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Technology Evaluation Project: Technical Evaluation of the Tactical Communications Bridge-2
"This report describes the test procedures and results of the product evaluation for the Tactical Communications Bridge-2 (TCB-2). The TCB-2 is an audio gateway device manufactured by Ink Communications, Inc. An audio gateway device (also called an audio matrix or a cross-band switch) links disparate radio systems to support communications interoperability between dissimilar wireless systems. Such a device simply passes baseband (audio) signals from the receiver portion of one radio to the transmitter portion of a dissimilar radio system."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Office for Interoperability and Compatibility
2008-01
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Statement of Requirements for Urban Search and Rescue Robot Performance Standards: Preliminary Version
"This report documents an initial set of requirements for the performance of robots that can support urban search and rescue (US&R) roles and tasks. These requirements were captured during three workshops held at NIST [National Institute of Standards and Technology] between November 2004 and February 2005, which included members from twenty FEMA [Federal Emergency Management Agency] Task Forces and the National Guard. This initial set of requirements will guide efforts to establish standard test methods for performance and use of US&R robots. As these efforts evolve, so will the set of working requirements. Updated versions of this report will be released periodically to document the process and publicize proposed test methods."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.); United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
Messina, E. R. (Elena R.); Jacoff, Adam; Scholtz, Jean C.
2005-05-13
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Homeland Security Project. Working Group: Symbology Reference
"DHS S&T [Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate] has been working with the Pennsylvania State University's GeoVISTA Center to promote standardization and sharing of map symbology throughout DHS components and the public safety community."
United States. Federal Geographic Data Committee; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
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Memorandum of Understanding Between Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate and Department of Commerce National
"This Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) is by and among the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) an agency of the Department of Commerce, the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) of the Department of Homeland Security (DRS), and the Financial Services Sector Coordinating Council for Critical Infrastructure Protection and Homeland Security (FSSCC) (taken together ''Parties'). The Parties agree that it is in the best interests of the Parties and the American people to develop a strategic partnership for cybersecurity. The Parties will endeavor to leverage their core cybersecurity expertise, research and development capabilities, and resources under separate Project instruments (1) to facilitate innovation, (2) to identify and overcome cybersecurity vulnerabilities, and (3) to develop more efficient and effective cybersecurity processes that benefit critical financial services functions and may also benefit other critical infrastructures."
National Institute of Standards and Technology (U.S.); United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2010-12
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Social Media Strategy: Virtual Social Media Working Group and DHS First Responders Group
"The VSMWG [virtual social media working group] developed this document with input from the public safety community through online engagement hosted on the DHS First Responder Communities of Practice portal and through online discussions via other social media channels between February and August of 2011. It is intended for use by all public safety disciplines and all types of agencies to better understand and utilize social media and other Web-based tools without having to 'reinvent the wheel' or spend hours searching for examples or policy templates or use cases. This document provides a high-level introduction to social media and its benefits for public safety, examples and best practices from agencies already using social media, and serves as a starting point for developing an agency's detailed social media strategy. The VSMWG has also developed a Next Steps document as follow up to this Social Media Strategy, which provides considerations and detailed next steps for public safety agencies on developing and implementing social media. The purpose of this document is to: [1] Provide an introduction and general understanding of how social media and Web‐based technologies can be used for public safety in a strategic way; [2] Provide best practices and use cases for agencies that are interested in developing social media programs within their agencies; and [3] Introduce the use of social media for public safety and provide additional materials regarding the challenges associated with implementing social media into existing methods (for more on this, see: 'Next Steps')."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; Lessons Learned Information Sharing (LLIS)
2012-01
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Biodetection Technologies for First Responders: 2014 Edition
"This guide summarizes commercially available technologies that can be used by first responders in the field for the collection, screening and identification of biological materials. This is not meant to be an exhaustive list, nor an endorsement of any technology described herein. Rather, this guide is meant to provide useful information about available technologies to help end-users make informed decisions about biodetection technology procurement and use. The summaries in this guide are based primarily on vendor-provided information; however, where possible the summaries have been supplemented with additional information obtained from publications, reports, and websites. Manufacturers were contacted and given the opportunity to verify the accuracy of technical specifications, available peer-reviewed references, and pricing. However, all information is subject to change. Comparing biodetection technologies is challenging in the absence of independent, standardized, third-party testing. Many factors can impact measured performance metrics, such as sensitivity (limit of detection), selectivity (cross-reactivity), and reliability (the occurrence of false-positive or false-negative results). Environmental conditions, sample type, biothreat agent, and degree of sample preparation all impact a technology's performance and make it difficult to directly compare data generated for different technologies tested under different (and often not well-defined) conditions. Vendor-provided performance metrics are listed, and where possible, shown in relation to the quantity or concentration of organism detected. When available, peer-reviewed publications that evaluate the performance of a technology have been used; however, such publications are rare and often outdated due to ongoing technology improvements by vendors."
