Capitol police tackled the man wearing a bulletproof vest and packing a loaded shotgun, Samurai sword, and tactical bow and arrow. They then cordoned off his truck, with Utah license plates, and sent the bomb squad in.
Turns out the man was from Virginia and the truck was empty of hazardous cargo. Still, six months later, Hendershott says "it was the scariest and most bizarre experience of two years spent on Capitol Hill."
She says the incident stands as "the testament to being alert and making sure you report whenever there is something suspicious."
Coming up on the seventh anniversary of terrorist attacks on New York and Washington, the daily mission to keep America's most symbolic buildings safe remains a high priority. And for those who work inside the halls of Congress, it means staying prepared.
Though some complain about security shortcomings at the Capitol, staffers in Utah's congressional delegation feel they're as ready as they can be for an emergency.
Provo native Nicole Christensen rides her bike to work every day.
"I see all the policemen on every corner - barriers, signals that are specially made for the Hill, all those visual reminder makes me feel safer," said Christensen, who works as a scheduler for Rep. Jim Matheson, D-Utah.
"We're prepared for [a crisis], but we're not living in this constant state of emergency here," she said.
As part of her personal preparation, Hendershott stashed a bag under her desk containing an extra subway fare card, some energy bars, bottled water and other items.
One staffer threw a pair of old sneakers in her backpack, "in case she has heels on that day," said Hendershott. "It's just a way to make sure that you're safe rather than sorry."
Capitol Hill police already issue escape packs to all staff. Additions are regularly made, and in Rep. Rob Bishop's office, "when there was a fear going around about airborne substances, Capitol Hill police put air masks in our packs," said Chief of Staff Scott Parker.
At first, offices were provided only one mask per staffer. But, now boxes of air masks are available in hallways to provide protection for visitors.
New staffers in Matheson's office are briefed on how to use the equipment in their "go-kits," which staffers helped pick. They decided to include glow-sticks, flashlights, First-Aid kits, and a staff roster.
Offices are drilled in their evacuation procedures as well.
Most staff members rely on security alerts on their Blackberrys, but if an emergency calls for evacuation, building sirens sound, multicolored hallway lighting systems flash and offices are instructed through various means to relocate to predesignated evacuation areas.
Offices take the drills seriously.
While the Utah delegation staffers uniformly praise security preparations, others are more critical.
Rep. Brian Baird, D-Wash., brother of one-time Utah congressional candidate and current Salt Lake-area lawyer Bruce Baird, says there have been several incidents exposing gaps in safety and preparedness on Capitol Hill.
lhough@sltrib.com
There have been a number of recent scares besides the arrest of the man with a Samurai sword and shotgun.
* May 2006: Rep. Jim Saxton, R-N.J., alerted Capitol Police to what sounded like rounds of gunshots in a parking garage. The building was in tight lockdown for several hours, underwent a floor-by-floor investigation, and a Capitol Hill worker was even hospitalized after suffering a panic attack. Officers eventually found the suspicious noise to merely be a few maintenance workers operating a hydraulic hammer.
* 2004: In the run-up to President Reagan's funeral, Kentucky Gov. Ernie Fletcher's Cessna encroached into Washington's no-fly zone. The plane's communications system broke down, severing contact with the air defense system controllers who could not identify the occupants. Fletcher flew within three miles of the White House because his plane was shielded by cloud cover and could not be shot down by the F-16 fighter jet sent to intercept it. Fifteen minutes of chaos ensued on Capitol Hill that day.
