Firefighters need protective gloves in the field that fit properly, improve dexterity and aren’t bulky while still meeting the heat and water-resistance criteria.

When firefighters are required to perform tasks that involve fine motor skills, they often remove their gloves to complete the task. This exposes their hands to the dangerous conditions of a fire.

In 2015, S&T’s First Responder Technologies Division developed the Improved Structure Firefighting Glove—a less bulky, updated glove that merges the needs of firefighters with available technology and improved materials.

The goal was to make sure firefighters can perform their duties while keeping their hands protected. The new material and design allows firefighters to make more precise movements without having to remove their gloves. The improved form, fit, dexterity and water repellant features provide the protection firefighters need.

The improved glove received National Fire Protection Association (NFPA) certification and is available for purchase from Shelby Glove.

Keeping everyone connected could mean the difference between life and death in an emergency. That’s why S&T developed the Radio Internet-Protocol Communications Module (RIC-M), a new low-cost interoperability solution that could save the first responder community millions of dollars.

RIC-M is a low-cost, external, stand-alone, interface device that connects radio frequency (RF) system base stations, consoles and other RF equipment—regardless of brand—over the Internet or Private Internet Protocol network. RIC-M converts from a commonly used V.24 serial communications protocol to an open-standard Voice-over-Internet-Protocol.

Both encrypted and unencrypted Project 25 digital communications are supported, and it can also operate with analog communication equipment. RIC-M also allows agencies to easily upgrade and reconfigure new and legacy systems at a low cost. This means effectiveness as well as affordability. Many older base station systems can continue to be used for another 10 to 20 years.

S&T maintains the intellectual property rights to the technology and licensed it to two companies, Christine Wireless Inc. and Avtec Inc. A third licensing agreement is being developed, and will be finalized in 2016. S&T will receive royalties on all sales, and the funds will be used to drive new technology development for first responders.

In the moments after someone goes missing, every minute counts. S&T has initiated a program to develop guidance, protocols and strategies responders can employ while searching for lost individuals. It’s called the Lost Person Locator, and it could change the way we seek—and find—lost people.

The Lost Person Locator is a software program that allows first responders to visualize where a lost person is likely to be to help advance ground search and rescue operations.

Within the search area, responders can visualize the most likely areas to begin their search based on accumulated data. The Lost Person Locator software will save resources, time and potentially more lives.

Under SBIR Phases I and II, S&T and dbS Productions will determine the feasibility of the Lost Person Locator concept; develop a field-operating guide and software application; and test the technology with first responders. The project is currently in the second phase of development. The prototype search wheel, field guide, Search and Rescue, and Lost Person Behavior App were delivered in 2015.

By July 2016, dbS Productions will develop a FIND App and deliver to S&T to conduct operational field assessments with search and rescue first responders.

During arrests of criminal couriers, law enforcement officers rarely find bundles of cash wrapped in rubber bands anymore. Instead, they find stacks of plastic cards — bank credit and debit cards, retail gift cards, library cards, hotel key cards, even magnetic-striped Metrorail cards — that have been turned into prepaid cards.

To address this problem and stop criminals in their digital tracks, S&T created the prepaid card reader, which is becoming a vital tool for law enforcement efforts to seize these cards and funds associated with criminal activity.

The Card Reader is a small, handheld device that uses wireless connectivity to allow law enforcement officers in the field check the balance of cards. This allows for identification of suspicious prepaid cards and the ability to put a temporary hold on the linked funds until a full investigation can be completed. FRG transitioned the card reader to the commercial market, and it is now available for law enforcement use.

From conflict zones to airports to sporting events, bombs pose a danger in any situation. That’s why S&T’s First Responders Group is developing the X-ray Scanning Rover (XSR) to be a responder’s eyes when the going gets dangerous.

The XSR is a portable, remote maneuverable imaging system advanced enough to capture high-resolution images to easily identify and characterize critical Improvised Explosive Device components such as power sources, detonators and electronic circuitry.

The XSR provides a complete 3-D, multi-view picture of the entire object being scanned in real-time, saving first responders’ precious time. This technology offers an alternative to large, bulky, expensive options that may have limited ability to operate in remote areas or rough terrain. Whether being used at a roadside checkpoint, a national landmark or at a public gathering, the XSR deploys easily in multiple environments to provide security screening when needed.