United States. Department of Energy; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
Ozanich, Richard; Baird, Cheryl; Bartholomew, Rachel A. . . .
2014-03
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Buildings and Infrastructure Protection Series: Primer to Design Safe School Projects in Case of Terrorist Attacks and School Shootings
"The purpose of this primer is to provide the design community and school administrators with the basic principles and techniques to make a school safe from terrorist attacks and school shootings and at the same time ensure it is functional and aesthetically pleasing, and meets the needs of the students, staff, administration, and general public. Protecting a school building and grounds from physical attack is a significant challenge because the design, construction, renovation, operation, and maintenance of a facility must consider numerous building users, infrastructure systems, and building design codes."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; United States. Federal Emergency Management Agency
2012-01
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Stabilization of Buildings Workshop
"Because science and technology are crucial to mitigating natural and manmade effects on critical infrastructure and ensuring the continuity of their services, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology (S&T) Directorate has established a goal to accelerate the delivery and understanding of enhanced technological capabilities. In support of this goal, the DHS S&T Infrastructure and Geophysical Division (IGD) is creating a program to investigate the enhancement of building stabilization after an improvised explosive device (IED) attack. To that end, the DHS S&T Directorate was pleased to sponsor the Stabilization of Buildings Workshop. Through white paper discussions and breakout sessions, participants in the workshop explored topics such as monitoring and assessing buildings that are near failure, real-time decision making methods, first responder access during an emergency, and cost-effective stabilization techniques that could be implemented immediately following an IED attack. The Stabilization of Buildings Workshop sought to: 1) Discuss search and rescue issues facing first responders to the scene of the building attacked by an IED 2) Explore hazard mitigation techniques for first responders 3) Review case studies of building performance of buildings subjected to blast loads 4) Investigate methods of monitoring and assessing the structural integrity of damaged structures 5) Introduce innovative materials to be implemented in building stabilization 6) Expose and learn of state of the art equipment, techniques, and strategies for stabilizing buildings 7) Bring together private organizations, federal agencies, and universities to discuss research, techniques, and future needs for improving building resiliency against blast threats and protecting first responders".
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; United States. Army. Corps of Engineers
2009-08-27
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Response and Recovery Knowledge Product: Key Planning Factors for Recovery from a Chemical Warfare Agent Incident
"The 'Key Planning Factors for Recovery from a Chemical Warfare Agent Incident' is a document developed by Sandia National Laboratories (SNL) under contract to DHS S&T [Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology Directorate] as a stand-alone deliverable to the Wide Area Resiliency and Recovery Program (WARRP). This document is one of five reports for the Response and Recovery Knowledge Products (RRKP) data transition agreement established between DHS S&T and FEMA in September 2011. It is designed to identify key planning factors that could substantially aid the recovery process by decreasing the recovery timeline and costs, improving public health and safety, and addressing major resource limitations and critical decisions."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; Sandia National Laboratories
2012-09
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Master Question List (MQL) for Synthetic Opioids
From the Introduction: "Abuse of synthetic opioids is devastating communities, endangering public health, and overwhelming the response professionals who protect American communities. Between 2019 and 2020, U.S. drug overdose deaths reached the highest number ever recorded, with synthetic opioids, like illicit fentanyl, largely responsible. [1] While understanding of synthetic opioids has grown exponentially, important knowledge gaps impact our ability to make informed operational recommendations and decisions across a range of topics, from deploying effective personal protective and detection equipment to developing safe and effective decontamination protocols."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate. Office of National Laboratories
2021-09
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Video Quality in Public Safety (VQiPS): Policy Considerations for the Use of Video in Public Safety
"This document represents the efforts of the Video Quality in Public Safety (VQiPS) Working
Group's Policy Subcommittee to provide guidance for government agencies crafting written
policies and procedures for the use of closed circuit television (CCTV) video data and metadata
in a variety of public safety applications. This Subcommittee, consisting of experts in many
areas of public safety, held meetings in person and via teleconference over several months in
2015 and 2016 to discuss important policy issues related to CCTV use. The purpose was not to
provide a template or best practices document, but instead to highlight policy considerations
for agencies in the process of establishing or implementing recently established video systems.
