A Year Spent Building a More Secure Future

Over the past year, S&T made great strides in strengthening the nation’s security through technological innovations and scientific progress. S&T’s achievements are a direct result of the commitment and creativity of our workforce and partners across industry, academia, and government.

Everything we do is in service of protecting America, from combatting today's challenges to mitigating evolving threats to empowering the people tackling both on the front lines of homeland security so they can continue to do so safely and effectively.

Join us for a spin through our 2024 highlights—some of our top success and favorite moments across several of our missions. We can’t wait to share the exciting progress still to come in 2025.

View Original "S&T’s 2024 Year in Review: Building a More Secure Future" video

Advancing Aviation Security

Debuted new prototype self-screening system with the Transportation Security Administration (TSA) that will give TSA PreCheck® travelers the option to go through passenger and carry-on baggage screening at their own pace.
Developed a test kit through our Transportation Security Laboratory (TSL) to help TSA and industry better monitor image quality of Advanced Imaging Technology scanners used at airport security checkpoints.
Collaborated with TSA and the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) to conduct operational trials of novel threat materials for canine detection teams.

Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Deployed the DETER vehicle barrier at the Indianapolis 500 race and RAPID barrier system at Super Bowl LVIII in coordination with the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) and the U.S. Army Engineer Research and Development Center.
Briefed FBI and local first responders through our Chemical Security Analysis Center on potential chemical and explosive threats in preparation for the NCAA Men’s Final Four basketball tournament.
Conducted a Mass Transit Response Experiment to assist first responders in Philadelphia with their safety and response planning for bombing incidents in mass transit environments.
Hosted a comparative assessment of walkthrough weapons detection screening systems through our National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) and TSL.
Published and updated eight Master Question Lists on deadly viruses and bacterium to help inform best practices for countering chemical and biological threats.

Strengthening Cybersecurity

Completed the second phase of an ongoing technology challenge to better authenticate digital identity documents and other identity verification methods that use images from smartphones.
Began developing technologies that can help protect individuals’ privacy when using digital wallets, including credentials issued for immigration and travel.
Improved security of digital credentials in collaboration with the U.S. Citizenship and Immigration Service (USCIS) through the use of openly developed, global internet standards.
Funded new synthetic data generation projects, which will help DHS train machine learning models when real-world data is either unavailable or poses privacy and security concerns.

Enhancing Community Disaster Resilience

Announced Clean Power for Hours prize challenge winners, whose environmentally friendly energy solutions can replace fossil fuel-powered generators for small-scale facilities in an emergency.
Set a world record for longest distance traveled by a hydrogen fuel cell electric vehicle heavy-duty truck without refueling with the H2Rescue truck prototype.
Hosted a workshop through the Coastal Resilience Center, a DHS Center of Excellence, to identify best practices for equitable ways to reduce risk throughout the disaster lifecycle.

Investigating Drone Capabilities

Helped Unified Command manage airspace by providing counter-unmanned aerial systems (C-UAS) solutions and technical guidance during the Francis Scott Key Bridge recovery and repair operations.
Conducted field tests of drone sensors, in coordination with U.S. Customs and Border Protection and the Homeland Security Innovation Hub, that could give field agents enhanced situational awareness beyond the visual line of sight.
Evaluated defensive kinetic drone capabilities in coordination with the Federal Aviation Administration to help officials mitigate potential UAS threats.
Field-tested the Bellbird Aerial Communications Platform, which is equipped with a speaker system to help first responders share emergency information with large crowds.
Conducted operational assessments of UAS in rural environments through NUSTL, providing first responders with insight into how tech performs in the field and potential cybersecurity risks.

Preparing for Extreme Weather Challenges

Deployed artificial intelligence (AI)-powered wildfire sensors across Hawai’i and Colorado to give responders advanced warning of ignitions before they get out of control.
Provided flood projections through the Coastal Resilience Center’s ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) storm surge model to help officials in North Carolina and Florida plan for hurricane-related coastal flooding.
Attended the 2024 Extreme Weather Workshop, which brought together first responders and federal officials to identify new strategies for preparing for extreme weather events such as floods, wildfires, and hurricanes.

Empowering First Responders

Published three resource guides, outlining projects and programs supporting first responder and emergency management priorities.
Streamlined process for creating indoor maps through MappedIn, helping responders quickly determine a structure’s layout and navigate inside buildings in an emergency.
Developed a sensor attachment that helps responders measure signal strength of communications channels inside buildings.
Published self-contained breathing apparatus (SCBA) report, which informed equipment procurement decisions and led to improvements in product functionality.
Released a market survey report to help emergency responders identify non-detonable training aids for explosive detection canines.
Showcased new responder technologies and resources at the inaugural World Fire Congress.

Streamlining Emergency Management Coordination

Supported more than 100 search and rescue teams across seven states following Hurricane Helene through the Search and Rescue Common Operating Platform (SARCOP), which allows officials to aggregate and share data in a straightforward dashboard.
Deployed the Community Lifeline Status System (CLSS) to Maryland and Virginia, which helps incident team leaders manage response and recovery efforts in a centralized hub.
Published nuclear event guidance videos for state, local, tribal, and territorial responders through NUSTL and in collaboration with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA).
Published Emergency Management of Tomorrow Research (EMOTR) landscape assessment of existing research and technologies related to emergency management to create a centralized resource for the nation’s emergency managers.

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Science and Technology

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Science and Technology

Research & Development

Expertise

Partnerships

Work with S&T

News & Events

About S&T

S&T 2024 Year in Review

A Year Spent Building a More Secure Future

Advancing Aviation Security

Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Strengthening Cybersecurity

Enhancing Community Disaster Resilience

Investigating Drone Capabilities

Preparing for Extreme Weather Challenges

Empowering First Responders

Streamlining Emergency Management Coordination

Investing in Maritime Solutions

Forging a Path for Future Progress

2024 Milestones

Topics

Keywords

Research & Development

Expertise

Partnerships

Work with S&T

News & Events

About S&T

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S&T 2024 Year in Review

A Year Spent Building a More Secure Future

Advancing Aviation Security

Protecting Critical Infrastructure

Strengthening Cybersecurity

Enhancing Community Disaster Resilience

Investigating Drone Capabilities

Preparing for Extreme Weather Challenges

Empowering First Responders

Streamlining Emergency Management Coordination

Investing in Maritime Solutions

Forging a Path for Future Progress

2024 Milestones

Topics

Keywords