The unmanned pedestrian gate on Patch Barracks became operational Feb. 25.
The Enhanced Security Pedestrian Gate allows pedestrians to enter or exit the installation without having to walk to the main gate.
It’s a time saver. “You only get 30 or 45 minutes for lunch,” said Lt. Col. Dawn Hilton, who works in the U. S. European Command antiterrorism division.
“We’re able to have a business lunch in 30 minutes,” she said, returning on foot from a restaurant just outside the Patch Barracks gate on Feb. 25.
The ESPG is conveniently located next to the K and K gate on Kurmärkerstrasse.
“It’s the best location — it’s next to housing and close to the bus stop on Pascalstrasse,” said Lynwood Smith, a physical security inspector with U.S. Army Garrison Stuttgart Directorate of Emergency Services.
The green metal “booth” allows a person who is enrolled in the Installation Access Control System to enter the installation through an automated verification system.
To use the gate, one must slide his or her ID card through the card reader slot. The card reader communicates with the IACS database to determine if the person is enrolled in IACS and authorized on the installation.
Once inside the ESPG, one must place his or her index finger on a biometric reader.
The system then communicates with the IACS database and compares the fingerprint presented to the image on record for the swiped ID card.
If they match, the door will open to the installation side, allowing the person onto the installation.
The ESPG is designed to reduce the need for security guards, as well as detect, deter, and prevent unauthorized personnel from entering the installation using a lost or stolen ID card.
Using the ESPG may be a little tricky at first, according to Lynwood.
Because there is a 30-second time limit from the time the card is swiped to when the door is opened, cyclists and people with pets, small children or strollers need to hit the intercom button before swiping their cards.
“This alerts the security guards, who will override the entrance door,” Lynwood said.
If the system times out, the user must exit the booth, re-swipe the ID card and try again.
Once inside the ESPG, “Listen to the prompt,” Lynwood said. “Keep your finger on the fingerprint reader until prompted, or you will be rejected and will have to go outside and try again.
“It might take a few attempts to process through the ESPG. Be patient,” said Lynwood.
He recommended that if users have problems they should use the intercom and call security, or call the Military Police. “Don’t leave frustrated,” he said.