FBI ensures public its operations will continue; staff taking precautions during coronavirus pandemic

Continuity of Operations plan implemented

SAN ANTONIO – Federal agents say they are taking steps to ensure FBI operations continue during the coronavirus pandemic, while also protecting themselves.

A Continuity of Operations Plan, or COOP, has been implemented, officials said.

“It’s very important that we are mission capable and we are response capable,” said Chris Combs, special agent in charge of the FBI San Antonio office.

Even with the COVID-19 threat, the FBI’s primary mission remains the same.

“We’re working with state, local and federal law enforcement partners and specifically focusing on public safety,” said Special Agent Michelle Lee. “One of the measures is that we’re doing this interview outdoors.”

Much of the COOP plan involves staff members working remotely.

“We divided all the employees up into shifts, sent them to different locations. So we’ve kind of dispersed the workforce as much as we can while still doing the job,” Combs said. “So that God forbid, if someone does get sick, they can't take down that entire unit.”

Combs said having a COOP plan is imperative because the ongoing pandemic hasn’t put a halt on other threats.

“Our foreign adversaries are still spying against us. There are still child predators out there on the internet trying to get to the children. And we still have terrorism cases that we’re actively working,” Combs said.

With unemployment rates soaring, the FBI wants the public to know it is still hiring. From mechanical jobs to special agent jobs, you can learn about applying at FBI.gov.

COVID-19, the respiratory disease caused by the new virus, stands for coronavirus disease 2019. The disease first appeared in late 2019 in Wuhan, China, but spread around the world in early 2020, causing the World Health Organization to declare a pandemic in March.

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