FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
S&T Public Affairs, 202-254-2385
WASHINGTON – The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) announced a Phase 1 Other Transaction award of $200,000 to FireHUD, Inc. (commercially conducting business as SlateSafety). The Norcross, Georgia-based company will develop a rugged armband that captures critical physiological information to help prevent injuries to the military, industrial workers, and emergency responders.
Under its “Human Performance and Resiliency” topic call, S&T’s Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) sought groundbreaking resilience and wellness solutions that could serve the mission needs of DHS components and programs, including the U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP). The technology can collect and analyze physiological information to identify and resolve health issues before reaching critical levels.
FireHUD’s advanced wearable sensors could deliver significant impacts by collecting detailed metrics that may become a useful tool in DHS’ ability to support and care for its personnel.
“Work related injuries are a constant challenge that can have devastating effects on DHS personnel,” said Melissa Oh, managing director of SVIP. “Our investments in advanced wearable sensors, like the SlateSafety BAND, will help us monitor and recognize the effects of various stressors on our workforce, so that we can better support their health and wellbeing.”
FireHUD develops wearable sensors that can capture vital metrics like heart rate, core body temperature, accelerometry, VO2max, heart rate variability and respiratory rate. The company’s advanced wearable passively collects detailed physiological information and sends the data through a variety of artificial intelligence platforms and algorithms for advanced analytics on important factors like heat stress, sleep quality, recovery and fatigue levels.
“Advanced wearable devices and sensors like these will allow us to collect and analyze data in numerous ways to mitigate injuries, improve recovery and raise the overall performance for DHS personnel,” said Jeremy Ocheltree, acting director of the CBP Innovation Team. “This information will improve our ability to adapt to changes in challenging environments and prescribe treatments and recovery protocols to keep our staff safe and operating at optimal levels.”
This solicitation complements current DHS employee wellness programs by identifying innovative technologies with a high degree of usability to support real-time wellness monitoring.
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