The National Capital Region is leading an effort to identify first
responders with a new smart card credentialing system. The first
responder partnership initiative is designed as a model for other
regions to enhance cooperation and efficiency between state and
local first responders and their federal counterparts, said Tom
Lockwood, director of the Department of Homeland Security’s
office of national capital region coordination.
The architecture of the card, which uses the FIPS 201 and 14443
standards, will identify first responders and their qualification
at the site of an incident, so they may move rapidly into, out of
and within an area in a secure manner. The card will be recognized
across all NCR federal, state and local multi-jurisdictions.
The smart card technology also can serve as a platform for physical
access into buildings, access to networks, human resource asset
accountability, incident command and control, property and firearms
accountability, and national incident management system integration.
For more information on the new credentialing system, contact Craig
A. Wilson, first responder partnership coordinator, at (202) 254-2305.