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January 21, 2015 issue of the DPSAC NEWS

In This Issue
Revised NIH Badging Authority by Classification Table Posted for Use by NIH Staff
NED Training Schedule for FY 2015
NIH Customers Benefit from Fast Badging Services
Renewing Your Smart Card Certificates
Helpful Tips
FAQs
News Briefs
Safety Corner

   

 

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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Revised NIH Badging Authority by Classification
Table Posted for Use by NIH Staff

Since this article appeared in the January 7, 2015 DPSAC News, the 'Classification Table' has undergone minor modifications. The NED column for Board Members and SGEs now indicates 'No/Yes' respectively. Also, a new footnote (#7) references this change, noting that SGEs are entered into NED whereas Board Members are not.

 

A revised table showing all position classifications at NIH is now posted on the web page: NIH Badging Authority by Classification Table. (Note: only NIH staff logged on to the NIH network are able to view this page). This table identifies the badge type, the corresponding Badging Authority - DPSAC or the NIH Police Department - for each classification, and examples of positions falling within each classification.*   

 

Table Provides Guidance for Issuing Extended Visitor Badges 

The table also reflects new policies and procedures for issuing Extended Visitor (NIH 'Legacy') badges to Service Providers, Board Members, Construction Workers and others who are not registered in the NIH Enterprise Directory (NED) and may need frequent physical access to NIH facilities.

Before extended visitors can be issued an ID badge giving them access to NIH facilities, they must complete the Extended Visitor form that will be approved by an Administrative Officer (AO) with PIV Sponsor authority and be fingerprinted.

The revised NIH Extended Visitor ID Badge Application form is posted at:

http://security.nih.gov/Pages/Home.aspx 


Note: Individuals requesting an Extended Visitor Badge must submit the original form at the NIH Gateway Center or the NIH Division of Police Guard Force Operations Branch, Building 31, Room B4BE09. Processing may take up to ten (10) business days.


Applicants will have their photo taken and their fingerprints electronically captured and submitted through the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for criminal history screening.


* The Badging Authority is the organization responsible for coordinating the necessary background check and authorizing the issuance of an ID badge. Once authorized, the Applicant will be instructed on where to pick up his or her ID badge.

 
    

NED Training Schedule for FY 2015   

Whether you are new to NED or an advanced NED user who needs to hone your NED skills, the HSPD-12 Program Office has a training program for you. These classes are 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 will be taken to the HHS Learning Management System (LMS) where you can register for the course online.

 

To log on to 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].

 

NIH Customers Benefit from Fast Badging Services

GSA recently reported that it has reduced the average wait time for issuing PIV Cards to its customers from 10-14 days to 5-7 days, thanks in part to overnight shipping arrangements.  

 

NIH is proud to report that the wait time for issuing PIV Cards to its customers is typically 24-48 hours. Local printing allows DPSAC to print and issue PIV Cards on location, giving NIH employees, contractors and affiliates almost immediate access to NIH facilities and computers with their PIV Cards. Of course, before an applicant can receive his or her PIV Card (HHS ID Badge), s/he must first complete and submit his or her e-QIP and related forms to DPSAC (if required) so that DPSAC can review the materials and send them on to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM) for their review and approval.

 
 

Renewing Your Smart Card Certificates

DPSAC regularly receives inquiries from individuals wanting to know how to renew their PIV Card (smart card) digital certificates. Individuals will be notified by e-mail when their HHS ID Badge (a.k.a. PIV Card or smart card) certificates are coming up for renewal. Once notified, they can select from one of three options to renew their certificates:

1. Use the Access Card Utility (ACU) software installed on your Windows computer

2. Use a self-service ACU workstation located in your IC

3. Make an appointment with an LWS operator in your IC

Should none of these options be available,    


4. Make an appointment with a specialist at one of DPSAC's Badge Issuance stations

For an in-depth explanation of the certificate renewal process, readers should refer to the Office of the Chief Information Officer (OCIO) web site,"How to Renew Your Digital Certificates" on the OCIO web page at: https://ocio.nih.gov/Smartcard/Pages/certificate-renewal.aspx.
 
Helpful Tips

ALT Cardstock Management -- ALT cards should not be returned to DPSAC. If the ALT card is functional, please recycle the card and reuse it for future staff.  If the ALT card is broken, please denote this in your IC's ALT Tracking Spreadsheet, and store the card in case of a DPSAC audit.

ICs in need of additional ALT Cardstock should contact DPSAC's Alex Salah at:[email protected]. With the request, please include the amount of additional cardstock and your IC's ALT Tracking Spreadsheet.
 


