Smart card to coordinate first responders.

• Position: SECURITY BEAT: Homeland Defense Briefs

The National Capital Region is leading an effort to identify first responders with a new smart card credentialing system. The first responder partnership initiative is designed as a model for other regions to enhance cooperation and efficiency between state and local first responders and their federal counterparts, said Tom Lockwood, director of the Department of Homeland Security's office of national capital region coordination.

The architecture of the card, which uses the FIPS 201 and 14443 standards, will identify first responders and their qualification at the site of an incident, so they may move rapidly into, out of and within an area in a secure manner. The card will be...