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Breadcrumb

  1. Science and Technology
  2. Research & Development
  3. First Responder Capability
  4. First Responder Technologies
  5. System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)

System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER)

Maritime Surveillance Technologies

Port authorities and security agencies use maritime surveillance technologies to surveil and safeguard ports and other critical infrastructure.

Advanced Life Support Monitoring Systems

Emergency responders monitor and analyze vital signs of patients in critical care situations.

Smart Stethoscopes

Technology offers enhanced capabilities to healthcare providers.

Laser Protective Eyewear

Protects wearers against eye damage from commercial and industrial lasers. 

Walk-Through Screening for Mass Casualty Threats

Emergency responders and security personnel use walk-through screening systems to enhance safety and security at soft target locations. 

Blue UAS for First Responders

UAS are used by first responders to support activities such as search and rescue, firefighting, and post incident reconstruction.

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) manages the SAVER Program to assist emergency responders in making procurement decisions. Since its inception in 2004, the SAVER Program has produced more than 1,100 publications. These publications—which include focus group, market survey and assessment reports, as well as technotes, application notes, handbooks, guides and other documents—are described in detail on the SAVER Document Descriptions page. They provide valuable information to assist responders and purchasers with procurement decisions.

SAVER publications often contain a list and description of standards relevant to specific types of equipment. The SAVER Guidance for Use of Standards When Selecting and Purchasing Responder Equipment explains how to make practical use of this information for procurement. It covers what standards are, why they are important, how to verify that standards are met, and how to include requirements for the use of standards in procurement efforts.

Publicly releasable SAVER documents are available here in the SAVER Document Library. SAVER documents with limited distribution are available to members of the SAVER Community by contacting NUSTL@hq.dhs.gov.

SAVER Survey

Please take a brief survey to share your thoughts on the SAVER documents featured on our website.

Potable water distribution systems are used by responder to transport, store, and supply drinking water in the event of a natural disaster or other situation where drinking water has been compromised or is unavailable. These systems are typically designed for short-term use and are easily cleaned and refilled to support rapid response. Included reports: highlight and procurement guide.

Portable radiological equipment is designed to detect and measure radiation for a wide range of applications. Numerous portable devices are available including personal, self-reading, and electronic dosimeters; alarming personal radiation and emergency detectors; spectroscopic personal radiation detectors; handheld radiation survey meters; radionuclide isotope identifiers; and radiation detection backpacks. Included reports: highlight and technical guide.

Portal monitors are detection systems used to monitor individuals, vehicles, and cargo for radioactive contamination in order to prevent contamination transfer to clean areas. These monitors are used to eliminate the need for individual searches using handheld monitors. Included reports: highlight, summary, technote, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report. 

Portable radar systems enable users to monitor a perimeter and the area within by tracking a variety of moving targets, such as a vehicle or a walking person. These portable systems are deployed by law enforcement personnel for short-term, localized applications, such as monitoring VIP events or large crime scenes. Included reports: highlight, application note, and market survey report.

Portable biological air samplers are used for biological sampling and evidence collection. Specially trained responders use these devices to collect samples of potential biological contaminants in ambient air. Included reports: highlight, focus group report, and market survey report.

Personnel identification systems are designed and installed for the primary purpose of ensuring that only authorized persons are allowed access to secure areas of a facility. The main components of this system are an access control mechanism, an access control reader, a control panel, a database server, and lock hardware. Included reports: highlight and application note.

Patient simulation technologies are often used in emergency responder training to teach and allow practice of basic and complex medical skills through hands-on experience. Included reports: highlight and technote.

Passive millimeter wave detection systems can detect concealed objects on a human body and are used for security screening. Unlike other systems, passive millimeter systems are able to detect and provide and image of concealed objects underneath clothing without emitting radiation. Included reports: highlight, market survey report, and technote.

