Security massive for Trump visit to Columbia

Hundreds of local, state and federal law officers were on the ground Monday in the Columbia area. Their mission? Keep President Donald Trump safe during the time he was here.

As is the custom with security around presidential visits, few details — such as the exact route by which the president traveled from the Columbia Metropolitan Airport to Airport High School, where Trump spoke at a rally supporting Gov. Henry McMaster — were released in advance.

"Most stuff I can't really discuss," said John Hirt, Secret Service special agent in charge of the Columbia office.

But Hirt did share a few general observations.

For one thing, preparations for the visit have been in the works for days, if not weeks.

"As soon as we are notified by the White House that the president is coming to our district, then we start coordination with state and local law enforcement to assist us," Hirt said. "Pretty much any jurisdiction the president will be in or transiting through in a motorcade will participate in the security planning."

The Lexington County Sheriff's Department would acknowledge only Monday that it was assisting police in Cayce, where Airport High School is located. A Cayce spokeswoman said the town would have "heavy involvement" in Trump's visit but declined details.

Commercial aircraft would continue to take off and land as normal at Columbia Metropolitan "with the exception of the time when Air Force One is coming in," Hirt said.

The president's famed bulletproof limousine, which he used to travel from the airport to the high school, was transported to Columbia by a U.S. Air Force cargo jet, he said.

Asked about how many law officers would be on hand, Hirt said, "We really don't divulge the numbers of security personnel involved for security reasons."

Hirt declined comment when asked whether the Secret Service really checks manhole covers in streets the president travels over — as has been reported in books. But, he added, "We do secure the motorcade route."

Various books about the Secret Service — including "In the President's Secret Service" by Ronald Kessler and "Within Arm's Length" by former agent Dan Emmett — tell about the security surrounding a president during public events, including:

▪ A counter-assault team often travels with the president. These agents, trained in close-quarter battle tactics and carrying all kinds of weapons, deploy if the presidential motorcade is ambushed.

▪ Those going into Airport High School were checked and screened for any weapons. Bomb-sniffing dogs also were on hand.

▪ Manholes and underground tunnels along the president's route are checked for explosives. Traffic is halted to allow the president's motorcade an unimpeded flow.

▪ Every building and structure along the motorcade route is checked. Employees in nearby offices likely were checked for any criminal record they might have. Also, windows along the motorcade route had to be closed.

▪ Hospital emergency rooms were notified to be on standby in case of an emergency.

This story was originally published June 25, 2018 at 2:33 PM with the headline "Security massive for Trump visit to Columbia."