These considerations might also be useful for agencies that have older video systems, but want
to examine whether their established policies reflect the current social and legal environment."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
Zoufal, Donald R.
2016-06
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Emergency Vehicle Warning System (HAAS Alert): Virtual Technology Demonstration Report
From the Executive Summary: "First responder vehicles are frequently involved in motor vehicle collisions, and these collisions are increasing at an alarming rate. The use of emergency lights and sirens tends to not be as effective as it once was in getting the attention of other motorists in today's automotive landscape. This tragically results in substantial injuries among responders, loss of life, and property damage. These collisions also result in the responding units becoming unavailable to render aid at an incident. The personnel, vehicles, and specialized equipment they carry may not be available for subsequent service for some time afterwards. To address this issue, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) created a program to develop an Emergency Vehicle Warning System that could be used in car systems or phone applications to notify civilian drivers as they approach both en-route and on-scene emergency vehicles. The developed system was also intended to provide notifications for multiple emergency vehicles operating in proximity of one another traveling routes that may intersect. HAAS Inc. was contracted by DHS S&T to further develop and enhance their HAAS Alert technology to improve these functions and thereby provide a product that would help prevent collisions with first responder vehicles."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Monetti, Matthew; Casparro, Robert; Dooley, Kris . . .
2021-07
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Metrics Used to Make DHS Center of Excellence Awards (Fiscal Year 2015 Report to Congress)
"This report was prepared pursuant to language in House Report 113-481 accompanying the 'Fiscal Year 2015 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Appropriations Act' (P.L. 114-4). House Report 113-481 states: University Programs and Centers of Excellence The Committee recommends $41,000,000 for University Programs and Centers of Excellence (COE), $10,000,000 above the request and $1,276,000 above fiscal year 2014. This funding level will allow S&T to continue support for all existing COEs, including the new COE to be competitively awarded in the current year. The Committee directs the Department to report on and define the key metrics used to make COE awards."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2015-06-05
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DHS S&T Component Liaison Program (Fiscal Year 2015 Report to Congress)
"This report details the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) Partnering for Innovation and Operational Needs through Embedding for Effective Relationships (PIONEER) program. [...] PIONEER, as designed and outlined in the S&T Strategic Plan, will help S&T to identify and prioritize operational requirements and capability gaps through direct, on-the-ground collaboration and partnership with Components. Through PIONEER exchanges, S&T program staff will gain firsthand experience of Components' operational environments and grow their personal networks of operational end users. Concurrently, in addition to gaining insight into and influence over S&T's priorities, engagement by the Components will give them a better sense of state-of-the-art technology and how operations can be improved through collaboration with S&T. PIONEER aligns to the Secretary's vision for joint duty within the Department and represents a major step toward an established cross-departmental R&D culture. S&T's investment in richer awareness and understanding of operational needs through PIONEER will also allow more effective identification of crosscutting requirements, better prioritization of projects, and more strategic investment in force-multiplying solutions."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2015-06-05
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S&T Reforms: Integrated Product Teams and Technical Assessments (Fiscal Year 2015 Report to Congress)