Package screening systems are used to screen hand-carried items for hazardous material or devices. These systems are typically used at checkpoints to prevent illicit material from being carried into secure areas. Included reports: highlight and market survey report

The detection of neutrons above background levels might indicate the presence of plutonium, a special nuclear material. Neutron detection instruments are used by responders to make follow-up measurements after radiation pager or portal monitor alarms. Included reports: highlight and technote.

Multi-sensor meter (MSM) chemical detectors allow for the simultaneous detection of more than one gas, as opposed to single gas chemical detectors that monitor for one specific agent. MSM detectors allow responders to detect any number of chemicals that could affect their response operations. Included reports: highlight, summary, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

Multi-casualty incident kits contain equipment necessary to manage multi-casualty incidents such as triage tags, tarps, responder vests, clipboards, forms, and medical branch/protocol literature. Included reports: highlight, summary, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

Mobile radioactive material search systems allow large areas to be surveyed with expert detection efficiencies. Responders use these systems for radiation protection operations. Included reports: highlight, summary, technote, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

License plate recognition is the ability to capture an image of a license plate code, convert the code into readable text, and compare it to a registration database for identification. This technology automates what was a tedious, labor-intensive process for law enforcement personnel, and reduces the timeframe needed to research and identify vehicles. Included reports: highlight., focus group report, and market survey report

Biometrics is the science related to measurable physical or behavioral characteristics that can be used to determine or verify the identity of an individual. Fingerprint biometric technology can assist responders in verifying the identities of individuals in criminal, judicial, and public identification applications. Included reports: highlight, focus group report, and market survey report.

Mass notification systems simultaneously broadcast real-time alerts and information to large numbers of individuals. The primary function of mass notification systems is to quickly alert people to potential threats or emergency situations and direct them how to respond to those situations. Included reports: highlight, handbook, and product list.

Mechanical chest compression devices are automated cardiopulmonary resuscitation (CPR) machines that use either a mechanical piston or load-distributing band to apply compressions to a patient's chest. These devices are intended to be used as an adjunct to CPR as they take over for chest compressions for the responder. Included reports: highlight, summary, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

Biological agent detection equipment are field kits and assays that are used to discriminate biological agents from harmless biological and non-biological material present in the environment or the sample. This equipment assists responders with the initial risk assessments following potential attacks and can provide support for short-term tactical decisions. Included reports: highlight, summary, technote, selection guide, handbook, and market survey report.

Mobile device data extraction systems extract information such as contact lists, call logs, and text messages from target devices. Law enforcement personnel use these extraction devices to support investigations and analyses. Included reports: highlight, summary, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

Portable communications repeaters are deployed to compensate for signal loss when coverage gaps are identified in existing radio networks. These repeaters are used by responders to ensure that mission-critical communications are not interrupted during response operations. Included reports: highlight, technology guide, market survey report, technote and assessment report.

Mobile communication centers are dedicated vehicles that can be driven to a location to serve as a command post. These vehicles are essential to responders during response operations as well as during planned events. Included reports: highlight, summary, product and vendor list, and comprehensive report.

Mobile command systems provide a combination of software, hardware, and communications technologies that support interoperability for multi-agency needs. Unlike conventional vehicle-mounted command systems, mobile systems can be used to support responder operations where accessibility is limited or constrained by terrain or other factors. Included reports: highlight, summary, application note, focus group report, market survey report, and assessment report.

Portable weather stations allow their users to measure wind speed, temperature, relative humidity, barometric pressure, and precipitation. These stations can be used to monitor weather conditions during response operations. Included reports: highlight, focus group report, market survey report, analysis report, and assessment report.

Portable wireless surveillance systems capture live video and transmit it over specific radio frequency band to a command center for viewing/recording. Responders use these systems to surveil locations that are not conducive to fixed systems with cables. Included reports: highlight, summary, focus group report, and assessment report.

Operational space visualization software provides information concerning the layout and orientation of affected buildings or areas through tools such as geographic information systems and computer-aided design software. Responders may use this software in a wide range of incidents. Included reports: highlight and technote.

Last Updated: 11/19/2024
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