FRG met with subject matter experts in August 2015 for a critical design review. The resulting feedback will be incorporated into two new prototypes, which are expected to be ready by summer 2016. The prototypes will be delivered to selected bomb squad units across the U.S. for user field testing and evaluation.

In 2015, S&T developed the first face imagery database for algorithm testing in the world to include 130,000 still images and 250 videos from Homeland Security Investigations (HSI) seizure data.

Thanks to the work conducted at S&T, the Non-Cooperative Biometrics Program Child Exploitation Image Analysis and the Text Recognition Algorithm Independent Evaluation will begin to be used for facial recognition. These capabilities will help DHS Immigration and Customs Enforcement HSI to solve child sex abuse crimes.

S&T will test face recognition algorithms against this annotated data set and integrate “the best of breed” algorithms into current forensic tools by mid-2016. This will give analysts the ability to identify victims and perpetrators and expedite job performance, which will save countless lives.

Detecting and neutralizing improvised explosive devices is crucial to protecting lives and property. While detection technologies and strategies have received considerable attention, until recently the homeland security enterprise lacked an integrated program for developing the countermeasures for public safety bomb squads to safely and efficiently dispose of improvised explosive devices (IED). The Response and Defeat Operations Support (REDOPS) is that integrated program.

REDOPS is an S&T effort that supports domestic bomb squads. It provides a collaborative structure for addressing three capability gaps identified by the National Bomb Squad Commander’s Advisory Board (NBSCAB) in its 2011 Strategic Plan. REDOPS’ overarching goals are to make bomb squad technicians both safer and more effective in IED response operations. REDOPS balances developing new technologies with improving operational procedures and training. Specifically, REDOPS pursues capability integration, robotic capabilities and protective systems.

National-level collaborators included the FBI, the interagency Joint Program Office for Countering IEDs, the Electronic Counter Measures Steering Group, the DoD Defense Threat Reduction Agency and the Department of Defense Technical Support Working Group.

Large scale disasters, like wildfires in the U.S. and bushfires in Australia, require complex coordination and collaboration among public safety and emergency management agencies to understand the threat, alert the public, and effectively respond to protect people, property, and the environment.

Information sharing in support of effective decision making is critical to this coordination and collaboration, which is why S&T launched the Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS) project, which has come to be known as the Event Collaboration and Management Platform As a Service (eCOMPAS).  NICS/eCOMPAS is a partnership with the California Governor’s Office of Emergency Services (Cal OES), California Department of Forestry and Fire (CAL FIRE) and Emergency Management Victoria (EMV) in Australia—at the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory (MIT-LL).

“NICS has evolved from a stand-alone capability to an International toolset to manage events,” states Dan Cotter, Director of S&T First Responder Group. It has become a force multiplier in terms of collaboration where governments across jurisdictions and continents have come together to work collectively for a common and shared benefit.”

This is now at the center of U.S. and Australian collaborations on first responder technologies. Through a shared vision, the U.S.-Australia NICS/eCOMPAS collaboration aims to develop a collective environment with shared governance, scalable architecture, 24 x 7 worldwide support services, and operating policies. Benefits of this collaboration will include accelerated implementation of the software amongst users, shared training and operational workflows, and cost savings as increased capabilities are developed from leveraging the resources and expertise of both countries to protect our communities.

The ability to quickly detect victims buried under rubble or other debris greatly increases their chances of rescue and survival. This is especially true in situations where there are multiple rubble piles or massive amounts of debris to search. In 2015, S&T completed the development of a technology that can help save lives.

In partnership with NASA’s Jet Propulsion Laboratory (JPL), S&T developed a technology aptly-named the Finding Individuals for Disaster and Emergency Response (FINDER).

It works using low-power microwave radar to detect small movements from breathing or the heartbeat of a buried victim. Once FINDER locates these signs of life, it can discover the vicinity where survivors may be found to help rescuers locate people who might otherwise never be found. And it’s all possible due to the ability to detect a beating heart.

