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Contact Us
Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC),
Office of Research Services
Personnel Security
Helpdesk: 301-402-9755
e-QIP: 301-402-9735
Appointment Line: 301-496-0051
E-mail: orspersonnelsecurity@
mail.nih.gov
Access Control
Helpdesk: 301-451-4766
E-mail: facilityaccesscontrol@
mail.nih.gov
 
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HHS ID Badge Scorecard
Here are the most recent NIH badging statistics from HHS as of January 31, 2014:
Sponsored: 38,455 Enrolled: 38,005 Issued: 37,399*
* This figure represents 97.3% of individuals who have been sponsored. Note: the Department reports weekly on the number of individuals who have been sponsored, enrolled and issued new HHS ID Badges for each OPDIV. DPSAC News reports the latest Departmental figures for NIH in the first issue published for that month.
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New Video Explains the HHS ID 
Badge Issuance Process
The HSPD-12 Program Office recently produced a four-minute video, 'Getting an HHS ID Badge,' that explains the four steps an individual must follow before DPSAC can issue them an HHS ID Badge (also referred to as a Personal Identity Verification or PIV Card).
This helpful video is now posted on the NIH YouTube channel and can be viewed directly using the link: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=Xq5vk7irwHs.
The video is also posted on the DPSAC website (http://idbadge.nih.gov) under the 'What's New' section of the main page.
The NIH administrative community and DPSAC staff will want to add this video to their toolbox for helping individuals navigate the HHS ID Badge issuance process.
A directory of NIH YouTube videos can be found at:
http://www. youtube.com/user/NIHOD.
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National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) Now Requiring Agencies to Review and Release e-QIP Before Issuing Badges
Not Entering New Hire Information into NED prior to EOD Likely to Delay Badge Issuance for Days, Weeks or Longer!
Until now, DPSAC has been able to issue an HHS ID Badge once DPSAC has received confirmation back from OPM that the fingerprints are 'clean,' and DPSAC has received the completed e-QIP forms from the new hire.
Due to recent updates to the Federal standards (FIPS 201-2) regulating the implementation of HSPD-12, NIST and OPM are now requiring all agencies to hold off issuing new badges until each individual's e-QIP forms have been submitted by the candidate, reviewed by the respective agency and released to OPM. Note: there are NO exceptions!
For DPSAC to meet this new challenge -- of reviewing each candidate's e-QIP forms and releasing them to OPM -- it's imperative that AOs enter the individual into NED prior to EOD. If an individual is not entered into NED prior to EOD, DPSAC will not have access to the information it needs to review the case prior to submitting the questionnaires to OPM.
This delay will have a domino effect, and will likely cause the applicant to wait several weeks to get his or her new HHS ID Badge. DPSAC is urging AOs to put these individuals in NED as early as possible to avoid this major inconvenience to their new staff members.
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E-Mail Scam Requesting Money for Security Clearance Certificates Hits NIH
The NIH Police recently alerted the NIH security community to a bogus e-mail that appears to be targeting foreign nationals at NIH. The e-mail is made to appear as if it originates from the United States Treasury Department and directs the recipient to contact the U.S. Department of Homeland Security and to "send the DHS the sum of $350 Dollars only for the issuing of the Clearance Certificate."
The e-mail also asks the recipient to provide personally identifiable information and warns that "failure to comply can result in legal action, detention, arrest," and other dire consequences.
NIH'ers are advised to be on the lookout for this e-mail and to be wary of any e-mail that asks for money or threatens you with legal action. A PDF of the bogus e-mail can be viewed by clicking on the link: Scam.
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NED Training Schedule for March, 2014
The HSPD-12 Program Office will be offering two NED classes in March, 2014. This training is designed to help beginners and advanced users quickly master NED in a hands-on computer lab environment. All classes are FREE!
How to Enroll
The NED courses are posted on the CIT Training site where visitors can view availability for any class and receive a confirmation immediately after registering. The catalog of NED classes is posted at http://training.cit.nih.gov/coursecatalog.aspx under "General Seminars."
