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Scott AFB makes upgrades to Biometric Identification System

  • Published
  • 375th Security Forces Squadron
SCOTT AIR FORCE BASE, Ill. --  Scott Air Force base will have something new to greet personnel entering the base later this year--the new Defense Biometric Identification System, or DBIDS, 4.0 upgrade.

This enhanced system is designed to manage access to Department of Defense facilities and installations. It is designed to rapidly verify access authorization of personnel on military installations by the use of barcode and fingerprint biometric technology. In addition, it produces DBIDS cards for people who are entitled to recurring and unescorted access to installations and do not possess a DoD ID card.

The most visible part of DBIDS, which has already been introduced at Scott, is the hand-held wireless scanner.

"Gate guards can use the scanner to read the bar codes on common access cards and instantly identify the person and verify their authorization to access the base," said Jeremy Parthemore, the security forces planner charged with implementing DBIDS 4.0 at Scott.

Hand-held scanners provide an instant, always-on connection to a Department of Defense database. The DBIDS database interfaces with the Defense Enrollment Eligibility Reporting System that verifies credentials of active duty members, civilians, retired members and dependents within the central United States region.

Unlike the initial version of DBIDS, DBIDS 4.0 does not require information to be added manually, such as unit, access rights during higher force protection conditions or phone numbers. Last year, many people from Scott experienced long and frustrating lines to get registered. DBIDS 4.0 will now be able to instantly register new users by electronically reaching back to DEERS to populate personal information into the DBIDS database. Security Forces expect about 5 percent of the base will require some type of data update due to older versions of the CAC or data corruption at the time their ID card was produced.

"The most significant gain from using the new system will be to installation security," said Lt. Col. Allan Fiel, Chief of Security Forces. "DBIDS will notify guards about lost or stolen ID cards, individuals barred from base, or persons who are being sought by their commander for an emergency or key response notification," the colonel said. The moment ID cards are reported stolen, or people expected to enter gates who require notification or detention, the information can be flagged in the system, instantly alerting guards.

"DBIDS will result in a significant improvement in force protection," Fiel said. "By adding a degree of automation to our entry control process, we reduce the chance of an unauthorized individual gaining access to the base, and more importantly, we will add a significant measure of deterrence that is critical to reaching the command's antiterrorism and force protection objectives."

So what does this mean for Team Scott members? The goal is to make registration convenient this time around for the Scott AFB community. For individuals working on base who already are CAC cardholders, the only difference will be installation entry control. Security Forces will use a handheld scanner on every DoD ID to validate credentials for entry to the base rather than just performing a visual inspection. The average time for this scan is three to eight seconds, or about the time it currently takes the Security Forces entry controller to visually inspect the ID card. The base will begin using the DBIDS 4.0 this month.

For more information, contact Denny Frank at 256-6166 or Master Sgt. Bryan Orwig at 256-6326.