Designed to detect people buried under up to 30 feet of rubble, hidden behind 20 feet of solid concrete and from a distance of 100 feet in open spaces, FINDER may be a game-changing technology for search and rescue teams responding to earthquakes and other disasters.

Many of the extra high-voltage (EHV) transformers installed in the U.S. are approaching or exceeding the end of their design lifetimes (approximately 30 to 40 years), making them increasingly vulnerable to failure. EHV transformers are massive, weighing hundreds of tons, which makes them difficult to transport. Typically, it takes several months to transport and install a single EHV transformer due to the size and complexity of the equipment.

S&T partnered with the electric utility industry and the DHS Office of Infrastructure Protection on the Recovery Transformer (RecX) project. Through this project, S&T developed a prototype EHV transformer that drastically reduces the time to transport, install and energize the EHV transformer to enable recovery from outages associated with transformer failures. During a previous demonstration, the prototype was able to substantially reduce the process to six days; it continues to run successfully in an operational environment.

In 2015, S&T published the final RecX report, which contains lessons learned, evaluations and considerations for a spare transformer strategy. S&T transitioned RecX to the Department of Energy, which will be able to leverage S&T's findings and recommendations in developing a national transformer reserve strategy.

Additionally, in 2015 the American Society of Civil Engineers designated S&T’s RecX project a game changer in their 2015 “Infrastructure Game Changers” report.

Oil spills can be economically and environmentally devastating, but thanks to the Arctic Domain Awareness Center of Excellence (ADAC), researchers are developing technology using atmospheric isotope analysis to analyze how water vapor isotopes in the atmosphere vary across different weather conditions. This means that the U.S. Coast Guard (USCG) could use this technology on unmanned systems and manned assets to “sniff out” changes in water vapor and carbon isotopes to locate fuel and oil spills for future recovery. A team of ADAC researchers and partners conducted tests for the project during the summer aboard the USCG Cutter Healy in Alaska.

The National Hurricane Program (NHP)—which links hurricane planning, hurricane forecasts and hazards, decision support tools and training—is making an effort to modernize the current systems.

In 2015, the NHP Technology Modernization effort began working closely with the Federal Emergency Management Administration (FEMA) and state and local emergency managers to improve planning and real-time decision support for hurricane response. Major advances include upgrades to the existing Hurricane Evacuation Planning Tool (HURREVAC) to a next generation decision support platform called HURREVAC–eXtended (HV-X). This new system includes evacuation decision support tools and products that increase capabilities, preparedness and efficiency in emergency management decision making during the planning and execution of evacuations.

The investment by S&T and FEMA in technology and training upgrades for NHP will improve the ability of state and local communities to protect the public during storms. It will also reduce the incidence of unnecessary evacuations and help minimize the economic impacts of an evacuation.

In 2016, S&T will transition HV-X to FEMA, providing an updated and fully operational capability to be transitioned and available to the state and local emergency management community in 2017. This includes tools for training, simulation and analysis that leverage the latest technologies, tools and methods. Integrating and improving these functions will reduce both the time and costs associated with evacuation studies, while immersive training and planning tools will improve decision-making skills and readiness.

S&T’s Biological Threat Characterization Program (BTCP) provided subject matter expertise and laboratory experimentation to support operational responses and policy development during the 2014-2015 Ebola outbreak. S&T fielded scores of requests for data and scientific support and coordinated efforts within DHS and other federal agencies as well as with the White House, Congress, academia and the private sector. We organized and shared known information as well as identified and prioritized gaps where research could improve public health and operational responses. S&T products were adopted by the National Science and Technology Council Ebola Task Force, co-chaired by S&T’s Dr. Brothers, and were used to guide interagency communication. BTCP also directed research at the DHS National Biodefense Analysis and Countermeasures Center Laboratory to determine the stability of Ebola in blood and other bodily fluids under relevant environmental conditions on surfaces such as personal protective equipment and airline carpet. This effort, along with previous research on the Ebola virus directed by S&T’s Biological Threat Characterization Program, influenced the approach and procedures of public health organizations and multiple federal agencies when responding to the Ebola outbreak.