When you see a course you want to take, just click on the course name (listed in the right column of the table). You'll be taken to the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) where you can register for the course online.
To log onto the HHS Learning Management System you can use either your PIV card and PIN or your NIH credentials. If you experience any difficulties accessing the LMS, please contact the CIT Training Program at 301-594-6248 or send an e-mail to: [email protected].
Also, the HSPD-12 Program Office will continue to post the NED training schedule in DPSAC News and on the DPSAC website at:
http://www.ors. od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/nedweb.aspx.
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Helpful Tips
How to recover your old (expired) digital certificates -- if you want to read signed or encrypted e-mail messages that you sent or received using a now-expired certificate, you first need to recover that certificate from the HHS Identity PIV Portal. For instructions on how to recover your old certificates, visit: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Documents/How_To_Recover_Certs.pdf
ICs that want to add LWS operators to the approved roster -- send a written request to Richie Taffet at: [email protected]. Your request should include the new operator's name, their IC, their NED number, as well as the operator's e-mail address, building/room and phone number.
Once Mr. Taffet has approved the request, he will forward the name(s) to [email protected] to complete the approval process, add the name to the LWS operator roster and inform the IC that the individual is now approved to operate the LWS.
Need to make changes to the LWS operator directories? -- drop an e-mail to Lanny Newman, [email protected], and let him know what needs changing (e.g., adding new operators or LWS locations, removing operators, etc.). Remember, before a new operator can be added to the LWS directory, s/he must first be approved by Richie Taffet (see preceding Helpful Tip).
If an LWS is not available in your IC or your immediate area, and you work in the greater Bethesda or Rockville area -- please call 301-451-4766 or 301-402-9755 to schedule an appointment with the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control located in Building 31, Room B1A26 or in Building 10, South Lobby, Room 1C52.
If you work outside the Bethesda/Rockville area, contact your local badge issuance office. You can find contact information for all badge issuance offices at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Pages/contactinfo.aspx.
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FAQs
Q.What is the process for reporting a lost or stolen HHS ID Badge? A.Report lost or stolen ID Badges to Access Control (301-451-4766) and to your Administrative Officer (AO). Your AO will need to enter the necessary information into the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) to authorize a replacement HHS ID Badge. Those who have not yet undergone the PIV background investigation process will need to schedule an appointment with Personnel Security to be fingerprinted and have their background investigation initiated. Q. What does 'Position Sensitivity Level' refer to? A. Each position at NIH is assigned a level of risk and sensitivity that determines the kind of background check that is required for that position. A position sensitivity worksheet, Form NIH-2866, summarizes personnel security/suitability requirements.
The majority of NIH employees and contractors are in non-sensitive "Level 1" positions and will undergo a 'National Agency Check with Inquiries' (NACI). This is the minimum investigation required for new federal employees, contractors and affiliates. All NIH personnel security investigations are processed through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM).
Positions are categorized according to their sensitivity as follows:
Non-Sensitive positions are those which include mostly low risk and non-national security program responsibilities.
Level 1 - (Non-sensitive)
National Security positions are those in which the incumbent needs higher security level access to classified, national security information or meetings.
Level 2 - (Confidential or Secret access level)
Level 3 - (Top Secret access level)
Level 4 - (Special Compartmented Information)
Public Trust positions are those positions requiring a high degree of integrity with public confidence in the individual occupying the position.
