ecc for each traveler is required to be submitted. Q: Where do you want the required information placed in the ecc? A: Internationally enabled Mobile Phone: Additional info indicate that it is an internationally enabled mobile phone 24/7 accessible address: Additional info indicate if it is work or personal (work strongly preferred if available 24/7). Points of contact and venue information: Under Purpose of the visit listed in the following manner: Host name, title, phone number, Venue name, venue address, venue phone, for each meeting. US Emergency Contacts (US Supervisor/ DOE facility watch office/emergency operations center): Either in under Emergency contact or Other Comments/Remarks Q: Traveler does not have an international enabled mobile phone. Traveler will probably receive a loaner phone from Headquarters or the Laboratory and will not have the phone number until closer to departure, how should this be handled? A: That is up to you, but we CANNOT approve any eccs without an internationally enabled mobile phone where the traveler can be reached 24/7 while in France. This phone must be able to make and receive calls to and from France. The traveler must have the telephone fully charged, turned on, and must monitor and accept phone calls at any time. If an ecc without an internationally enabled cell phone number indicated is submitted, it will be sent back requesting more information. Q: In the case of a group traveling together (same conference, same meetings, same transport options into and out of country etc) do you need an internationally enabled mobile for every member of the group? A: Yes, an internationally enabled mobile number each traveler (as outlined above) is required. Emergencies strike at all times of day and there could very well be a scenario where a group is separated and unable to account for one another. Thus, the ability to directly contact each traveler is critical.

3 Q: In the case of a conference, we do not always have a person as the host contact, or if we can find a person who is the conference chair, for example, we can't always find a phone number for that person. What can be provided to meet the requirements? A: Please contact the traveler to see if they have additional information or a person they have been working with for attendance to the conference to obtain the required information. If still not successful, provide the maximum amount of information that you can concerning the host (if there is one) and the venue (address, phone number). Q: What do I do if a traveler s travel information (flights/trains/hotels ) change? If travel is cancelled? A: Send an to DOE France asking them to return the ecc and indicating that it is to update information in the ecc. The ecc will be sent back asking for more information, so that it can be updated. DO NOT CREATE A NEW ECC, this creates duplicates in the ecc system. Such changes, particularly at the very last minute, must be minimized to the extent possible. As we have dozens of travelers in France at any given time, we sincerely appreciate if travelers minimize itinerary changes. NOTE: If it is a change of hotel, DOE France can update that information on our end in the ecc system, so a clear indicating the change is sufficient for us to update the lodging information. If the travel is cancelled, cancel the ecc in the system as soon as possible. If it is a last minute cancellation, also send an to DOE France informing us of the cancellation. Q: What is STEP? Why does the traveler have to register with it? A: Smart Traveler Enrollment Program (STEP) is a Department of State program that allows a traveler is a free service to allow travelers going abroad to enroll their trip with the nearest U.S. Embassy or Consulate. Signing up for the STEP Program allows travelers to receive important information from the Embassy about safety conditions in the destination country, helping the traveler make informed decisions about travel plans. It also helps the U.S. Embassy to contact the traveler in an emergency, whether natural disaster, civil unrest, or family emergency. With the traveler being registered in STEP, they will automatically receive any security warnings that are being issued for France (or any country they register for) while they are in country. If the message has been sent in regards to an emergency that is currently in process, the traveler is required to respond by forwarding to DOE France the with a brief message stating that they are safe and aware of the situation. This will help us account for the traveler s safety when they are here. Q: Regarding STEP, it seems that if you are NOT a US citizen, the website does not allow you to enroll/register. It only gives you an option to subscribe to receive the latest travel alerts and warning. In this case, does adding your address to receive the travel alert and warning satisfy the requirement for STEP registration? A: Yes, please have foreign national travelers register by signing up for the travel alerts/and warnings. They should then receive any warnings/or alerts issued by Embassy France in case or an emergency.

