DBIDS program to aid security for base access

  • Published
  • By Hilltop Times
  • 75th ABW Public Affairs
HILL AIR FORCE BASE, Utah --  Hill Air Force Base is beginning its registration and education phase of the Defense Biometric Identification System (DBIDS), a Homeland Security and Department of Defense Initiative.
DBIDS was developed as a force protection and identity management program to manage personnel, property and installation access and is currently in use at several other bases and military sites.

All members of Team Hill who currently use a Computer Access Card as their personal ID card will be scheduled to register in phases as will military retirees and family members with their respective ID cards. This will occur during the educational and registration phase and will be done by unit or wing.

A separate two-month period in the spring of 2012 will be assigned for contractors to receive DBIDS Access Cards (DACs), which will replace their base access cards.
As a registered member of DBIDS, immediate access to the base is assured with one scan of your card by security forces personnel.

Testing phases will continue from Sept. 6 through the end of spring 2012 and the base commander has extended to security personnel the option of adapting to conditions as necessary. "If a person is registered in the system it's as quick if not quicker than a guard looking at a card because it pulls all their information right there to the screen," said Sam Ingram, chief, Installation Access. This information includes such things as height, weight, photograph and other identifying information.

"If we are doing a test phase and it is backing up traffic the wing commander has already given us certain options," Ingram said, such as taking only a certain percentage of motorists and testing the system or even changing to another time of day.

"We've actually had the system installed for six months now," Ingram said. A few squadrons have already been completely registered and some testing has been done.

Each unit or squadron will have a specific point of contact person assigned to get the word out that it's their members time to register or their security manager will be acting in that role.
DBIDS will allow security personnel better access to information such as restricted driving permits due to DUIs or warrants issued by other police and security organizations. In certain emergency situations it will allow leadership to be advised on how many and which nonessential personnel are on base and make it easier to assist in certain advisory situations such as a gas leak or unexpected natural disasters.

Completion of the education and registration phase is anticipated to be complete by the end of spring of 2012 and full implementation of the system is anticipated. For more information on the DBIDS system itself please visit http://www.dmdc.osd.mil/iao/pages/dbids/dbids_main.html.

Mary Lou Gorny, Hilltop Times editor, supplied additional information to this article.