TexasCHLforum.com

Last night was a scary night for me - I unknowingly was sent to an un-signed Federal property by my employer.

The address of this property is 3900 Karina in Denton, Texas. This street is directly off Loop 288, north of Tractor Supply.

It looked like any old office building. I drove up the long driveway to the security shack and was met by 2 uniformed security
guards carrying black semi-auto handguns and 2 horizontally-oriented backup mags. I asked them "What is the name of this
company?" The guard replied "FEMA" (Federal Emergecy Management Agency). Behind the guard shack was a gate into the parking
lot, and this gate had a red,white,and blue shield bearing the words "US Government Property."

On the front of the guard shack was some kind of notice that kind of looked like a 30.06, but the print was so small I could not
read it from where they had stopped me to talk to me.

So here I am, unknowingly on a Federal site, with my 9 in my pocket and my .357 in the seatbelt holster. My heart was pounding
fast as I was afraid they were going to ask me if I was armed, and search the truck.

I said to them that I thought the FEMA building was further down Loop 288 where the FEMA site is an obvious bunker with secure
fencing and a multitude of large antennas, big enough to send "I Love Lucy" signals many light years away. The security people
said that 3900 Karina isn't marked "FEMA" on purpose, so fewer people would know what it is.

The best that I could think to do was to unpocket the 9 and slip it under a seat towel, so at least I wouldn't have it on my person
if I had to get out and be frisked. I did this while they were some yards away from me, talking to other people.

As it turned out, my customer came down to meet me, and then I was on my way. No weapons questions were asked by the security
men, and no search was made of my truck.

A quick search of http://www.texas3006.com" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false; did not turn up this site, so I will probably file an entry. I'm not sure if the small-print notice
on the guard shack was 4413, 30.06, or something else, but if only 1 person ever gets a "heads up" that this is a Federal site, I'll
feel that I've done my part.

This was a very unnerving situation. Anyone else have anything similar on which to comment?

Comments welcome.

SIA

surprise_i'm_armed wrote: I said to them that I thought the FEMA building was further down Loop 288 where the FEMA site is an obvious bunker with secure
fencing and a multitude of large antennas, big enough to send "I Love Lucy" signals many light years away. The security people
said that 3900 Karina isn't marked "FEMA" on purpose, so fewer people would know what it is.

SIA

And yet, they apparently will tell anybody that comes by that they're FEMA -- Makes perfect governmental sense!

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:...The security people said that <snip> isn't marked "FEMA" on purpose, so fewer people would know what it is...

Respectfully, if for the purpose of national security they are trying to keep the location largely unknown, why would we be revealing it? Perhaps you could consider editing out the address?

I don't understand why a FEMA location would be secret anyway.

We are paying the rent on it anyway! I would leave the address on there.

You are also paying for many more secret military things you do not know about, and I do not want enemies of our country reading about them on the forum either!

Rex B wrote:I don't understand why a FEMA location would be secret anyway.

After Katrina, if I worked for FEMA I wouldn't want anyone to know where I worked either. I'm actually a little surprised they told you what the facility was too. I think if I were them and someone drove up to the gate and asked me what the facility was that would have made me suspicious and I would have given them a generic answer without being specific.

http://www.loopnet.com/Listing/16881973/" onclick="window.open(this.href);return false;1234-Something-Street-Denton-TX/

If you fill in the appropriate values in the bold sections, the page displayed will say that FEMA has leased it through May 2022.

Just doing a web search for the address shows that it's already public knowledge. If disaster hits and the Internet isn't available for people to search for the building, then they've accomplished what they've wanted to by not having signs on the building. If I worked there, I would be afraid of the people who hoarded the building in an emergency, rather than the prepared or intelligent people who already know what the building is.

Google maps has it, everyone knows it's there. No biggie

Thanks to all of you for your comments.

What I would like to solicit comments on is this:

Since the building is not publicly known to be a Federal site until you get up close to the guard shack,
do you think the guards might purposely not ask any weapons questions because they are on shaky legal grounds?

Of course I believe that the Feds could have busted me on the spot if they started asking questions, but
does anyone think they are aware of CHL's and MPA folks, but just choose not to "go there" with weapons queries?

TIA / SIA

Well, I've never been asked weapons questions at any federal facilities that I've been to. Do they normally ask you at other places? I'm guessing they just assume that most people don't carry, so they don't bother. That and they probably figure that anyone who is carrying and has business there is allowed to do so. I'm sure their security guard(s) is/are able to go on the defensive if on a blue moon, a malicious person comes in with a gun, so it's probably not worth it to be on the offensive all the time (by asking "do you have a gun", which by the way, you are assuming someone who has a gun for malicious intent would answer that question truthfully).

...FEMA fears revenge...and has reason to...they are the epitome of uselessness and arrogance...the stories after Katrina alone were disgusting...

sugar land dave wrote:

surprise_i'm_armed wrote:...The security people said that <snip> isn't marked "FEMA" on purpose, so fewer people would know what it is...

Respectfully, if for the purpose of national security they are trying to keep the location largely unknown, why would we be revealing it? Perhaps you could consider editing out the address?

They are afraid some Katrina victims will come there and protest so they took the signs down. :)

I have some experience with Federal facilities.
First, Federal facilities (leased or owned) do not require any specific signage. Any sign or no sign will do.
Second, except for military or special facilities (labs, emergency response warehouses, etc) most Federal properties are just folks processing paperwork. The "No Weapons" policy is to protect Federal workers from crazy folks that hate the government. Or, at least try and make Federal workers feel safe.

I mean no disrespect to anyone on this forum. I realize that personal rights is a very touchy subject. This post is designed to let y'all know how Federal property managers think. They focus on their specific task and work directly with local political and police authorities. They don't even think about personal rights.

Hope that helps, N

...well put...we are well aware that those in federal authority don't even think about our personal rights...we're working on that...