Although unlikely, the impact of a biological threat could be significant. To prepare, S&T partnered with the Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) to test a decontamination process for subway cars that have been contaminated by substances such as anthrax. A successful recovery process for these cars means they will be put back in service safely for future riders, train operators and maintenance personnel.

To conduct the test, the Bay Area Rapid Transit (BART) authority provided the government with a subway car. The process involved tenting and fumigating the subway car with methyl bromide gas, which is used in the commercial pest control industry. The BART car was outfitted inside and out with coupons of various materials inoculated with a safe bacterial spore surrogate for Bacillus anthracis, the causative agent for anthrax. The test results indicated the spores were successfully destroyed per EPA requirements.

Additionally, a Metropolitan Transportation Authority (MTA) New York City Transit representative observed the field test. MTA provided a sensitive and expensive electronic relay switch, which is used in their subway system to control train car traffic, to incorporate in the BART car test. The anthrax surrogate on the device was successfully destroyed during the demonstration and the switch was deemed to be unaffected by the fumigant after inspection and testing by MTA engineers.

This process could allow city subway systems to save millions of dollars in potential recovery costs for cars affected by a potential bioterrorism event. With cities like New York servicing 4,000 cars during rush hour, this could prevent crippling effects on our nation’s cities.

As part of S&T’s Chemical Security Analysis Center’s (CSAC) initiative to better understand atmospheric transport and dispersion (AT&D) phenomena of large-quantity releases of chlorine, CSAC successfully completed the first phase of the Jack Rabbit II project during the fall of 2015. These tests, which were conducted at Dugway Proving Ground, Utah, consisted of five to 10-ton chlorine releases in a simulated urban environment. Instrumentation and high-definition cameras were used to collect vast amounts of data, high-definition video footage, and photographs that will be critical to major advances in HazMat and emergency response, planning and AT&D hazard prediction modeling.

A primary reason for the success of Jack Rabbit II has been the involvement of numerous organizations from federal, state and local governments, academia and the private sector. Through transition plans that were successfully developed with these stakeholders, Jack Rabbit II data, videos and knowledge products will be provided and directly support mutual efforts to address the hazards and risks posed by chlorine.

The Department of Defense, Defense Threat Reduction Agency, which contributed a large portion of the total Jack Rabbit II funding, will use the data and findings to advance the Hazard Prediction & Assessment Capability and Joint Effects Model hazard prediction models to simulate, study and plan for chemical release scenarios. Data provided to the Department of Transportation’s Pipeline and Hazardous Materials Safety Administration will support the development of the 2020 Emergency Response Guidebook, which is distributed to emergency responders nationwide. Videos and findings transitioned to chemical and rail industry partners will be helpful in developing new training products and hazard and risk strategies, and in updating guidance for safety and best practices.

On April 15, 2015, a civilian flew a gyrocopter from Gettysburg, Pennsylvania to land on the West Front Lawn of the U.S. Capitol Building. The ability to land in central Washington, D.C., without being identified or intercepted underscored operational challenges to aviation security in the National Capital Region.

S&T engaged the DHS Homeland Security Development Institute (HSSEDI), a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, to help coordinate an inter-agency response to address challenges associated with Non-Traditional Aviation Technology (NTAT). To do this, HSSEDI conducted several working group sessions and interviews across DHS as well as with senior leadership from the Federal Aviation Administration, Department of Justice, Department of Defense, Capitol Police, Metro Police and Park Police.

As a result of the working sessions, HSSEDI developed and conducted two table-top exercises with stakeholders in July and September of 2015. During these exercises, NTAT threats, vulnerabilities and consequences were framed and opportunities to prevent or mitigate them were identified. The results helped prepare the Secretary of Homeland Security for an interagency meeting with senior leadership in mid-September. During the meeting, Secretary Johnson reiterated the Department’s commitment to closing gaps in security vulnerabilities.

The efficient flow of lawful international commerce is immensely important to the U.S. economy. That’s why U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) is developing an electronic system to improve how imported cargo is moved by sea, rail, air, and truck. To assist them, S&T delivered analytical products based on operational data from CBP and other government agencies to measure the length and causes of delays at Ports of Entry. S&T’s data analysis and findings are helping CBP effectively reduce delays, increasing the pace of America’s global trade.

