New Identification Badge and Building Access Security System Date: Tue, 05 Aug 1997 08:59:00 To: "USGS Employees at Headquarters" From: Pat Erickson Subject: New Id Badge & Building Access Security Sys. Mime-Version: 1.0 Content-Type: text/plain; charset="us-ascii" In Reply Refer To: Mail Stop 250 MEMORANDUM To: All National Center Employees From: Gordon P. Eaton Director Subject: New Identification Badge and Building Access Security System To meet recently enacted Department of Justice security standards, the U.S. Geological Survey is establishing a number of new security measures at the National Center, including an integrated identification badge and building access system. The most visible aspect of this security system is that new identification badges will be issued to employees early in fiscal year 1998. The badges are also key cards that will allow individuals to enter and exit the National Center through 13 doors, 24 hours a day. Department of Justice standards, however, also require that the badges be worn at all times by employees, contractors, visitors, and volunteers. Although this new security system represents a significant cultural change at the National Center, your support will help protect all employees. As implementation time grows closer, the National Center Building Security Committee, a group with division wide membership charged with developing the new system, will be preparing more information announcements. As an introduction, a list of questions and answers is attached that describes the new system. Thank you, in advance, for your support of this initiative. Attachment .......................................................... Attachment New Identification Badge and Building Access System Questions and Answers 1. What do the Department of Justice (DOJ) standards require for a new identification badge and building access system at the National Center? Developing procedures and establishing authority for issuing employee and visitor identification badges; Developing visitor controls to ensure that visitors have been screened and are authorized to be at the facility; and Requiring constantly worn bureau photo identification for all personnel. 2. How is the new integrated badge and access control system more efficient than our current identification card and access system? It allows more convenient access for employees who park in the upper parking lots (especially useful during bad weather) and for employees working in the Printing Plant, Advanced System Center, and Physics building; It saves money by reducing the need for guard services at the Main Entrance and Maps Sales Entrance to business hours; It streamlines existing stand-alone access systems at the 1P Computer Center, 1P Machine Room, and Printing Plant; and 3. When and how will the new identification/access badges be issued, and when will I have to start wearing the badge? An e-mail announcement in the early fall will indicate when and how the new identification badges will be issued and the date the badges must start being worn. The process will be very similar to picking up parking permits where a schedule is set up based on your last name. Everyone will have several chances to pick up their badge before the start date. 4. What will the employee badge look like, and what information will be on the card? The employee badge will be white with black lettering and contain a color picture of the employee as well as the employee's name and signature, organization, date issued, and serial number. The back of the card will contain a magnetic stripe, required announcements for counterfeiting, alteration or misuse violations, and an address for mailing if lost and found. 5. Where do I go to get a badge holder and/or clip to display my badge? The Reston Service Center will carry several types of badge holders, clips, and chains. 6. How do I display my badge? The badge must be displayed where it is clearly visible for quick and casual visual inspections as you walk towards someone. The different holders and clips will give you several options in order to find one that feels comfortable for you. 7. What doors will have the new card access readers, and what hours will they operate? Eleven entry doors to the National Center and one each to the Power Plant and Physics Buildings will be equipped with the new badge access readers. All doors will be posted with use and time limitations. Several of the doors will have readers that can only be used by individuals requiring access to that door, e.g., the doors to the second floor of the Printing Plant and the Physics Building. The entry doors that are for use by all employees are: Main Lobby paraplegic doors: 24-hour access Map Sales paraplegic door: 24-hour access Service Road paraplegic doors to main building: 24-hour access Service Road 1P door: 24-hour access Cafeteria dining room door: limited hours >From 6:00 a.m. until 6:30 p.m., the Main Lobby and Map Sales entrances will continue to be manned by guards who will check identification badges. You have the option of entering either through an open entrance with a guard or using your badge to enter through a door controlled by the new badge reader system. 8. Are all access doors covered with a closed circuit TV (CCTV) that videotapes all individuals entering and exiting the building? All National Center building entry doors equipped with the new access readers will be videotaped on a continuous basis. 9. Will non-employees such as contractors, volunteers, and visitors be wearing a badge and will they be able to operate the new card access doors? Contractors or volunteers undergoing background investigation by the USGS Security Management Office will have a yellow identification badge with an expiration date that will work as door cards. All other contractors, volunteers, and visitors will be issued a daily badge which must be displayed and will not operate any of the card entry doors. 