Presidential Emergency Operations Center
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The Presidential Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) is a tube-like bunker structure that lies beneath the East Wing of the White House. Originally constructed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, it is presumed to be designed to withstand a nuclear blast, although in the event of an incoming ICBM, the President is more likely to be evacuated to safety by Marine One. It is not the same room as the White House Situation Room, which is under the West Wing. However, it does possess several televisions, telephones and a communications system to coordinate with other government entities during an emergency. As the name implies, the area is not normally in use.
During the September 11, 2001 attacks, the center was occupied by Dick Cheney, Lynne Cheney, Condoleezza Rice, Mary Matalin, Lewis "Scooter" Libby, Joshua Bolten, Karen Hughes, Stephen Hadley, David Addington, and Secret Service agents.
[edit] In Fiction
The structure, in a fictionalized and exaggerated form, is a staple of many movies of the 1960s and 1970s is featured in 24 (season 4) as the base for President Logan and his staff, and in 24 (season 6) as the base for President Wayne Palmer and his staff.
[edit] References
The PEOC and its occupants during the September 11, 2001 attacks were described in the book Against All Enemies by Richard A. Clarke.
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