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Management Alert —Potential Safety Issue atthe FLETC ArtesiaWarehouseDecember 8, 2017OIG-18-31

DHS OIG HIGHLIGHTSManagement Alert — Potential Safety Issueat the FLETC Artesia WarehouseDecember , 2017Why We DidThis AlertThis Alert is part of anongoing audit to reviewtraining strategies andcapabilities for U.S. Customsand Border Protection andU.S. Immigration andCustoms Enforcement.Because of a potential safetyconcern, we believe it isimportant to inform you nowabout an issue identified atthe Border Patrol Academy,located at the Federal LawEnforcement Training Center(FLETC) in Artesia, NewMexico.What WeRecommendWe recommend FLETCconduct engineering andsafety evaluations and makenecessary repairs to Building13 to ensure the safety of allpersonnel; and ensure athorough safety evaluation isconducted of the drivingcourse.For Further Information:What We FoundDuring our August 2017 site visit to the FLETC ArtesiaTraining Center, we identified a potential safety issue at awarehouse, Building 13. The Border Patrol Academy hadbeen using the warehouse to train new hires on searchand conveyance.In 2009, a vehicle from an adjacent driving course struckthe warehouse. The collision left a hole in the metalsiding of the warehouse and damaged one of thesupporting columns, bending it and shearing it off at thebuilding foundation, as well as damaging the column’sattached roof beam.FLETC officials could not provide documentation tosupport that an engineering evaluation was conducted todetermine whether the accident affected the integrity ofthe warehouse structure. Border Patrol Academy officialsalso expressed safety concerns about using thewarehouse to train new hires.Continuing to use the warehouse for training and otherpurposes without an independent engineering orstructural safety evaluation may increase the safety riskfor trainees and staff. Additionally, continuing to use thedriving course adjacent to the warehouse withoutevaluating the need for safety barriers increases the riskof injury to people and damage to property.FLETC ResponseFLETC officials agreed with our two recommendationsand have procured the services of an engineering firm toevaluate the safety of Building 13 and the adjacentdriving course.Contact our Office of Public Affairs at(202) 254-4100, or email us hs.govOIG-18-31

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland SecurityWashington, DC 20528 / www.oig.dhs.govDecember , 2017MEMORANDUM FOR:Thomas J. WaltersDirectorFederal Law Enforcement Training CenterFROM:John V. KellyActing Inspector GeneralSUBJECT:Management Alert — Potential Safety Issue at theFLETC Artesia WarehouseFor your action is our final report, Management Alert — Potential Safety Issueat the FLETC Artesia Warehouse. We incorporated the formal commentsprovided by your office.The report contains two recommendations aimed at improving the safety atFederal Law Enforcement Training Center’s (FLETC) training venues. Youroffice concurred with both recommendations. Based on information provided inyour response to the draft report, we consider recommendations 1 and 2 openand resolved.Once your office has fully implemented the recommendations, please submit aformal closeout letter to us within 30 days so that we may close therecommendations. The memorandum should be accompanied by evidence ofcompletion of agreed-upon corrective actions. Please send your response orclosure request to OIGAuditsFollowup@oig.dhs.gov.Consistent with our responsibility under the Inspector General Act, we willprovide copies of our report to congressional committees with oversight andappropriation responsibility over the Department of Homeland Security. We willpost the report on our website for public dissemination.Please call me with any questions, or your staff may contact John E. McCoy II,Acting Assistant Inspector General for Audits at (202) 254-4100; orDonald Bumgardner, Deputy Assistant Inspector General for Audits, at(202) 254-4100.www.oig.dhs.gov

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland SecurityBackgroundThe Federal Law Enforcement Training Center (FLETC) Artesia Training Centerin New Mexico is one of three FLETC residential training sites in the UnitedStates. This 3,620-acre site has the capacity to house between 1,700 and 1,800students at any given time. The property features a full range of facilities forconducting basic and advanced law enforcement training. The training centerincludes fences that replicate barriers used throughout various borderlocations; classrooms; interview suites; indoor and outdoor ranges; live-fireshoot houses; non-lethal shoot houses; airplanes; and pistol shootingsimulators. Also available are practical exercise sites with checkpoints, barns,vehicle inspection areas (buses and trains), and multiple driving courses.The Border Patrol Academy is a tenant agency at the FLETC Artesia TrainingCenter, where it conducts basic training for new hires. Academy officials planto hold 24 classes of 50 students each in fiscal year 2018.1Following a request from Border Patrol Academy officials in FY 2016 for avenue to conduct search and conveyance training, FLETC designated Building13 for that purpose. The warehouse had been in use to store property since thebuilding was damaged by a vehicle in 2009.Results of AuditDuring our August 2017 site visit to the FLETC Artesia Training Center, weidentified a potential safety issue at a warehouse, Building 13. The BorderPatrol Academy had been using the warehouse to train new hires on searchand conveyance. In January 2009, a vehicle from an adjacent driving coursestruck the warehouse (see figure 1 for a picture of the accident).1 The FY 2018 classes scheduled do not include the capacity increase expected from theExecutive Order to hire an additional 5,000 Border Patrol agents.www.oig.dhs.gov2OIG-18-31

