Portable Identification Card Systems (AEL reference number 04AP-05-CRED) Portable identification card systems are commonly used at incident scenes requiring a multiagency response and a unique incident identification card for personnel or the capability to read existing cards to ensure personnel accountability. They are also used to support special event planning, manage volunteers, and identify and track individuals at shelters or other facilities during or following a disaster (e.g., victims, patients, evacuees). These systems include software applications and hardware for reading and creating identification cards. To provide emergency responders with information on currently available portable identification card systems, the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU) Justice and Safety Center (JSC) conducted a comparative assessment of these systems for the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program in June 2011. Detailed findings are provided in the Portable Identification Card Systems Assessment Report, which is available by request at https://www.rkb.us/saver. Assessment Methodology Prior to the assessment, eight responders were chosen from various jurisdictions to participate in a focus group. Participants possessed strong backgrounds in emergency management, fire services, information technology, law enforcement, and public health. The group identified evaluation criteria and recommended product selection criteria and possible scenarios for assessment. After identifying evaluation criteria, the focus group assigned each criterion to one of five SAVER categories, and then assigned a weight for its level of importance. Once the criteria were weighted, the five SAVER categories were assigned a percentage value to represent the level of each category’s importance relative to the other categories. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program to assist emergency responders making procurement decisions. Located within the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) of DHS, the SAVER Program conducts objective assessments and validations on commercial equipment and systems, and provides those results along with other relevant equipment information to the emergency response community in an operationally useful form. SAVER provides information on equipment that falls within the categories listed in the DHS Authorized Equipment List (AEL). The SAVER Program is supported by a network of technical agents who perform assessment and validation activities. Further, SAVER focuses primarily on two main questions for the emergency responder community: “What equipment is available?” and “How does it perform?” For more information on this and other technologies, contact the SAVER Program Support Office. RKB/SAVER Telephone: 877-336-2752 E-mail: [email protected]Website: https://www.rkb.us/saver Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any of its employees make any warranty, expressed or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose for any specific commercial product, process, or service referenced herein. Summary August 2012 System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)
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Portable Identification Card Systems -- Assessment Summary · Cost per card . Printer ribbon: $180 ; Cost per card (polyvinyl chloride [PVC]/plastic): $0.11 ($54 for a box of 500)
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Portable Identification Card Systems (AEL reference number 04AP-05-CRED)
Portable identification card systems are commonly used at incident scenes
requiring a multiagency response and a unique incident identification card for
personnel or the capability to read existing cards to ensure personnel
accountability. They are also used to support special event planning, manage
volunteers, and identify and track individuals at shelters or other facilities
during or following a disaster (e.g., victims, patients, evacuees). These
systems include software applications and hardware for reading and creating
identification cards.
To provide emergency responders with information on currently available
portable identification card systems, the Eastern Kentucky University (EKU)
Justice and Safety Center (JSC) conducted a comparative assessment of these
systems for the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders
(SAVER) Program in June 2011. Detailed findings are provided in the
Portable Identification Card Systems Assessment Report, which is available by
request at https://www.rkb.us/saver.
Assessment Methodology
Prior to the assessment, eight responders were chosen from various
jurisdictions to participate in a focus group. Participants possessed strong
backgrounds in emergency management, fire services, information technology,
law enforcement, and public health. The group identified evaluation criteria
and recommended product selection criteria and possible scenarios for
assessment.
After identifying evaluation criteria, the focus group assigned each criterion to
one of five SAVER categories, and then assigned a weight for its level of
importance. Once the criteria were weighted, the five SAVER categories were
assigned a percentage value to represent the level of each category’s
importance relative to the other categories.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) established the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program to assist emergency
responders making procurement decisions.
Located within the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) of DHS, the SAVER Program conducts objective assessments and validations on commercial equipment and systems, and provides those results along with other relevant equipment information to the emergency response community in an operationally useful form. SAVER provides information on equipment that falls within the categories listed in the
DHS Authorized Equipment List (AEL).
The SAVER Program is supported by a network of technical agents who perform assessment and validation activities. Further, SAVER focuses primarily on two main questions for the emergency responder community: “What equipment is
available?” and “How does it perform?”
For more information on this and other technologies, contact the SAVER Program
Reference herein to any specific commercial products, processes, or services by trade name, trademark, manufacturer, or otherwise does not constitute or imply its endorsement, recommendation, or favoring by the U.S. Government. Neither the U.S. Government nor any of its employees make any warranty, expressed or implied, including but not limited to the warranties of merchantability and fitness for a particular purpose for any specific commercial product, process, or service referenced herein.
SummaryAugust 2012 System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)
Based on focus group recommendations, market research,
and system availability, the following systems were
selected for assessment:
● Photo ID & interTRAX® Suite, Salamander
Technologies Inc.; and
● Mobile Command Case 100, Elliot Data
Systems Inc.
