FIRST RESPONDER EQUIPMENT

In an emergency, when critical information needs to be properly disseminated between police, fire and rescue personnel, radio networks are insufficient. They are only designed to handle voice communications, not data like video. During a crisis, commercial cell networks can become overwhelmed with traffic and fail. Thus, for first responders, cell networks are not a reliable option, either.

To address this issue, S&T developed a pilot program where a specialized communications network piggy-backs on existing PBS television signals.

“Datacasting” provides first responders with a fast, secure and robust comms option. By allocating a portion of the PBS TV signal as a highly encrypted and dedicated communication system, first responders can receive real-time video feeds of developing situations in the field.

Datacasting is a low-cost, breakthrough technology that provides first responders vital data so they can properly, quickly and safely assess a situation and act accordingly. S&T’s Datacasting system was successfully used at the 2016 NCAA Final Four in Houston as well as during the flooding caused by the storms that hit the city in April 2016.

Knowing their bomb squad tool, Power Hawk, was ready to perform was of great importance to the bomb squad that remotely disabled two pipe bombs placed by a terrorist in September 2016, in Elizabeth, N.J. To ensure the tool was ready to perform, S&T conducted operational assessments on the tool, and our Response and Defeat Operations Support (REDOPS) program provided tool characterization, which validated this tool could be successfully used by bomb squads for pipe bombs. Additionally, several other tools and tactics, techniques and procedures developed by REDOPS have been transitioned to state and local bomb squads through the Federal Bureau of Investigation’s Hazardous Devices School. State and local bomb squads are making acquisition decisions based on the operational assessment reports developed by REDOPS.

Similarly, effective training can make all the difference in high-threat scenarios. However, it can be expensive and difficult to coordinate. To this end, S&T collaborated with the U.S. Army in the development and 2016 deployment of the Enhanced Dynamic Geo-Social Environment (EDGE) Virtual Training tool. It is a cost-effective way for first responders across the country to realistically train for high-impact events, such as active shooter scenarios, from their desktops.

S&T prides itself on innovation and collaboration. Sometimes, DHS employees are the source of both. In the advancement of the homeland security mission, U.S. Customs and Border Protection Agent Michael A. Nigro applied for and, in January 2016, was granted a patent for a new type of gun-sight reticle. The reticle increases weapon accuracy and thus, improves responder performance in the field. S&T is the Department lead for intellectual property and has manages the process for securing patents for inventors such as Agent Nigro.

Current systems have proven unable to reliably track first responders in certain complex or challenging environments. This can have tragic results. However, S&T’s partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory has developed the Precision Outdoor and Indoor Navigation and Tracking for Emergency Responders (POINTER) system. If, for example, a firefighter loses communications in a burning building, it can accurately locate a responder’s signal to within three feet.

POINTER generates a magnetic field that, unlike other signals, is able to penetrate reinforced steel, deep mountain caves, water and even wildlands where there aren’t any cell towers. Testing has shown POINTER’s potential to be a game-changer for first responders.

In 2016, S&T’s National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) published and posted 26 technical reports through its System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) program that evaluated dozens of commercially available first responder tools, systems and pieces of equipment. NUSTL’s SAVER program is the one-stop-shop for free, unbiased, Consumer Reports-style, comparative analysis to assist responders and procurement officers in making informed purchasing decisions for their team’s specific needs. These practitioner-relevant, operationally oriented assessments and validations save time, money and lives. Back to Top