"DHS requires a mechanism for capturing and understanding the research and development (R&D) that occurs across the Department. Additionally, DHS faces the challenge of how R&D is coordinated to reflect the Department's priorities. As part of the Unity of Effort initiative and to address the above concerns, DHS is establishing integrated product teams (IPT) to assist the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) with requirements gathering, validation, and aligning of budgetary resources. S&T will also play a critical role in helping DHS-wide major acquisition programs by conducting independent technical assessments of acquisitions to ensure that DHS acquisitions meet the capability gap that they were designed to fulfill. S&T currently is reviewing and updating the applicable DHS directives to reflect the changes outlined in this report."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2015-11-06
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Department of Homeland Security: Results of Fiscal Year 2015 Research and Development (Fiscal Year 2016 Report to Congress)
"I am pleased to submit the following report, 'Results of Fiscal Year 2015 Research and Development,' which has been prepared by the Science and Technology Directorate (S&T). The report has been compiled pursuant to language in Senate Report 114-68 accompanying the Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Department of Homeland Security (P.L. 114-113). We are beginning to see results from our new Apex programs. In FY 2015, the Next-Generation First Responder Apex executed S&T's first prize competition and launched S&T's first accelerator program to take advantage of start-ups and small businesses. In FY 2015, our Data Analytics Engine operationalized big data tools with U.S. Immigration and Customs Enforcement that are already creating new leads for investigators. They also continued support for data projects across DHS such as the Transportation Security Administration's (TSA) ongoing rollout and expansion of the TSA Pre™ program. This reflects how valuable S&T's new engine programs, which are crosscutting by design and reach across S&T's and Department's full range of missions, will be moving forward."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2016-03-22
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Department of Homeland Security: National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility Construction Plan Update (Fiscal Year 2016 Report to Congress)
"The National Bio- and Agro-Defense Facility (NBAF) will be a state-of-the-art biocontainment facility for the study of foreign animal, emerging, and zoonotic (transmitted from animals to humans) diseases that threaten U.S. animal agriculture and public health. NBAF will provide our Nation with critical capabilities to conduct research, develop vaccines and other countermeasures, and train veterinarians to protect and strengthen our Nation's farmers, food supply, public health, and rural economy. For 60 years, the Plum Island Animal Disease Center (PIADC) has served our Nation as the primary facility to conduct this work. However, PIADC is at the end of its lifecycle, is too small, and needs to be replaced to meet national research requirements and to ensure the timely development of countermeasures in the event of an outbreak. Strategically, NBAF will provide new and expanded capabilities, specifically large animal biosafety level-4 laboratories, which will allow for the study of high-consequence zoonotic diseases affecting large livestock. Currently, no laboratory in the United States has this capability. S&T [Science and Technology Directorate] established an NBAF acquisition cost baseline of $1.25 billion in August 2014. The acquisition cost includes all costs from site selection to constructing and commissioning the facility. The acquisition cost does not include transitioning operations from PIADC to NBAF or decommissioning and closing all PIADC facilities."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
2016-04-11
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Applying Behavior Economics to Improve Cyber Security Behaviors
"Current systems are vulnerable due to poor cyber security behaviors. The existing quantitative models of cyber risk management and cyber insurance are still based on the assumption and behave according to classical decision theories. The approach includes three major activities: 1) quantitative capturing of heuristics and biases in cyber security. 2) quantifying cyber risks, premiums, and selecting control measures to reduce premiums. 3) Transition to practice, will test, evaluate and demonstrate the efficacy of proposed models and transition results to operational environments using 'real world databases' and working with 'live' partners who eventually will be adopting the models produced."
