A look back: Yuma's bases, federal offices close

Unauthorized persons were not allowed on military bases and federal agencies closed their doors Tuesday in the aftermath of the suspected terrorist attacks.

Marine Corps Air Station Yuma and Yuma Proving Ground joined military bases across the nation in raising its security status to Force Protection Condition Delta. Federal agencies, including the Bureau of Reclamation and the Bureau of Land Management, closed in an effort to protect their staff.

According to MCAS spokesman Cpl. Michael Lowry, the Delta status was raised from the normal Alpha status at about 10 a.m. All flight operations were stopped and all non-essential personnel were sent home. Identification checks at the gate were heightened and personnel living on base were asked to stay home so emergency information could be passed on to them if necessary.

“It's a normal and understood precautionary measure,” Lowry said.

The Yuma base was not specifically targeted as far as the public affairs office knows and Yuma squadrons could be sent if military assistance is needed, but none were on alert at that time.

Coincidentally, identification checks were held Monday on the base. A public affairs representative said it was a routine and random anti-terrorism check.

YPG also put a security guard Monday near the main administrative area, where housing and base recreation activities are located, for the first time in several years.

“The Army has been initiating a program to heighten the level of security,” said Chuck Wullenjohn, YPG spokesman. “It was just by coincidence it happened (Monday).”

Wullenjohn said it is rare that the military base will be at the highest terrorist threat condition. It is the most serious out of the five conditions.

“The (Delta) level means that there is an imminent threat of danger,” he said. “At YPG it means that we have increased security at public access roads and put up barriers on the roads. Employees at YPG have been instructed to be more alert regarding any things (like cars or packages) that are unfamiliar and to be aware and suspicious.”

Wullenjohn said guards were checking registration and identification on cars entering the base.

Wullenjohn also said YPG employees were not being sent home and the mission of testing weapons systems would continue.

“I think everybody is shocked by what happened,” he said. “As I was coming out here from Yuma, I was driving along Highway 95, you know, listening to the radio, and believe me, it was very difficult to stay under the speed limit. My blood was boiling as I was coming to work because I knew what was happening, they were talking about it on the radio. I'd seen the pictures and you know there's potentially thousands of people who have been killed. It's sad.”

Lori Cook, public information officer for the BLM Yuma office, said BLM offices across the country were closed following the incidents.

“We got information from Washington, D.C. that all BLM offices will be closed for the safety of the employees,” Cook said. “It's a precautionary measure. It's not worth risking the employees' and customers' lives. It's just best we close down.”

The Bureau of Reclamation expected to have its offices closed through Thursday, according to Kathy Carr, the bureau's spokeswoman.

“This is mainly a safety measure,” she said. “When threats are being made against the federal government, we take care of our people first.”

Carr said essential water and power operations will continue without interruption.

Although the U.S. Postal Service headquarters in Washington, D.C. was closed, Yuma postmaster George Ross said he wasn't expecting the Yuma post office to close as a result of the terrorist act. He also said on Tuesday morning that mail would be delivered as usual.

“Mail delivery Tuesday would have been on a plane Monday night,” he said. “The mail was committed for Tuesday's delivery. We had it by 4:30 a.m.”

Ross said since there are no flights, mail coming from the East Coast will end up being delayed.

“The mail within all of Arizona and some parts of California — anything they can get into Phoenix within a reasonable amount of time — will be delivered today,” he said. “We are still accepting mail, our windows are open and we have no plans to close them.”

Ross said all mail was delivered Tuesday without interruption, except to the Marine base, due to the heightened security, and the courthouse, because of a bomb threat.

Mail is delivered to Yuma from Phoenix via trucks, Ross said. However, the mail arrives to Phoenix by air, so the interruption will continue as long as there are no flights.

Ed Hall, spokesman for the Federal Bureau of Investigation in Phoenix, said the FBI has been in a standby mode since the terrorist act.

“The FBI throughout the state of Arizona is on alert,” he said on Tuesday. “We have coordinated with the municipal, state and federal agencies. Right now there is no indication of any threats to the state of Arizona.”

Rural/Metro Fire Department across the country activated its Level 1 alert system, which has all off-duty personnel on standby in the event that their assistance is needed.

“We have put people on standby in case anything goes on in our community,” said Patrick Foley, public information officer for Rural/Metro. “There has been no time frame set on how long that will be in effect. They are on call and they have all been assigned to report to different stations.”

Foley said around 100 Rural/Metro firefighters were available in the event that there are any problems locally.