On Sunday, I joined Homeland Secretary Johnson in New York City with Mayor de Blasio, Police Commissioner Bratton, Fire Commissioner Nigro, and Emergency Management Commissioner Joseph Esposito to observe the New York Police Department’s active shooter training exercise. I am pleased that the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) had the opportunity to help support this important exercise.
Through the outstanding work of the DHS S&T Homeland Security Advanced Research Projects Agency’s Explosives Division team and the NYPD Counter Terrorism Division, we helped to fund and develop the concept for the exercise, provide training, and identify new technologies that could be used in future emergencies.
S&T’s mission is to deliver cutting-edge research to produce new technologies, capabilities and threat and risk assessments to meet the critical needs of our homeland security partners. DHS S&T, through an agreement with U.S. Army Armament Research, Development and Engineering Center (ARDEC), co-created the Counter Terrorism Technology Evaluation Center to assist first responders with evaluating tactics, techniques, and procedures, identifying and resourcing training opportunities and researching technologies for response to an active shooter incident. This is the fifth exercise DHS has helped to plan and coordinate to support technology demonstrations and training evaluations.
This exercise allowed S&T to observe first responders using several tools that can be translated for use by DHS and other first responders. These technologies included an indoor shot detection capability, a geo-referenced graph for better situational awareness, and an interoperable communications capability developed and currently used by the U.S. Army.
The exercise included S&T, the National Protection and Programs Directorate, U.S. Secret Service, and the Federal Emergency Management Agency; the U.S. Army’s Armament Research Development and Engineering Center; the Federal Bureau of Investigation; and numerous state and local entities.
I congratulate NYC on the success of the exercise and on the impressive coordination and cooperation between the NYPD, FDNY, NYOEM, and other state and federal agencies. S&T is proud to continue to support these active shooter exercises to ensure the safety and security of our communities.
On Nov. 22, DHS officials visited New York City to observe a New York Police Department active shooter exercise. The exercise was supported by the Department of Homeland Security. (Photo credit: Barry Bahler/DHS)