Six responders served as evaluators for this assessment
and had at least 8 years of experience in emergency
management, fire services, information technology, law
enforcement, or public health.
During the assessment, evaluators rated the systems
based on evaluation criteria established by the focus
group. The assessment was separated into two phases:
the specification assessment and the operational
assessment. Evaluators assessed the systems based on
vendor-provided information during the specification
assessment. Hands-on experience with the systems
served as the basis for the operational assessment.
Assessment Results
The overall assessment scores for the two systems were nearly identical. Table 1 displays the composite
assessment scores as well as the category scores for each portable identification card system. Higher scores
indicate a higher rating by evaluators. The most and least favorable features of each system, as identified by
evaluators, are listed in table 2. To view how each system scored against the evaluation criteria assigned to the
SAVER categories, see table 3. Table 4 lists system specifications organized by component: card printer, card
reader, camera and computer, and overall system.
From a purchasing perspective, evaluators recognized that most systems can be customized by the end user,
allowing them to swap less desirable capabilities for more desirable ones, which they viewed as a strength.
Evaluators also recognized a lack of consensus at the national level for various personnel management
practices, which may affect an agency’s preference for one system over another. For instance, agencies may
prefer to maintain responders’ credentials on a computer system rather than on the identification card itself, a
model that is supported by the Mobile Command Case 100. Conversely, agencies may prefer to store
responders’ credentials on the identification card, a model that is supported by the Photo ID & interTRAX
Suite. Advantages and disadvantages associated with these models are described in the assessment report as
well as the Portable Identification Card Systems Application Note.
Responder agencies that may be considering the purchase of a portable identification card system should review
the detailed findings in the Portable Identification Card Systems Assessment Report and carefully consider each
system’s overall capabilities and limitations in relation to their jurisdiction’s operational needs. All reports in
this series, as well as reports on other technologies, are available in the SAVER section of the Responder
Knowledge Base (RKB) website at https://www.rkb.us/saver.
SAVER Category Definitions
Affordability groups criteria related to life-cycle costs of a piece of equipment or system.
Capability groups criteria related to the power, capacity, or features available for a piece of equipment or system to perform or assist the responder in performing one or more relevant tasks.
Deployability groups criteria related to the movement, installation, or implementation of a piece of equipment or system by responders at the site of its intended use.
Maintainability groups criteria related to the maintenance and restoration of a piece of equipment or system to operational condition by responders.
Usability groups criteria related to the quality of the responders’ experience with the operational employment of a piece of equipment or system. This includes the relative ease of use, efficiency, and overall satisfaction of the responders with the equipment or system.
Table 1. Portable Identification Card System Assessment Results
System Composite
Score Affordability (10% Weighting)
Capability (25% Weighting)
Deployability (20% Weighting)
Maintainability (15% Weighting)
Usability (30% Weighting)
Photo ID & interTRAX® Suite 3.9 3.8 3.8 4.1 4.0 3.9
Table 2. Portable Identification Card System Key Findings
System Most Favorable Least Favorable
Photo ID & interTRAX® Suite Composite Score: 3.9
Use of 2D barcodes for storing data oncards and capability to read 1D and 2Dbarcodes
Intuitive badge creation software Ability and ease of creating assignments
on the handheld card readers System illumination and visibility
Organization of cables, data ports,and outlets
Limited personnel accountabilityactivities and tracking featureswithout purchase of additionalmodule
Number and size of the caseenclosures
Mobile Command Case 100 Composite Score: 3.8
Single ruggedized case enclosure with asingle power connection and preconfiguredwiring
Easily expanded (e.g., scalable) withadditional readers and software licenses
Intuitive user interface and datamanagement software
Large display monitor
Usability of personnel accountabilityand tracking features on the cardreaders
Wireless range of handheld cardreaders around buildings
System illumination and visibility
Table 3. Portable Identification Card System Criteria Ratings1
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Note:
1 Averaged criteria ratings for each assessed product are graphically represented by colored and shaded circles. Highest ratings are represented by full green circles. Circles with no shading may indicate that the feature was not applicable to the assessed system or available to users with the purchase of the standard system.
Table 3. Portable Identification Card System Criteria Ratings1 (Continued)
Table 4. Portable Identification Card System Specifications1
Specifications Photo ID & interTRAX® Suite Mobile Command Case 100
Card Printer
Make and model Fargo® DTC1000 Datacard® CP60
Printing barcodes Yes Yes
Printing in color Yes Yes
Printer speed Number of cards printed per minute/hour: 2/165 Number of cards printed per minute/hour: 3/180
Card security features
Cards with radio frequency identification (RFID) technology are provisioned with a security key that