The PEOC in Olympus Has Fallen.
The President's Emergency Operations Center (PEOC) is a structure that lies beneath the East Wing of the White House in Washington, D.C.
The PEOC is an underground bunker that is designed to be impenetrable and house the president should an emergency occur.
History[]
Originally constructed for President Franklin D. Roosevelt during World War II, it is presumed to be designed to withstand all but direct nuclear blasts and is likely to be the President's evacuation point in the event of an incoming ICBM (the main protocols of escape are highly classified). It is not in the same location as the Situation Room, which is in the basement of the West Wing. However, it does possess several televisions, telephones and a communications system to coordinate with other government entities during an emergency. During a breach of White House security, to include P-56 airspace violators, the President and other protectees will be relocated to the executive briefing room, next to the PEOC. Day to day, the PEOC is manned around the clock by joint service military officers and NCOs.
During the September 11, 2001 attacks in the United States, Vice President Dick Cheney and other important cabinet members of the Bush administration were evacuated to the PEOC. The cabinet officials would continue to work there throughout that fateful day until it was safe to return to the surface.
A dramatized version of PEOC was featured as a major plot device in both Olympus Has Fallen and White House Down. There were also some dramatized features of it seen in the 1997 film Murder at 1600, the 2010 film Salt and season six of the TV series "24".
Olympus Has Fallen[]
The PEOC was where Secret Service agents had evacuated President Benjamin Asher, Vice-President Charlie Rodriguez, Secretary of Defense Ruth McMillan and Admiral Joe Hoenig, the Chairman of the Joint Chiefs, at as well as South Korean Prime Minister Lee Tae-Woo and his security detail. Then several traitorous members of the South Koran security detail, led by Kang Yeonsak and Dave Forbes, killed the Secret Service detail (including agents O'Neil and Jones) and took the high-ranking members, including President Asher hostage while Kang's men took over the White House.
White House Down[]
In White House Down, Emily Cale discusses withDonnie the Guide about the PEOC. He says that nobody knows where it is and she replies that it is actually under the East Wing according to WikiLeaks.
Later on in the film, President James Sawyer is taken into the PEOC by his head of security detail, Martin Walker, who holds him at gunpoint. Remembering what Emily said about the PEOC, John Cale heads to the library and finds Walker. He fires off some shots and rescues Sawyer from being trapped in the PEOC with Walker.
Salt[]
The President of the United States was evacuated to the PEOC after Shnaider, posing as a NATO Liason Officer, attempted to assissinate the president. He was subsequently gunned down by the Secret Service agents. There, the president learns that Russia has mobilized its nuclear arsenal in response to apparent death of the Russian President who was visiting New York City. He orders American nuclear weapons readied in response. CIA Agent Winter then suddenly kills everyone except the President and introduces himself as Nikolai Tarkovsky, another KA. Winter incapacitates the President and begins aiming nuclear missiles at Mecca and Tehran to incite millions of Muslims against the United States. Salt tries to persuade Winter to let her inside the sealed room, but then he sees a television report that President Matveyev is alive and well: Salt had used spider venom to cause a simulated death of Matveyev. Winter refuses her entry and reveals that Mike's kidnapping and her blown cover were his idea. Winter plans to place full blame for the nuclear attacks on Salt. Salt breaks into the room before he can launch the missiles. The two wrestle for control of the nuclear football, with Salt aborting the missile strikes before being captured.