Rome Laboratory (Griffiss Air Force Base, N.Y.); United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
Farahmand, Fariborz
2018-08
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Portable Ambulance Decontamination Systems Market Survey Report
From the Document: "Portable ambulance decontamination systems are used by emergency medical services (EMS), fire departments, and private ambulance providers to disinfect ambulance cabins. To provide emergency responders with information on portable ambulance decontamination systems, the System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program conducted a market survey. [...] The use of portable ambulance decontamination systems may be most helpful following the transport of a patient with a virus or bacteria that is highly contagious and/or life threatening, as well as resistant to antimicrobial products. Common microorganisms of concern include Clostridium difficile bacteria, methicillin-resistant Staphylococcus aureus (MRSA), Human Immunodeficiency Virus (HIV), tuberculosis (TB), and Hepatitis B and C, among others."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)
2015-09
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Exploring the Effect of the Diffusion of Geo-Targeted Emergency Alerts: The Application of Agent-Based Modeling to Understanding the Spread of Messages from the Wireless Emergency Alerts Systems
"Emergency alerts and warnings are an element of emergency plans designed to provide information that members of the public can use to protect themselves. Whatever the event, the general goal of emergency alerting is similar: successfully transmit information to the potentially affected population, have that message spread or diffuse to the people who need it, and do so far enough before the incident occurs that they can act accordingly. Changes in technology and the way people consume media raised concerns that legacy alert systems were no longer sufficient to achieve the goals of alerting. Mobile devices are the entry point for much of current media consumption and they have moved people away from traditional channels that could be used to transmit emergency alerts. Because these mobile devices are always at least somewhat location aware, they can provide a way to transmit alert information relevant to the position where a person is at the time the emergency is occurring, rather than to a home address or other less precise location. To take advantage of this potential, the Wireless Emergency Alerts (WEA) system was implemented in 2012 to deliver short (up to 90 text characters) emergency messages to individual mobile devices in a designated warning area. WEA is designed to be a new addition to the toolbox for emergency alerting in the United States -- not to replace other channels for transmitting information to the public. […]This project took on the fundamental question of how important diffusion behavior was for understanding the value of geo-targeting WEA messages."
United States. Department of Homeland Security; United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate
Parker, Andrew M.; Jackson, Brian A., 1972-
2015-07
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Incident Management Software for Emergency Response: Focus Group Report
From the Executive Summary: "Incident management software (IMS) consists of a suite of mobile-ready tools that aggregate preplanned or no-notice critical incident information in a real-time collaborative environment such that situational status, response priorities, and resource deployment are brought into a common operating picture. [...] Emergency management, fire service, law enforcement, and other emergency response agencies that have a role in the management of incidents and events use IMS to conduct pre-planning, multiagency coordination, resource allocation, asset tracking, and information collection and analysis to aid decision making and after action audits and reports. The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory's (NUSTL) Systems Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program, in cooperation with the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory (PNNL), will conduct a comparative assessment of IMS for emergency response to provide emergency responders with information to assist their making operational and procurement decisions. As part of the assessment planning process, NUSTL convened a virtual focus group from September 16-23, 2020. The virtual focus group was conducted in three parts over the course of one week: an introductory video conference, individual participant follow-up interviews, and a final group discussion by video conference. Seven emergency responders from various jurisdictions who have experience using IMS for emergency response participated. The focus group generated recommendations on evaluation criteria, developed product selection specifications, and discussed possible scenarios for assessing IMS."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Murtagh, Cecilia; Calhoun, Eliot; Velasco-Lopez, Brenda . . .