In 2015, S&T funded Rapid DNA, a program that verifies family relationships to improve immigration efficiency for legal kinship applicants, reduce kinship fraud, provide for family reunifications and conduct DNA watch list checks. 

Rapid DNA can be used on the scene of mass fatality events, in refugee camps around the world, along the border to prevent human trafficking, or at immigration offices to verify relationships and kinship between family members. Responders have often used DNA to make familial connections, but the process typically takes days to process in a forensics laboratory and can take several months to get the results. Rapid DNA is a technology that could change all that, reducing the amount of processing time from months to minutes.

For example, this technology can be used in the field to confirm kinship between a parent and a child with 99.5 percent likelihood of relationship, and within 90 minutes.

Because of the accuracy that DNA provides, entities across the homeland security enterprise have expressed the need for this type of technology. S&T developed Rapid DNA with a “privacy by design” approach. It requires identity authentication for operators, all data is encrypted, and a log of all data actions is maintained. Furthermore, Rapid DNA looks at DNA locations required to confirm a familial match and does not evaluate physical traits, race, ethnicity or disease susceptibility.

Rapid DNA has been purchased by a few laboratories that are validating its performance and beginning to use it in trial cases. Several state crime laboratories have also purchased the technology to quickly identify persons who leave DNA behind at a crime scene, resulting in expedited arrests and convictions. S&T is also conducting field demos and tests with USCIS Refugee Affairs and CBP Border Patrol.

Moving people and property out of the way of a storm surge can save lives. That’s why the Coastal Resilience Center at the University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill runs the ADvanced CIRCulation (ADCIRC) model to forecast storm surge as tropical storms and hurricanes approach the United States. The ADCIRC storm surge model combines rain, atmospheric pressure and wind forecasts to predict when, where and to what extent flooding will inundate a coastal community with greater precision than other available models. This enables federal, state and local decision makers to identify which locations will become unsafe and can plan for mitigation and response before severe storms occur. This year, ADCIRC tracked several storms, including Tropical Storm Erika and Hurricane Joaquin, and it has been used to track every hurricane to make landfall on the U.S. Gulf and East coasts for the past seven years.

The threat of animal disease is significant when thinking about our food supply. Through its National Center for Zoonotic and Animal Disease Defense (ZADD) Center of Excellence, S&T is contributing to developments that could keep our food safe in the event of an outbreak.

One of the developments this year was the release of two apps in a suite of pluggable mobile and web-based applications to the Apple App and Google Play stores. ZADD’s co-lead at Texas A&M released the Biosurveillance Field Entry System (BFES) swine and revised mixed animal apps, which enable veterinarians to record visits to sick and healthy animals in the field. While the apps are free and anyone can download them, accounts are only activated for authorized participants in the Enhanced Passive Surveillance (EPS) pilot program.

BFES is part of the AgCONNECT® tool suite, a set of data integration and analysis products designed to enhance situational awareness during infectious animal disease outbreaks. Based on its compatibility with the AgCONNECT® software platform, BFES can also share animal health information with officials responsible for monitoring the herds at the state and national level.

When disaster strikes, the need for robotic capabilities can range greatly—from aerial support to sensors in tunnels—depending on the specific challenges for first responders. The location and varying disaster scenarios make it very difficult to pre-position robotic supports without knowing the specific requirements of the response. Additionally, limited storage space and funding compound the ability to prepare for all disaster response needs.

As a result, S&T is developing a robotic “App Store” that enables first responders to print robots in 3-D and assemble on site using standard electronic parts. This means that first responders will only need to deliver one trailer that is fully equipped with appropriate robotic options to a disaster area instead of pre-positioning pre-built supplies.

Known as the Sensor-Smart Affordable Autonomous Robotic Platform or SAARP this capability makes a library of validated robotic solutions available to responders at the scene of a disaster and prepares them to meet future challenges. Furthermore, the 3-D printing components will allow response teams to deploy these customized tools in a fraction of the time.

