Typically, this time of year our team would be boarding flights bound for conference halls across the country. This year our reality is a virtual one where we are connecting with so many of you from home. It’s a little different but no less exciting or important to engage with you on all the great work that we are doing to push the homeland security mission forward.
Next week, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) will be participating in the International Wireless Communications Expo (IWCE) Virtual, from August 24 to 27, with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA). We are thrilled to have the opportunity to participate virtually to meet with our public safety and private sector audiences.
While we are doing our part by prioritizing maximum telework to decrease the spread of COVID-19, we know so many of you continue to be on the front lines—responding to the needs in your communities. IWCE Virtual is an opportunity for us to share our latest developments and provide you with valuable insights and resources from across the government and private sector innovators. Here is some of what we’ll be discussing:
Over the horizon capabilities. Part of S&T’s mission is to understand and meet the needs of decision makers. To do that, we must understand emerging capabilities and how they will impact the day-to-day homeland security mission in our communities. S&T will moderate a discussion on 5G at IWCE Virtual among a panel of public safety communications experts—from NIST, NASA, Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory, and private sector partners. The panel will discuss realistic timelines for the availability of the 5G network, who is conducting 5G research at laboratories across the country and mitigating potential vulnerabilities.
Newly available technology. S&T is excited to be presenting with our partner Mobility 4 Public Safety to discuss the Bridge 4 Public Safety app, now available to authorized public safety personnel. Now more than ever, there is a need for a low-cost, text-based messaging platform for public safety professionals. Emergency communications experts from S&T, CISA and private sector partners will discuss how this secure, encrypted messaging app came to be under the Mobility Acceleration Coalition Program.
First responder resources. S&T provides a wide depth and breadth of resources. I encourage our public safety audience at IWCE and at large to bookmark these resources, reach out to us and come back to our site to learn more.
- Technology Clearinghouse provides curated resources and collaboration opportunities to foster innovation with the industry and manufacturer community as they work with DHS and the broader first responder community to understand homeland security needs.
- S&T’s System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) Program assesses and validates commercial tech, and provides a wide array of knowledge products on first responder equipment, ensuring you are procuring the right equipment for your mission.
- P25 CAP voluntary program allows suppliers to publicly attest to their products' compliance through P25 CAP testing at DHS-recognized laboratories. It is a suite of standards which enable interoperability among digital two-way land mobile radio communications products created by and for public safety professionals.
- COVID-19 Response – browse COVID-19 specific resources, updates and publications on the Directorate’s response to the global pandemic.
We’ll miss seeing and speaking with you in person, but we do look forward to engaging with many of you online next week! Be safe and follow along with us on social media (@dhsscitech) to stay up to date on #IWCE2020 and much more.