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland SecurityFigure 1. Accident SiteWarehouse Accident SiteSource: FLETC Accident Investigation Report, dated September 2009The collision left a hole in the metal siding of the warehouse and damaged oneof the supporting columns, bending it and shearing it off at the buildingfoundation, as well as damaging the column’s attached roof beam(see figures 2 and 3, which show the warehouse damage).Figure 2. Accident Site – Building 13Close-up of Exterior - plywoodcovering a hole from the 2009 vehicleaccidentExteriorPurlin or Horizontal BeamInteriorSource: Office of Inspector General (OIG) as of August 2017www.oig.dhs.gov3OIG-18-31

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland SecurityThe damage to the side of the warehouse resulted in exposed sharp metaledges, which according to Directive # 70-09, FLETC Occupational Safety andHealth Program, is considered a physical hazard. The directive defines a hazardsuch as sharp edges as a potential for harm associated with a condition oractivity that, if left uncontrolled, can result in an injury.Figure 3. Accident Site – Building 13Damaged Support ColumnDamaged Roof BeamDamaged Support Column Base - close-up of pictureSource: OIG and U.S. Border Patrol Academy as of August 2017According to a FLETC official, he decided to condemn the warehouseimmediately after the accident but did not submit any paperwork about theinspection or determination. He further said that FLETC had plans to demolishthe building in 2009; yet, FLETC continued to use it for warehousing andtraining purposes.In 2009, a FLETC facilities project manager provided his supervisor with threerecommendations to address the potential safety issue. Although at that timean engineering safety evaluation was not conducted, the project managerrecommended FLETC:xreplace the column and the horizontal beams;www.oig.dhs.gov4OIG-18-31

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland Securityxxleave the column where it is and weld the column to the bottom plate inorder to better secure it; orput siding over the opening and paint it to match the building.Despite the suggested recommendations, FLETC took limited action, as shown infigures 2 and 3. FLETC officials could not provide documentation that anengineering evaluation was conducted to determine whether the accident affectedthe integrity of the warehouse structure.A FLETC official confirmed the driving course is still in use and has not beenmodified to include safety barriers since the accident (figure 4 shows the drivingcourse adjacent to the warehouse and other buildings).Figure 4. Driving Course Adjacent to the WarehouseWarehouse Accident SiteDriving CourseSource: U.S. Border Patrol, October 2017During our site visit, Border Patrol Academy officials expressed safety concernsabout using the warehouse to train new hires. In September 2017, we voicedour concerns to FLETC about the building’s structure and potential risk forinjury to students and training staff. In response to our concerns, the FLETCSite Director wrote in an email: [B]eginning on [September 15, 2017] the building 13 warehousewas closed to training and any other type of occupation minusperiodic safety and maintenance checks. To accommodate theBorder Patrol Academy’s continued requirements, FLETC identifiedbuilding 14 as an alternative location available for use by October3rd, 2017. Building 13 will remain secured and off limits until itsdisposition and possible further use is determined. If the building isidentified for future use, it will be inspected by an engineer todetermine its safety status and any relevant repairs if applicable.www.oig.dhs.gov5OIG-18-31

OFFICE OF INSPECTOR GENERALDepartment of Homeland SecurityIn October 2017, we met with an official from the office of DHS Safety andHealth. This office is responsible for coordinating all safety and health programactivities, including program effectiveness and compliance with Federal anddepartmental requirements. Based on the information and pictures wepresented, the official recommended that FLETC conduct a safety andstructural evaluation of Building 13. Furthermore, the official questionedwhether FLETC took appropriate action on the driving course to mitigate anyfuture vehicle accidents with the warehouse. The official suggested that FLETCuse a positive (safety) barrier to prevent a vehicle from leaving the drivingcourse. According to the official, the vehicle accident in 2009 could have beendeadly if the vehicle had struck the purlin (the warehouse’s horizontal steelbeam), as shown in figure 2, interior picture.Continuing to use the warehouse for training and other purposes without anindependent engineering or structural safety evaluation increases the safetyrisks for trainees and staff. Additionally, continuing to use the driving courseadjacent to the warehouse without evaluating the need for safety barriersincreases the risk of additional accidents or injuries.Recommendations1. We recommend that FLETC conduct an engineering and safety evaluationand make necessary repairs to Building 13 to ensure the safety of allpersonnel.2. We recommend that FLETC conduct an engineering and safety evaluation ofthe driving course to determine whether safety barriers around the courseshould be erected to minimize injuries to personnel and additional propertydamage.Management Comments and OIG AnalysisFLETC concurred with our recommendations and provided comments to thedraft report. A summary of FLETC’s response and our analysis follows. Wehave included a copy of FLETC’s management comments in their entirety inappendix A. FLETC also provided technical comments to our report. We madechanges to incorporate these comments, as appropriate.Response to Recommendation #1: Concur. FLETC relocated the BorderPatrol Academy from Building 13 to Building 30. FLETC also procured anengineering firm to conduct an in-depth safety analysis and provide costestimates to repair Building 13, which FLETC plans to implement. Theestimated completion date is August 31, 2018.www.oig.dhs.gov6OIG-18-31