Criminal and drug trafficking organizations often use aircraft that can deliver illicit cargo and contraband across remote sections of the U.S. border. This poses a challenge for border agents in their mission to interdict illegal substances coming across the border. To assist U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP), S&T developed a capability to detect small aircraft at low altitudes in remote locations. The final system transitioned to CBP in 2015. The system is mobile, uses renewable energy sources, and is fully integrated with a high degree of autonomy, performance and reliability. It uses innovative sensor technologies, detection, tracking and classification methods, and robust power and communications. The project also developed a method to map the terrain of the border and select sensor type and location to optimize performance.

S&T developed the Screener’s Auto-Diagnostic Adaptive Precision Training (ScreenADAPT) system to address the Transportation Security Administration’s (TSA) need for enhanced training of checkpoint screeners. ScreenADAPT is an innovative and adaptive simulation-based training system that uses eye tracking to capture and visualize the search process for X-ray image analysis. The information captured by eye tracking is used to 1) diagnose deficiencies and inefficiencies in visual searches, and 2) adapt training in real-time to help the trainee overcome identified deficiencies, resulting in a targeted, individualized training solution.

ScreenADAPT can vary the training method and delivery, threat type and threat difficulty in real–time, based upon the trainee’s needs. Recent field testing with ScreenADAPT showed that transportation security officers achieved a 45 percent reduction in search time to find threats and clear bags while maintaining threat detection accuracy. We officially transitioned the system to TSA in April 2015, where it is a part of TSA’s Action Plan. S&T is continuing to expand the functionality of ScreenADAPT to include dual-monitor capabilities and moving-belt simulation.

S&T’s Interagency Office, with U.S. Customs and Border Protection’s Office of Air and Marine Operations Center, Long Range Radar Joint Program Office, led a team comprised of Department of Defense and Javelina Wind Energy, LLC, a private wind farm developer that culminated in a technical solution and mitigation agreement signed on August 21, 2015. The agreement supports the President’s All-of-the-Above Energy Strategy, and the DHS Policy and Management Directive for Evaluation of Wind Farms as they impact homeland security, preserving the nation’s southern border situational awareness picture and provides, at no cost to the federal government, a technological solution to mitigate wind turbine radar interference against DHS’ southern boundary air surveillance capability, with a cost savings of over $3M to the federal government and DHS.

A critical element of a robust cybersecurity strategy is having the right personnel with the right skills. To fulfill this need, S&T uses competitions to give students practical real-world experience with current and emerging technologies.

In 2015, S&T continued to fund the U.S. Cyber Challenge (USCC), which ran online Cyber Quest competitions and organized numerous summer camps that featured one week of specialized training and instruction. More than 1,400 individuals participated in Cyber Quest competitions in 2015, and camps were held at Virginia Tech, Delaware Technical Community College, Moraine Valley Community College and Southern Utah University. USCC, in collaboration with Monster Government Solutions, also relaunched the CyberCompEx.org, an online portal that provides tools to the next generation cyber workforce to develop essential skills, and to connect with the cybersecurity industry.

S&T also funded scenario and environment development for the National Collegiate Cyber Defense Competition (NCCDC). NCCDC is a college-level competition where teams of eight students compete against each other to defend a small business network and associated services from persistent attack. In 2015, more than 200 colleges and universities participated. Twenty-six organizations across government and industry sponsored the national finals in San Antonio, Texas.

Because devices such as computers, cell phones and navigation systems may contain valuable evidence, in 2015 S&T sought capabilities and solutions to analyze user information, call logs, location information, text messages, emails and audio and video recordings.

Similarly, S&T saw value in Autopsy, an open source forensics platform. Autopsy allows law enforcement officials operating with tight budgets to analyze seized hard drives or smart phones for free. In 2015, S&T concentrated on modules that were focused on image and video analysis, timeline analysis, structured cyber data language for threat reporting and observable system and network properties, all of which added significant capabilities to aid law enforcement in a variety of investigations, including child exploitation and cyber threat reporting.

Two S&T efforts in 2015 improved the overall security of mobile devices used by both the public and the government. S&T continued an ongoing project with Kryptowire to improve mobile application security by notifying companies of vulnerabilities in code. The technology developed in 2015 makes mobile applications safer for personal use and has been used heavily across the government to ensure the security of applications used for the mission. Additionally, the joint DHS and In-Q-Tel work program, MobileIron, was adopted by select agencies in DHS during 2015 as their solution of choice. MobileIron’s policy enforcement technology improves the security and management of an organization’s data and devices by ensuring the user is protected with a set of configurations and rules not only when connected to a network, but also when the device is offline.