2021-01
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Counter-Unmanned Aircraft Systems (C-UAS) Technical Support
From the Document: "The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) executes test and evaluation (T&E) activities and technical advisory support for the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) with a special focus on the assessment of counter-unmanned aircraft systems (C-UAS) technologies. The increasing availability of commercial unmanned aircraft systems (UAS) and rapid advancements in the systems' capabilities have led to more opportunities for both legitimate and nefarious UAS applications. NUSTL's T&E efforts provide direct support to S&T's C-UAS and Air Domain Awareness (ADA) programs. [...] UAS pose significant challenges to air traffic safety and homeland security, as well as potential threats to border security, critical infrastructure and the general public. These challenges have driven NUSTL's efforts in the C-UAS technology area, including T&E execution in support of DHS components and the Homeland Security Enterprise (HSE). In order to detect, track and identify UAS and effectively respond to these threats in a timely manner, law enforcement entities require specialized equipment based on their operating environment and operational missions."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
2021-06
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Collaboration Space for Homeland Security Enterprise and First Responders
This factsheet describes the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) facilities in New York. From the Document: "The National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) [hyperlink] acts as a bridge between technology developers and first responders as it tests, evaluates and analyzes homeland security capabilities. NUSTL tests homeland security technologies to ensure first responders are equipped with the appropriate tools to meet their mission-critical objectives. State and local decision makers and first responders consult NUSTL as a technical authority to implement new technologies in the field. NUSTL also works to enhance first responder capabilities to respond to and recover from radiological and nuclear threats. To foster this mission, NUSTL is a state-of-the-art facility in New York City. The facility enhances NUSTL's mission of providing innovative tools, resources and capabilities for collaboration. [...] NUSTL welcomes all first responders and members of the Homeland Security Enterprise to share its fully equipped facility and workspace for tests and evaluations, trainings, conferences and meetings. NUSTL serves as a communication hub by providing a workspace that enhances partnerships and encourages integration. The laboratory hosts visitors from law enforcement, fire safety, hazmat, search & rescue, emergency management, interagency working groups, academia and other private sector and government agencies."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
2021-01-12
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National Urban Security Technology Laboratory, Annual Report (Fiscal Year 2016)
From the Document: "In FY2016, the National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) celebrated 70 years in service though science. With locations in downtown New York City and the Chicago metropolitan area, NUSTL serves as an urban test bed that brings together the interests and initiatives of the federal community with the first responder community. The laboratory's mission activities in test and evaluation (T&E) and research and development (R&D) aim to help first responders prepare, protect and respond to homeland security threats. Technological innovation is necessary to address challenges for the first responder community as well as homeland security threats. To answer to these challenges, NUSTL performs tests, evaluations and assessments of existing and emerging technologies through a full spectrum of laboratory and field testing services. NUSTL's scientists, engineers and program leads planned and executed T&E activities to inform acquisitions and operations, develop more effective technology deployments and integrate first responder operations. [...] As a federal laboratory organized within the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responders Group (FRG), NUSTL is dedicated to advancing the research, development, test and evaluation of homeland security technologies and tools that prepare and protect our nation. This Fiscal Year (FY) 2016 Annual Report contains a summary of NUSTL's completed program and project milestones, collaboration and outreach, mission and services, laboratory operations, and organizational successes."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
2017-10-12?
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Respiratory Protection for Firefighters During Overhaul Operations: Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Executive Summary: "After extinguishing structural fires, firefighters carry out fire overhaul operations to locate and extinguish smoldering hot spots. Early on in the overhaul operations, firefighters wear self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA); although, it is common practice to remove the SCBA when the carbon monoxide (CO) concentration drops to a safe level. Studies have shown, however, that after CO dissipates, particulate matter and harmful chemicals are still present during overhaul environments. As a result, firefighters must continue to wear heavy SCBA equipment throughout overhaul operations or risk breathing in the hazardous material present in the overhaul environment. To address this hazard, the Respiratory Protection for Firefighters during Overhaul Operations project developed a filter module that is designed to be used in passive air-purifying respirators (APRs) and powered APRs (PAPRs) to protect firefighters from particulate and chemical hazards while being lighter and more comfortable than the traditional SCBA."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Albert, Brian
2019-02
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Enhanced Rescue Hoist Glove: Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Executive Summary: "Rescue hoist gloves protect emergency responders' hands during specialized helicopter hoist rescue operations. To improve the durability and performance of these gloves, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) First Responders and Detection, Office of Mission Capability and Support sponsored the research and development of abrasion-resistant glove materials and alternative glove designs. This effort resulted in two prototype fingerless glove designs. [...] DHS S&T's National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) conducted an operational field assessment (OFA) where five responders from the fire services and members of the uniformed services evaluated the gloves at the U.S. Coast Guard's Aviation Technical Training Center located in Elizabeth City, North Carolina. To replicate manual tasks typically associated with rescue missions, the evaluators used hoist platforms equipped with safety harnesses, rescue gurneys holding weighted mannequins, stationary helicopters, carabiner and various other gear. Equipment at the training center was able to mechanically generated wind and rain to simulate conditions encountered during hoist rescue operations. The evaluators found that the SuperFabric material used in the enhanced gloves had different properties than the leather in their current gloves, which effected operational activities."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Dooley, Kris; Klemic, Gladys; Mackanin, Tyler . . .
