The WBA’s Wisconsin Broadcasters Emergency Personnel ID Card program is getting upgraded with new cards and important new features as it moves into a new partnership with Wisconsin Emergency Management (WEM).
The WBA is moving the program to WEM which operates a system called WI-CAMS. The database is used statewide for emergency responders. The partnership will allow engineers to hold cards similar to those carried by police, fire, and other emergency personnel across the state, making them more recognizable to authorities at an incident checkpoint.
Other benefits include:
–Because the card is tied to a database, some information about cardholders can be updated without the need to issue new cards. The cards can be scanned to show current data about the cardholder.
— The WBA will annually check the validity of all cards, but if there are no changes, cards are valid for seven years.
–Engineers with NIMS certification can have that information shared on the card.
–The cards come with security features, making them more trusted credentials.
–More aspects of managing the program can be done electronically, making it faster and less costly.
WEM has agreed to print cards for the WBA, but all cards will be issued through the WBA, which will manage engineers’ data in the WI-CAMS database. The WBA is responsible for the validity of the data being entered into the database.
Station managers will receive a notification from the WBA about the new partnership and information about how to proceed if they already have engineers registered with the program or if new engineers should be added.
This program started after Hurricane Katrina when some broadcast engineers reported they were denied access to broadcast transmitters. The WBA’s Broadcasters ID program was one of the first of its kind in the country and has been regarded as a model for other states to replicate.
The Wisconsin Department of Justice has been a terrific partner with the WBA in establishing this critical program from scratch and maintaining it for more than ten years. The DOJ fully supports this change to the program.
The partnership with WEM has great potential to make the program more effective and therefore vital to keeping Wisconsin’s radio and TV stations on the air during the times when they’re needed most.
More information can be found here. The application process is currently closed while it is being updated, but will open soon. Check back for updates.
Questions can be sent to Kyle Geissler at kgeissler@wi-broadcasters.org.