10. How will the badge system be enforced, and do I play a part? USGS security guards will enforce the badge system. If you are not wearing a badge, your division chief will be notified who will then notify your supervisor. You can expect to hear from your supervisor. The security guards are also authorized to write an incident report if they feel it necessary and send it to the USGS Security Management Office for further action and resolution. Self-policing of the wear badge system by employees will help to maintaining building security. You may report an individual by name and/or description who is in the building without a badge to your supervisor or to the Guard Office at x7560. Temporary badges are available at the Main Lobby and Map Sales entrances, and the Guard's Office, Room 1A102, for those employees who have lost, forgotten, or misplaced their badge. 11. What will happen if I accidentally leave my badge at home or lose my badge? The guard at either the Main Lobby or Map Sales entrance will verify your identification and employment and then give you a temporary badge that will allow card door access. If you lose your badge, call the Branch of Facilities Management immediately so your card can be voided from the access system. The Branch will give you instructions for obtaining a new badge. New employees will be issued a temporary badge until they receive their permanent badge. 12. How will USGS field employees be handled? USGS employees who are not stationed at the National Center will be given a temporary badge by the guard at either the Main Lobby or Map Sales entrance upon verification of identification and employment. The temporary badge will work as access cards. 13. What do I do if I bring a visitor into the building with me after business hours, and I have to use my access card to gain entrance into the National Center? If you bring a visitor to the National Center during business hours, enter through either the Map Sales or Main Lobby entrance and the guard will issue a visitor badge. If you enter the building with a visitor after business hours and use your key card to gain entrance, immediately take your visitor to the Main Lobby Guard's Office, Room 1A102 to pick up a visitor badge. 14. What if I swipe my card and the reader doesn't work? If you swipe your card and you get a red light, try again. If you receive another red light, either the card reader or your access badge is malfunctioning. You may go to another access controlled door, the Map Sales entrance, or Main Lobby entrance and try your card again. If still denied entrance by a card reader, the guards at the Map Sales or Main Lobby entrances will honor your badge. Contact the Branch of Facilities Management to receive a replacement. If a second reader permits you to enter, the first reader is malfunctioning. Please report it to either guard at the two open entrances or to the Guard's Office at x7560. 15. What do I do if someone tailgates into the building behind me? Tailgating is when individuals either follow employees in through card controlled doors, or employees permit other individuals to enter through these doors. Each employee must use his or her own card to gain access to the National Center. Tailgating is not permitted and is considered a serious security problem. Employee violations of the tailgating policy are treated as seriously as not wearing a badge and are reported to your division chief and supervisor. The only exception is when you bring in after-hour visitors and immediately go to the Main Lobby Guard's Office for a visitor's badge. 16. Are there any privacy issues that I need to know about? As required in 383 DM 5.1, the appropriate Privacy Act System of Records Notice for the Office of Management Services (OMS) Badging and Access Control System has been submitted to the Department of the Interior Privacy Act Officer. This system maintains records of each individual who is issued a USGS identification card/access badge automating the current manual ledgers maintained by Administrative Officers. Additionally, the system maintains records of individuals entering and exiting the National Center using the access control readers to include the times of entry and exit. This automates the current General Services Administration (GSA) secure-hours sign in/out building register, Record of Time Arrival and Departure from buildings during Security Hours), GSA Form 139. The information in the OMS Badging and Access Control System may be made available to Federal, State, and local law enforcement agencies during the course of criminal investigations or emergency response situations and to supervisors to verify time and attendance records. 17. What other mechanisms are established at the National Center to deter criminal activity and violence against employees? The USGS Security Management Office has established many personnel, physical, and administrative security measures to help deter criminal activity and violence against employees. Since 1991, there has been an overall decrease in the number of government property thefts because of these measures, which include: Improving the USGS guard service that provides entrance control and visitor screening. Installing continuously recording Closed Circuit TV's at all exit doors, Improving National Center building door alarms, X-raying all mail and packages entering the building, Conducting background checks on all contractors who require regular access to the National Center building, Responding to the Emergency Telephone Extension, x7222, and installing direct-line emergency phones in ladies shower rooms, Establishing a Crisis Management Team to respond to workplace violence issues.