2020-09
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Automated Driver and Responder Alert System (ADRAS): Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Executive Summary: "When working on roadways, the safety of responders and incident management personnel is at risk. Each year there are fatalities of and injuries to responders on roadways who are struck by motorists who may not see them. There is a need for additional mechanisms to alert motorists of an upcoming incident scene and to alert responders working on the roadway about oncoming vehicles. The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate's First Responder Technologies Division (R-Tech) initiated a project with the goal of enhancing roadway safety for responders. The Automated Driver and Responder Alert System (ADRAS) is designed to alert motorists to use caution as they approach a roadside incident, and to provide audible, tactile and visual alerts to responders at the incident site when inbound vehicles pose a hazard. ADRAS consists of two main components: (1) a vehicle-mounted mast comprised of loudspeakers, a radar system, a low frequency tone siren and two video cameras, and (2) a safety vest enhanced with light-emitting diode (LED) lights and a small oscillatory motor."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Amir, Orly; Dooley, Kris; Linn, Blaise . . .
2019-02
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Activation of Body-Worn Cameras Without Responder Manipulation: Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Executive Summary: "Most commercial off-the-shelf (COTS) body-worn cameras currently in use by law enforcement personnel must either be manually activated when needed or they are set to continuously record while worn. In the former case, responders may fail to activate their cameras in rapidly developing emergency situations, while in the latter case, large amounts of irrelevant video and audio data are obtained that may nevertheless need to be digitally archived. Hitron Technologies Inc. (Hitron) developed the body-worn camera prototypes that were assessed during this operational field assessment (OFA) to address these limitations for U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate's (S&T) First Responder Technologies Division (R-Tech). The prototypes were designed to automatically activate based on trigger signals transmitted wirelessly from any of four critical event sensors: a holster sensor that detects the unlatching of a holster weapon retaining strap, an occupancy sensor that detects responders exiting their vehicles, an audio sensor that detects elevated sound levels and a hemodynamic sensor that detects an increase in the wearer's pulse rate."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
2018-07
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Wireless Physiological and Environmental Monitoring: Operational Field Assessment Report
From the Executive Summary: "The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) conducted an operational field assessment (OFA) of the Wireless Physiological and Environmental Monitoring (WiPEM) system on July 28, 2017, at Torrance Fire Station #2 in Torrance, California. Six firefighters from the Torrance Fire Department served as evaluators to assess the current prototype of the WiPEM system. WiPEM is a wireless system developed by Physical Optics Corporation to address a technology gap for wireless physiological, environmental and equipment monitoring sensors in extreme environments."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Warner, Brian; Vargas, Stephen
2017-10
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TSM™ Tactical Radios for Urban and Subterranean Environments: Experimentation Report
From the Executive Summary: "The TW-400 CUB TSM™ tactical radio, developed by TrellisWare Technologies Inc., underwent Urban Operational Experimentation (OpEx) on January 26, 2017, by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL). NUSTL hosts Urban OpEx to introduce new technologies to first responders corresponding to their identified needs, and to provide feedback to technology developers--while sharing results with the national first responder community. The TW-400 CUB TSM is a handheld radio that forms an ad-hoc network with nearby radios such that each can collaboratively receive and transmit voice, data or video, allowing communications to 'hop' from radio to radio to extend communication coverage and range. This provides a potential solution to a responder-identified need for technologies that enhance the ability to communicate information from the scene of an incident that is Global Positioning System (GPS)-denied and impedes radio frequency (RF) signals (such as tunnels and underground subway systems) to colleagues and incident commanders who may or may not also be in such environments."
United States. Department of Homeland Security. Science and Technology Directorate; National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (U.S.)
Murtagh, Cecilia
2018-03
