Security Clearance Levels

Overview
Foundation security clearances granted to personnel represent the highest level or type of information to which they can be granted access. However, having any given clearance level does not automatically grant access to all information at that level: personnel are only granted access to information on a "need-to-know" basis and at the discretion of the designated disclosure officer overseeing their respective departments.

Level 0 (For Official Use Only)
Level 0 security clearances are given to non-essential personnel with no need to access information regarding anomalous objects or entities in Foundation containment. Level 0 access is typically held by personnel in non-secured clerical, logistics, or janitorial positions at facilities with no access to operational data.

Level 1 (Confidential)
Level 1 security clearances are given to personnel working in proximity to but with no direct, indirect, or informational access to anomalous objects or entities in containment. Level 1 security clearances are typically granted to personnel working in clerical, logistics, or janitorial positions at facilities with containment capability or otherwise must handle sensitive information.

Level 2 (Restricted)
Level 2 security clearances are given to security and research personnel that require direct access to information regarding anomalous objects and entities in containment. Most research staff, field agents, and containment specialists hold a Level 2 security clearance.

Level 3 (Secret)
Level 3 security clearances are given to senior security and research personnel that require in-depth data regarding the source, recovery circumstances, and long-term planning for anomalous objects and entities in containment. Most senior research staff, project managers, security officers, response team members, and Mobile Task Force operatives hold a Level 3 security clearance.

Level 4 (Top Secret)
Level 4 security clearances are given to senior administration that require access to site-wide and/or regional intelligence as well as long-term strategic data regarding Foundation operations and research projects. Level 4 security clearances are typically only held by Site Directors, Security Directors, or Mobile Task Force Commanders.

Level 5 (Thaumiel).(ME)
Level 5 security clearances are given to the highest-ranking administrative personnel within the Foundation and grant effectively unlimited access to all strategic and otherwise sensitive data. Level 5 security clearances are typically only granted to O5 Council members and selected staff.

Personnel Classifications
Classifications are assigned to personnel based on their proximity to potentially dangerous anomalous objects, entities, or phenomena.

Class A
Class A personnel are those deemed essential to Foundation strategic operations, and are not allowed direct access to anomalies under any circumstances. When circumstances require Class A personnel to be in direct proximity to such anomalies (such as in the case of facilities housing containment units), Class A personnel are not allowed access to the areas of the facility containing such anomalies and are to be kept in secured areas at all times. In the case of an emergency, Class A personnel are to be immediately evacuated to a designated and secure off-site location. O5 Council members are always Class A personnel.

Class B
Class B personnel are those deemed essential to local Foundation operations, and may only be granted access to objects, entities, and anomalies that have passed quarantine and have been cleared of any potential mind-affecting effects or memetic agents. In the event of a containment breach or hostile action against a Foundation facility, Class B personnel are to be evacuated to a designated, secure off-site location as soon as possible.

Class C
Class C personnel are personnel with direct access to most anomalies not deemed strictly hostile or dangerous. Class C personnel that have had direct contact with potentially mind-affecting or memetic properties may be subject to mandatory quarantine and psychiatric evaluation as deemed necessary by security personnel. In the event of a containment breach or hostile action against a Foundation facility, non-combatant Class C personnel are to either report to secure lock-down areas or evacuated at the discretion of on-site security personnel in the case of a site-wide breach or other catastrophic event.

Class D
Class D (Or Class Disposable) personnel are expendable personnel used to handle extremely hazardous anomalies and are not allowed to come into contact with Class A or Class B personnel. Class D personnel are typically drawn worldwide from the ranks of prison inmates convicted of violent crimes, especially those on death row. In times of duress, Protocol 12 may be enacted, which allows recruitment from other sources — such as political prisoners, refugee populations, and other civilian sources — that can be transferred into Foundation custody under plausibly deniable circumstances. Class D personnel are to be given regular mandatory psychiatric evaluations and are to be administered an amnestic of at least Class B strength or terminated at the end of the month at the discretion of on-site security or medical staff. In the event of a catastrophic site event, Class D personnel are to be terminated immediately except as deemed necessary by on-site security personnel.

Class E
Class E is a provisional classification applied to field agents and containment personnel that have been exposed to potentially dangerous effects during the course of securing and establishing initial containment over a newly-designated anomalous object, entity, or phenomenon. Class E personnel are to be quarantined as soon as possible, monitored, and screened for potentially harmful changes in behavior, personality, or physiology, and may only return to duty after being fully debriefed and cleared by psychiatric and medical staff.

Staff Titles
These are general occupational titles that are typically used in the Foundation.

Containment Specialist
Containment specialists have two main roles at Foundation facilities. Firstly, containment teams are called upon to respond to confirmed cases of anomalous activity to secure and establish initial containment over anomalous objects, entities, or phenomena and transport them to the nearest Foundation containment site.

In addition, Foundation containment engineers and technicians are called upon to devise, refine, and maintain containment units and schemes for objects, entities, and phenomena in Foundation facilities.

Researcher
Researchers are the scientific branch of the Foundation, drawn from the ranks of the smartest and best-trained research scientists from around the world. With specialists in every field imaginable, from chemistry and botany to more esoteric or specialized fields such as theoretical physics and xenobiology, the goal of the Foundation's research projects is to gain a better understanding of unexplained anomalies and how they operate.

Security Officer
On-site security officers — often referred to simply as guards — at Foundation facilities are tasked with maintaining physical and information security for Foundation projects, operations, and personnel. Primarily drawn and recruited from military, law enforcement, and correctional facility personnel, security officers are trained in the use of all types of weapons as well as a variety of contingency plans covering both containment breach incidents as well as hostile action. These personnel are also responsible for information security, such as making sure that sensitive documents are not misplaced and that a facility's computer systems are safe from outside intrusion. They are also often the first line of defense against hostile outside forces for Foundation facilities.

Tactical Response Officer
Response teams — or tactical teams — are highly trained and heavily armed combat teams tasked with escorting containment teams when dangerous anomalous entities or hostile Groups of Interest are involved and defending Foundation facilities against hostile action. Response teams are effectively military units stationed at major Foundation facilities that are ready to deploy at a moment's notice.

Field Agent
Field agents are the eyes and ears of the Foundation, personnel trained to look for and investigate signs of anomalous activity, often undercover with local or regional law enforcement or embedded in local services such as emergency medical services and regulatory organizations. As undercover units, field agents are typically not equipped to deal with confirmed cases of anomalous activity; once such an incident has been confirmed and isolated, field agents will typically call for assistance from the nearest field containment team with the means to safely secure and contain such anomalies.

Mobile Task Force Operative
Mobile Task Forces are specialist units comprised of veteran field personnel drawn from all over the Foundation. These task forces are mobilized to deal with threats of a specific nature and can include anything from field researchers specializing in a particular type of anomaly to heavily armed combat units tasked to secure certain types of hostile anomalous entity. See the Task Forces document for more detailed information.

Site Director
Site directors for major Foundation facilities are the highest-ranking personnel at that location and are responsible for the continued, safe operation of the site and all of its contained anomalies and projects. All major departmental directors report directly to the Site Director, who in turn reports to the O5 Council.

O5 Council Member
The O5 Council refers to the committee consisting of the highest-ranking directors of the Foundation. With complete access to all information regarding anomalies in containment, the O5 Council oversees all Foundation operations worldwide and directs its long-term strategic plans. Due to the sensitivity of their positions, O5 Council members must not come into direct contact with any anomalous object, entity, or phenomenon. Furthermore, the identities of all O5 Council members is classified; all council members are referred to only by their numeric designation (O5-1 through O5-13).