Although a number of transition paths exist for research funded by the federal government, how these research projects become commercialized is too often left to chance, with little regard for the federal government’s return on investment. To address this issue, S&T developed the Transition to Practice (TTP) Program to transition federally funded cybersecurity technologies, from laboratories to enterprise organization consumers and into broader use across the Homeland Security Enterprise.

In 2015, TTP transitioned three technologies to the marketplace: Hyperion, Network Mapping System (NeMS) and PathScan.

In 2015, S&T engaged HSSEDI, the Homeland Security Systems Engineering and Development Institute, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, which identified an emerging need for mobile devices that would support classified communications for DHS. As a result, HSSEDI executed a project on classified mobility that produced an architecture based on the National Security Agency (NSA) Commercial Solutions for Classified (CSfC) Program. Using the DHS Advanced Network Integration and Experimentation Lab, known as DANIEL, HSSEDI developed and tested the DHS Classified Mobile Access Reference Architecture, which served as the basis for the approved design. The architecture secures the information and necessary capabilities to provide the classified mobility solution.

Instead of accrediting a specific device, such as the secure mobile environment-portable electronic device (SME-PED), HSSEDI’s solution uses commercial off-the-shelf devices. Using Mobile Device Management, the devices will be appropriately locked down. For example, the native voice capability on the phones will be disabled. As part of the authentication, the Mobile Device Manager will verify that the device has not been tampered with or modified. If it has, a connection will not be allowed.

In the first quarter of fiscal year 2015, the SME-PED replacement initiative achieved NSA acceptance and registration of the DHS Classified Mobile Access design. This approval is the second-ever NSA-approved mobile access design.

DHS implementation of CSfC will enable DHS headquarters to provision other classified services more efficiently. Additionally, the architecture can be adapted for Sensitive but Unclassified remote services, providing much more secure and available connectivity for traffic designated For Official Use Only as well.

SoftWare Assurance Market Place (SWAMP) provides opportunities through continuous assurance services, which helps narrow the gap that exists between software and how it is tested and evaluated for security weaknesses and vulnerabilities. SWAMP addresses the critical need for improved software security by providing a collaborative research facility where organizations and the software assurance community can test their software for potential security issues.  By providing software assurance, SWAMP will reduce the number of vulnerabilities present in software deployed in the marketplace.

By the end of 2015, SWAMP was approaching 800 users, including 70 accounts attributed to international users representing 24 countries. On average, SWAMP processes over 1,500 assessments per week and now offers a broad range of open-source and commercial software analysis tools (mobile and static analysis) to help improve the detection of security issues in software. To keep pace with modern software, SWAMP exposed software assurance researchers and tool developers to more than 750 software packages and test cases to find new techniques and capabilities to advance the state-of-the art in software analysis.

Criminals often engineer hidden compartments to smuggle drugs and other illicit materials undetected. In 2015, S&T finalized and transitioned a capability to U.S. Customs and Border Protection (CBP) that can quickly scan commercial and noncommercial aircraft for illegal smuggling activities. The Aviation Scanner unit incorporates a miniaturized backscatter X-ray system that can penetrate the wings, fuselage and tail section of an aircraft and detect anomalies. This system is currently in operation at the CBP port of entry at Laredo Airport in Texas.

Monitoring 7,000 miles of land poses a challenge for border patrol agents, especially at night, or in traversing stretches of rugged terrain. In 2015, S&T demonstrated an unattended ground sensor that provides a high probability of detection and an enhanced classification capability to discriminate between humans, animals, vehicles and aircraft without the use of thermal imaging systems. This technology, which is planned for transition to CBP in 2017, will improve their ability to secure U.S. terrestrial borders. It will also increase the probability of detecting targets with fewer false alarms, with no limitation on battery life and centralized processing to enable simple detection upgrades of detection and classification routines. The system will also have low maintenance costs and no profile once installed.