ICs that want to add Lifecycle Work Station (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
  • his/her IC
  • his/her NED number
  • 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(s) 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).

AOs who wish to obtain sponsor authority -- must complete the sponsor training (available at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Training/Pages/administrators.aspx) and fax the completion certificate to the HSPD-12 Program Office at 301-480-0108. If the fax does not go through, send the scanned PIV Sponsor Certificate via e-mail to Richie Taffet ([email protected]). Upon receipt of the certificate, the Program Office will authorize the AO as a sponsor.  

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.


FAQs

Q. I'm a new employee to NIH and at my orientation I noticed that some of the other new employees were getting their ID Badges. Not so for me. Why is that?

 

A. One possible reason that you were unable to get your ID Badge on your first day is that you failed to release your background investigation forms (e-QIP) to the Division of Personnel Security and Access Control (DPSAC). The current requirement for issuing an ID Badge includes: (1) the release of e-QIP to DPSAC; (2) DPSAC's review of the submission; and (3) DPSAC's releasing the reviewed e-QIP to the Office of Personnel Management (OPM). Only then can an ID Badge be issued.

 

Q. How do I contact my badge issuance office?

A. Contact information for all badge issuance offices are posted at: http://www.ors.od.nih.gov/ser/dpsac/Pages/contactinfo.aspx.


Q. Where can I find the new application form for the Extended Visitor Badge requiring the justification and fingerprints?


A.
The revised Authorization for Release of Information Form ("Extended Visitor ID Badge Application") is posted on the NIH Security website:

News Briefs

Why You May Have Noticed Beefed Up Security at Your Federal Office 
Excerpted from GovExec.com, January 14, 2015, by Eric Katz


Homeland Security Department Secretary Jeh Johnson announced this week the agency would ramp up security at federal buildings in response to the terror attacks in Paris last week. Johnson emphasized that there is no "specific, credible intelligence" of any threat on U.S. soil, and his decision is purely precautionary.


Johnson has asked the Federal Protective Service to enhance its presence at government buildings in Washington, D.C., and other "major cities and locations around the country."


"We urge Americans to continue to travel, attend public events, and freely associate with others," Johnson said. "However, given world events, this is a time for heightened vigilance by federal, state and local governments; critical infrastructure owners and operators; as well as the public."

  

                                               ### 

 

How Do the New Operating Status Procedures Affect You?  

The following information was prepared by the NIH Office of Human Resources

 

OHR has received many questions about the major change included in OPM's 2014-15 Washington, DC Area Dismissal and Closure Procedures. This change means that if federal offices are closed, federal employees who were scheduled to be on pre-approved paid leave will now be charged this leave. These employees will not be given excused absence and have their pre-approved leave canceled, with an exception for employees who were on pre-approved sick leave for a doctor's appointment that was canceled.


To assist in the application of this new guidance, we've broken down the impact by tier designation:

 

o   Tier I: Employees on pre-approved leave will remain on leave, unless they were on sick leave for a doctor's appointment and that appointment is canceled in which case they will be granted excused absence.


o
   Tier II: Employees on pre-approved leave will remain on leave, unless they were on sick leave for an appointment and that appointment is canceled in which case they can request telework or request another leave type.  Employees on pre-approved leave may also request ad hoc telework, under the terms of their telework agreement. 


o   Tier III: Employees on pre-approved leave will remain on leave, unless they were on sick leave for a doctor's appointment and that appointment is canceled in which case they will be granted excused absence.


Additional guidance is available on the Office of Human Resources
website.

Safety Corner

Test of the AlertNIH Emergency Communication Service

 

The following article is reprinted from the January (2015) HR News


As we kick off the New Year, the NIH community will soon begin receiving all emergency communications through the AlertNIH service.  One notable difference will be that notifications of a change in operating status will no longer come from the OHR Director's Desk and will instead be communicated via AlertNIH.     


In order to ensure that communications are reaching all members of the NIH community, the AlertNIH service will send a test message via e-mail in early January. 

Please communicate to your (fellow) employees that the message is coming from a legitimate source. It is of the utmost importance that employees take messages from the AlertNIH service seriously.
       

As a reminder, AlertNIH messages are used solely for emergency purposes only, informing you of emergency situations that pose an immediate threat and/or to inform you of a change in operating status for the NIH due to an emergency situation (e.g., inclement weather).
        

NIH public safety, human resources, public affairs and facilities representatives, with support from senior leadership, have developed AlertNIH to provide the NIH community with consistent, unified messaging for emergency situations.  

More information, including links to the AlertNIH social media accounts, can be found at http://alert.nih.gov.
     

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.