Today the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) and several federal, state, and local agencies are participating in a scheduled exercise designed to enhance security in the tri-state area with some activity taking place in Wetzel County. TSA has partnered with local law enforcement to conduct thousands of similar operations from coast to coast. This is a scheduled operation, not related to a specific threat.

The exercise will cover approximately 5,000 square miles throughout Ohio, Kentucky, and West Virginia including Wetzel County. The participating teams are composed of a variety of TSA assets including federal air marshals, canine teams, inspectors, and bomb appraisal officers. They will be joined by state and local law enforcement officials to supplement existing resources and provide detection and response capabilities. The exercise will utilize multiple airborne assets, including Blackhawk helicopters and fixed wing aircraft as well as waterborne and surface teams.

Locally, these forces will be touring some of the area’s critical infrastructures such as the Lock and Dam, Ohio Bridge, railways, etc. The Wetzel County Sheriff’s Office and SRT Team will be participating along with the Marshall County Sheriff’s Office, Monroe County Sheriff’s Office, and the West Virginia State Police.

“The exercise not only enhances security throughout the region; it gives TSA and our security partners the opportunity to work cooperatively,” said TSA Columbus Federal Security Director Donald Barker. “This work increases or preparedness to respond in case of an emergency.”

Federal partners participating with TSA in the operation include the Army Corps of Engineers, U.S. Coast Guard, FBI, and Federal Air Marshals.

State of Ohio participants include the Ohio National Guard, State Highway Patrol, Emergency Management Agency, Department of Natural Resources, Department of Public Safety, Department of Transportation, Office of Homeland Security, City of Columbus Fire Division bomb squad, Ohio Fusion Center, and several sheriff’s offices and departments of emergency management.

West Virginia participants include the Department of Military Affairs & Public Safety, Division of Natural Resources, State Police, Office of Homeland Security, West Virginia National Guard, West Virginia Fusion Center, and several sheriff’s offices and departments of emergency management.

In addition to federal, state, and local assets, several other non-government entities are participating in today’s operation. They include American Electric Power, Appalachian Power, DuPont, Marathon Petroleum, CSX Railroad Police, Norfolk Southern Railroad Police, El Paso Pipeline, Duke Energy, PP&G, First Energy, SABIC Innovative Plastics, Dominion, and Columbia Gas.

For more information about TSA, visit www.tsa.gov.