White House Bunker: All you need to know about the PEOC

Amidst the ongoing protest against the police brutality and racism in policing, which killed an African-American, George Floyd, the US President Trump was taken to the bunker by the Secret Service officers tasked with protecting him. The safe house or safe area is known as PEOC. 

As per several reports, the US President was taken to the bunker where he spent an hour after the sporadic clashes broke out near the White House. However, President Trump in an interview with Fox News radio claimed the news to be fake and stated that he went to the secure area only for a tiny, little, short period. He further stated that he only went to the safe house for the investigation purpose. As per President Trump, he went down during the day and not at night when the protests were going on outside the White House. 

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What is PEOC?

The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) is a bunker-like structure under the East Wing of the White House and serves as a safe area. The PEOC is equipped with facilities and has a command centre for the President of the United States and others in the state of an emergency.

History of PEOC

During World War II, the first White House bunker was constructed to protect the then President Franklin D. Roosevelt in the event of an aerial attack on Washington.

During the 9/11 attacks, Vice President Dick Cheney, Lynne Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Norman Mineta, Mary Matalin, Lewis Scooter Libby, Joshua Bolten, Karen Hughes, Stephen Hadley, David Addington, Secret Service agents, the U.S. Army major and others were evacuated from their offices in the White House and were relocated to the PEOC. The then-President Bush was in Florida when the attacks were carried out by the terrorist group al-Qaeda. The 9/11 attacks were the single deadliest terrorist attacks in human history. 

Structure of PEOC

Under the leadership of the then-President Barack Obama, secret construction work was carried out in the White House named relocating utilities. The construction was done to relocate and provide shelter to the US leadership along with the first family in the event of peril. 

The PEOC is made in such a way that it can retain nuclear, biological and radiological attacks on the White House. The safe house is five storeys deep into the ground and has all the facilities ranging from food, water, self-contained air supply, etc. which can last for months. 

The White House in addition to the safe house has several escape tunnels-- one from the basement of the East Wing to the Treasury basement, the second tunnel will lead from there under Pennsylvania Avenue to a building across the street. The third tunnel is underneath the Oval Office to the South Lawn so the president could escape getting on a helicopter. 

The New York Times first reported that the US President Trump was taken to the bunker amid the clashes outside the White House. Also, the external lights outside the White House were turned off which indicated that the President was under siege. However, the reports were later denied by the President. 

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