CL-65 CREW WAS DIVERTED TO IAD BY PCT TRACON BECAUSE THEY NEGLECTED TO OBTAIN THE 'CODE WORD' FOR ENTRY INTO DCA; AT THEIR DEP ARPT.

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I WAS THE ONE ACR X FLT OPERATING FROM YYZ TO DCA. WE ARRIVED IN YYZ AS FLT X ON TIME AND HAD A QUICK TURN OF 25 MINS. DURING THIS TURN 2 FEDERAL AIR MARSHALS CAME ON BOARD THE ACFT AND INTRODUCED THEMSELVES AND BRIEFED THE CREW. I PROCEEDED TO THE COCKPIT AND NOTED THE CAPT BRIEFING THE FAMILIARIZATIONS. BEING FURLOUGHED FROM ANOTHER CARRIER AND RELATIVELY NEW AT ACR X; I HAD NOT BEEN IN OR OUT OF DCA FOR NEARLY 2 YRS. AT MY FORMER AIRLINE; NORMAL PROC WAS FOR THE CAPT TO GET THE RELEASE AND GET THE BRIEFING. BEFORE DEP; THE CAPT MADE ALL THE PROPER ANNOUNCEMENTS REGARDING REMAINING SEATED INTO DCA. ALL ACTIONS UP TO THIS POINT DID NOT RAISE ANY QUESTIONS IN MY MIND ANYTHING WAS AMISS. THE PAX WERE BOARDED AND WE DEPARTED. ENRTE; THE CAPT INQUIRED IF A PASSWORD WAS STILL REQUIRED INTO DCA. HE MENTIONED HE DID NOT GET A BRIEFING FROM DISPATCH IN YYZ. WE MONITORED DCA APCH ENRTE IN HOPES OF RETRIEVING THE PASSWORD FROM A PRECEDING ACFT WITHOUT ANY LUCK. WE CONTACTED DISPATCH ON COM RADIO AND THE DISPATCHER CONFIRMED A PASSWORD WAS REQUIRED BUT HE WAS UNABLE TO PROVIDE THE INFO OVER THE FREQ. WE INFORMED DCA APCH WE WERE WITHOUT A PASSWORD AND WE WERE DIVERTED TO IAD. ACFT WAS INSPECTED BY THE PROPER AUTHS AND RELEASED TO DCA. WE REFUELED; OBTAINED A NEW RELEASE AND PROCEEDED TO DCA. SUGGESTIONS TO PREVENT THIS OCCURRENCE IN THE FUTURE: 1) HAVE DISPATCH CALL ALL STATIONS BEFORE FLTS DEPART FOR DCA THAT THE CAPT NEEDS TO GET A BRIEFING BEFORE DEPARTING TO WASHINGTON NATIONAL. 2) HAVE 'CAPT MUST OBTAIN BRIEFING FROM DISPATCH PRIOR TO OPERATING INTO DCA' IN THE REMARKS SECTION OF THE RELEASE. 3) A NEW FLT MEMO ADDRESSING PROCS FOR OPERATING INTO AND OUT OF DCA. AN E-MAIL TO ALL PLTS ADDRESSING THIS AS WELL. 4) A COMMERCIAL CHART TYPE BRIEFING CARD DISCUSSING SECURITY PROCS INTO AND OUT OF DCA TO PLACE IN BINDER. 5) POSSIBILITY OF GETTING THE PASSWORD PRINTED OUT ON THE FLT RELEASE. THIS PROC IS IN PLACE AT SOME OTHER CARRIERS.