It's All About Preparedness for Counter-Terrorist Academy                     Download Article

When dealing with counter-terrorism, preparing for the unexpected is mission-critical. That’s why the National Center for Biomedical Research and Training’s (NCBRT) Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education opted to upgrade its ID card system long before it became necessary.

The NCBRT helps America prevent, prepare for, respond to and recover from acts of domestic and international terrorism, weapons of mass destruction and mass casualty incidents through teaching, training, research and technical assistance. Located on the campus of Louisiana State University, the NCBRT is a national leader in the development and delivery of a wide range of training programs in the areas of homeland security and high-consequence events.

Since 1998, it has developed more than ten courses certified by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and delivered by the Academy of Counter-Terrorist Education for professionals in law enforcement, fire control, emergency services, public health and medicine, as well as U.S. local, state and national law makers. Individuals are exposed to such diverse topics as prevention and deterrence, tactical operations, law enforcement operations, emergency response to biological incidents, sampling and agroterrorism. The NCBRT also has a cooperative agreement with the Department of Homeland Security to provide national training related to these subjects.

ID cards play an important role in protecting the security of the center and have several functions. Staff members use them for access control. Students, instructors and conference planners use ID cards for visual identification. There have been no security breaches since 9/11, according to Steven Williams, Assistant Director, Operations and Plans, but he doesn’t take any chances. While three of the four NCBRT buildings on the university campus have limited access, the main building houses a number of departments within the university and is open to the public. “Security is a real concern there,” said Williams.

Although the NCBRT had been using ID cards for seven years, it switched to the Fargo DTC550-LC Printer/Encoder equipment in 2005 after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita because Williams wanted a system he could upgrade easily. “He was looking at different forms of access control,” said Bryan Soverns, Sales and Marketing, with BeneCom Technologies, Inc., who sold him the system. “He will especially appreciate the DTC550 if he decides to add smart cards in the future. Then he will have multiple levels of security.”

In addition, new directives such as the Homeland Security Presidential Directive-12 (HSPD-12) are shaping identification standards for federal employees and contractors, eliminating wide variations in the quality and security of identification used to gain access to federal facilities. “When HSPD-12 came out, we were looking to print cards in-house and meet the new security requirements,” said Williams. “At that time, we were part of Louisiana State University’s purchasing program, and it wasn’t cost effective for the university to change its systems just for us. Now we have a contract with the state of Louisiana, which gives us more flexibility.”

Williams chose the DTC550 partly because of its expandability. While the NCBRT is only using magnetic stripe technology today, Williams knows that tomorrow’s needs may be dramatically different. The DTC550 can take the NCBRT into the future, with smart cards or contactless proximity cards.

“The speed of the Fargo printer has made the most difference,” said Williams. “If we hire a new employee, we can print and issue an ID card the same day. Changes in staff titles or positions can also be made quickly. This is especially important when someone leaves the organization.”

With his attention to security, it is not surprising that Williams also purchased Fargo Print Security Suite with the printer. “It doesn’t do us any good to make secure cards if an unauthorized user obtains access to the printer,” he said. Print Security Suite protects the issuance of a card and includes five applications:

• Password Control enables managers to require a password to operate the printer.

• Print Notification sends e-mail or text messages alerting system managers of printing outside pre-set hours of operation.

• Security Imaging uses blue Fluorescing Ribbon to add covert security features, such as customized logos and unique numbers, viewable only under ultraviolet light.

• Print Diagnostics gathers and shares printer diagnostic information, enabling many technical issues to be handled via phone or e-mail.

• Supplies E-Ordering automatically notifies the operator when supplies are running low.
  
   

Williams said the NCBRT is using all five elements, but he especially appreciates the Print Notification feature. “We have it configured to set times,” he said, “limiting the hours when cards can be printed.” NCBRT also uses the Fluorescing Ribbon to add another element of security to its ID cards.

ID cards printed by the NCBRT are double-sided and include the organization’s logo, a photo and the signature of an individual. There is also a bar code identifying staff, a magnetic stripe, and a hologram overlay depending on the security classification of the individual. Williams estimates that the NCBRT prints approximately 700 cards each year. “It was an easy transition from our old process,” he said, “because photos of many of the staff were already in the computer.”

In the future, as the organization begins to conduct more classified work, Williams hopes to introduce smart cards. “That will give them multiple levels of security,” said Soverns, “which is exactly what a biomedical research and training center needs.”

After all, it’s all about preparedness.