Led by the Explosives Detection Canine Program, S&T is working on several efforts, from a non-invasive method to “read the dog’s mind” with an international partner, to a soon-to-be commercialized, non-explosive training aid for a sensitive homemade explosive. In 2015, the program delivered a breakthrough laboratory analysis method, allowing researchers to “see” the details in a scent picture with canine sensitivity. S&T has been called upon to test canine detection on emerging threats and novel concealment techniques. In FY 2016, the program will show how canines trained with a unique ability to detect firearms and explosives in large crowds.

The program’s focus has been on the explosive detection community, with applications for the entire homeland security enterprise canine detection community. Future investment is centered on filling key knowledge gaps in canine sensing to allow for more efficient training and a better understanding of the detection canine. The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) National Explosive Detection Canine Team Program is a primary customer, with key partnerships at state and local law enforcement agencies.

S&T, working with the leadership of the Washington Metropolitan Area Transit Authority Police Department, deployed the Video Summarization Tool during the Pope's visit to Washington, DC in September 2015. The mission of the Surface Transportation Explosives Threat Detection Program is to provide the mass transit community with an integrated capability to detect and mitigate an explosive threat.

As part of this program, the Massachusetts Institute of Technology Lincoln Laboratory has developed a suite of Video Forensic Tools to monitor indicators of terrorist threats as well as other suspicious behaviors. The tools include: 1). The Fast Event Review, which is capable of the rapid review of key events surrounding a situation to determine the potential of leave-behind improvised explosive devices; 2). Video Summarization, which is capable of transforming long durations of surveillance video into much shorter summary clips for creating an easy-to-view index of all events in a given scene; and 3). Path Reconstruction, which can track an individual of interest across multiple camera views allowing reconstruction in chronological order of the path taken within a venue. This suite of tools will be an integral part of S&T’s goal of screening individuals, baggage and other items entering large stadiums, special event sites and mass transit systems.

S&T’s Homeland Security Studies and Analysis Institute, a Federally Funded Research and Development Center, was tasked with conducting a study of a pending recapitalization of radiation portal monitors (RPMs) at all U.S. ports of entry through an Analysis of Alternatives and recommending candidate replacement systems. Initial findings of this study showed that current maintenance and the support concept were sufficient to defer the need to fully recapitalize the RPMs. The analysis was then restructured to look at opportunities to optimize screening performance at different ports of entry, with different technologies and prospective funding levels at each location. The study provided a strong justification to support partial fleet capitalization. For example, an added capability for remote operation of the detection equipment. The analysis took on a highly visible challenge for DHS that resulted in options for improving screening efficiency through effective and targeted technology deployment.

In recent months, baseball stadiums have begun using a technology called Fast Access, which allows enrolled fans to move through the entry process quicker—similar to the TSA Pre-check Enrollment program at airports. S&T collaborated with Clear, a technology company, to develop TSA Pre-check and Fast Access. To develop Fast Access, S&T leveraged its engines, which are capabilities that can be used in a variety of similar scenarios. In this instance, the engine is the risk assessment algorithm that enabled Clear to develop its own algorithm and performance refinement of Fast Access. Clear now has SAFETY Act Designation and Certification, thanks to S&T’s assistance in refining this technology.

In 2015, S&T’s Commercial Aircraft Vulnerability Program and Transportation Security Laboratory initiated the Explosive Threat Mitigation Unit (TMU) project. TMUs are designed to safely mitigate or remove unidentified items or packages to help protect people and assets from potential explosions or their threats. The TMUs, which are intended for U.S. Secret Service (USSS) security screening checkpoints, will be used to temporarily provide safe, secured storage for items obtained from visitors passing through a checkpoint in the unlikely event that an item contains an explosive-based threat.

The TMU is being designed by the Army Research Laboratory’s Weapons and Materials Response Directorate under an interagency agreement with S&T. The TMU design under development incorporates advanced composite materials that are lighter weight and provide increased operational mobility compared to explosive TMUs currently used by the USSS.

To date, S&T has completed preliminary live fire explosive testing on a series of full-scale TMU prototypes at Aberdeen Proving Grounds in Maryland. The final TMU prototype design is currently under construction and scheduled for explosive testing during 2016.