Level 5 - (Moderate Risk level)
Level 6 - (High Risk level)
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News Briefs
Walter Reed brings crisis communications system online
Excerpted from an article in FCW, January 29, 2014, by Adam Mazmanian The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center is the latest Defense Department installation to implement new emergency alert systems. In the aftermath of last September's Navy Yard shooting, more government installations are putting an emphasis on systems to alert employees, contractors and service members to crisis situations. The Walter Reed National Military Medical Center in Bethesda, Md., recently installed a software solution from IT firm AtHoc that blasts out situational alerts to 12,000 personnel when needed. Department of Defense regulations require that commanders of installations have some means of reaching personnel in the event of a crisis - rules which grew out of the 2009 Fort Hood attack. Messages sent via the AtHoc Interactive Warning System can go across multiple channels - computer screen pop-ups, smartphones, VoIP phones, digital signs, as well as sirens, loudspeakers, and radios. In a medical environment like Walter Reed, they can do more than just alert personnel to a threat like an active shooter or a potential weather disaster. Alerts can also cover power outages and computer failure or provide notice of scheduled IT downtime or other potentially disruptive events. To read the full article, click on the link: Crisis Communications.
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Safety Corner
 Prevent Fires in Your Kitchen
The following fire safety article was prepared by the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services
The #1 leading cause of home fires and fire injuries is kitchen fires!
More home fires start in the kitchen than anywhere else. In 2011, cooking was involved in an estimated 156,300 home fires that caused 470 deaths, 5,390 injuries, and $1 billion in property damage.
These numbers could be greatly reduced if people paid more attention when they cooked and practiced simple fire safety measures and behaviors.
- Unattended cooking is the leading cause of kitchen fires. In fact, two-thirds of home cooking fires started with the ignition of food or other cooking materials. Stay in the kitchen when frying, grilling, or broiling food. Turn off the stove or oven if you leave the room, even for a short period of time.
When simmering, baking, roasting, or boiling food, stay in the
home, check food regularly, and use a timer to remind you the
oven or stove is on. If you must leave your home, even for a
short period of time, turn off the oven or stove. When you are
finished cooking, turn off all burners and ovens.
- Keep anything that can burn like oven mitts, wooden utensils, and paper towels a safe distance away from the stove top.
- Wear short, tight-fitting, or tightly-rolled sleeves around the stove.
- If your clothes catch on fire, stop, drop, and roll over and over to put the fire out. Seek immediate medical assistance.
- Regularly clean up food and grease from the stove top, burners and oven.
- Do not use the oven and/or stove if you are drowsy, have consumed alcohol, or are using drugs.
- Be ready to react quickly to a cooking fire. When in doubt on what to do, just get outside! Close the door behind you to help contain the fire. Then call 911 or your local emergency phone number.
- If you try to fight a cooking fire with a portable fire extinguisher, make sure: you have a clear exit path; other occupants in the home have been alerted and are leaving the home; and, someone is calling the fire department on 911 or your local emergency phone number.
- If a small grease fire starts and has not spread beyond the pan, smother the fire by carefully sliding a lid or cookie sheet over the pan to completely cover it. Turn off the burner, and leave the pan covered until it is completely cool. Never move the pan or throw water on a grease fire. Be sure to always keep a lid and oven mitt nearby when you're cooking to use in case of a grease fire.
- If a conventional oven or microwave oven fire starts, turn off the power to the oven and keep the door closed.
- For families with children and pets, maintain a kid and pet free zone. Keep them at least 3 feet away from the stove when food is cooking. Use back burners to keep hot things further away from children.
In 2011, cooking caused almost half (44%) of reported home fires, one of every five (19%) home fire deaths, two of every five (39%) home fire injuries, and 15% of direct property damage.
Don't underestimate the speed and power of fire. A small kitchen fire can turn deadly in a matter of minutes. Most people assume they have more time to escape than they actually do. When fire strikes, speed is essential.
Fires can spread rapidly through your home, engulf it in smoke and flames, and make escape readily impossible in just a few minutes.
If you have any questions regarding kitchen fire prevention, please contact the Division of the Fire Marshal, Office of Research Services at 301-496-0487.
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A biweekly e-newsletter from the Office of Research Services, Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (ORS/DPSAC) to keep you informed as NIH rolls out "Homeland Security Presidential Directive 12" (HSPD-12) establishing a common identification standard to better safeguard NIH and its workforce.
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