4 Q: Does the traveler have to register each time they travel in STEP? A: It depends on how the traveler registers. If the traveler is not a U.S. Citizen or national then they end up signing for alerts (like a subscription) for the country (or countries) they travel to. They will continue to receive alerts for the countries until they unsubscribe. If the traveler is a U.S. Citizen, it can be more tailored to their specific travel dates. They can even create an account to make it easier to update their travel information. Q: Does the STEP system and the ecc connect with each other? A: No, STEP and ecc are two separate and distinct programs. Q: If a traveler is going to be in another country for official business, and they want to go to France for personal reasons, where no business is being conducted, do they need to register in STEP? A: An ecc is required only if the traveler comes on official business. If not on official business, registering in STEP is not REQUIRED, but is strongly recommended. Also note, STEP is a worldwide program that can be used for any travel throughout the world. Q: What information is REQUIRED for travelers only transiting through France to another destination? A: If transiting through France to their final destination and the travelers does not pass through customs or exit the airport, then no country clearance is required. Q: What information is REQUIRED for travelers who layover in France to another destination? A: All information is needed (International mobile number, address, complete hotel information, complete flight information, and emergency point of contact in the U.S. - work supervisor and the DOE facility watch office/emergency operations center). Q: How long does a traveler have to be in country before the Embassy security briefing requirement kicks in? A: More than ten business days (Monday through Friday) Q: When does the counting of more than 10 business days start, the day of arrival in France or the day business actually begins? A: The counting of the 10 business days starts once the traveler lands in France and goes through until the traveler departs country. If the traveler is departing France on the 11 th business day then the briefing is not required. Q: If a trip is over 10 BUSINESS days in France (no matter where), travelers are REQUIRED to come to Embassy Paris on Tuesdays for the security briefing. Is it possible for the travelers to call into the Embassy to hear the briefing through a conference call or a video conference call? Or, is it possible to use the DOE Counterintelligence office for the briefing and they report to the Embassy a briefing was provided?

5 A: At this time, all NON-DOE travelers here more than 10 business days are REQUIRED to attend the security briefing at the US Embassy in Paris. This needs to be done within the first week they are in France. How the traveler wishes to arrange their itinerary in order to comply with this requirement is their decision. All DOE travelers, both from headquarters and Labs, have the possibility to receive the briefing from their local DOE Counterintelligence office. This would remove the obligation of passing through Paris to attend the briefing. Please note that one of the two options for receiving the briefing MUST be completed if travel is for more than 10 business days. Q: How do we inform you that the Traveler has signed up for the security briefing? A: Note: no ecc will be approved until this has been done for travelers in country longer than 10 business days. Please respond with this information under other comments in the ecc, please put a comment that the traveler has signed up for the briefing along with the date of the briefing. Travelers receiving the briefing from the DOE counterintelligence office are REQUIRED to complete the Security Briefing Acknowledgment form. That form then needs to be sent back to DOE France (Jess Bahnak and Kim Walterthum). In order for the ecc to be approved DOE-France MUST have a copy of the traveler s Security Briefing Acknowledgment form and the date of the briefing must be noted on the ecc in order for it to be approved. Q: Can I attend a briefing on a different day or time? How long does it last? (Related to the briefing in Paris only) A: No, Embassy Paris only offers the briefings on Tuesdays at 10:30 am. Typically the briefing lasts between minutes, depending on the number of questions asked. Q: If travel to the Embassy in Paris is required and the Embassy only has Tuesday briefings, will the traveler have to go to France a week ahead of time for the Tuesday briefing? A: As above, it is up to the traveler to decide how they wish to arrange their travel to allow them to complete in this requirement. It needs to be completed within a week of their arrival in France. Q: Travelers that go to France for more than 10 BUSINESS days multiple times a year, do they need to attend the security briefing every single time? Or is the briefing good for 1 year, 2 years or longer? A: The briefing is good for two years. Please note in the ecc request the date of the last security briefing. Q: If the traveler is not a U.S. citizen or national do they still need to attend the security briefing? Does this also apply if the traveler is French?

6 A: Yes to both questions. If the traveler is a USG employee and they are in France longer than 10 consecutive business days they need to attend the briefing. Q: I am traveling to CERN (Switzerland) for meetings/work and will be there longer than 10 consecutive business days. While working in CERN, my lodging is located in France. Do I need to attend the Embassy Paris RSO Security Briefing? A: Yes, TDY personnel working in Geneva at CERN, but lodging in France for more than 10 consecutive business days must attend the RSO briefing at either at a DOE counterintelligence office or Embassy Paris. Please note, that RSO Geneva will track these travelers for accountability purposes in case of an emergency. Q: Do you have additional information about the MIR3 system? I am unfamiliar with how it works, and how one signs up. A: The information on how to sign up for MIR 3 was included in the original . It is the last couple of pages of the US Embassy Paris RSO Security Handbook. MIR3 is a requirement for those here longer than 10 business days. Q: What is MIR3? A: MIR3 is the name of a program for mass notifications; this is the product Tri Mission France uses to reach out to people to contact in France during an emergency situation. The emergency cascade is a system that is triggered by an event that the Tri Mission France deems serious enough that everyone under COM (Chief of Mission) authority needs to be notified and accounted for. If a message is received, then the traveler is required to answer/reply to the message (to DOE France) that they are aware of the situation and if they are or are not safe. Q: For the MIR3, since our travelers do not address, they would have to each call individually to register for it? A: MIR3 is applicable only for those who will be here more than 10 business days and receive the RSO briefing. We understand that they should be able to sign up with a.gov address. All travelers are to register in STEP.