First Responders
A bill from United States Sens. Gary Peters (D-MI) and James Lankford (R-OK), the Disaster Assistance Simplification Act, advanced out of Senate committee last week, putting to the Senate floor the idea of simplifying the application process for federal disaster assistance.
“Victims of natural... Read More »
Rep. Nancy Mace (R-SC) has joined three House of Representatives colleagues in forming a caucus that targets disaster preparedness and recovery efforts.
Mace recently joined Reps. Troy A. Carter Sr. (D-LA), Carlos A. Gimenez (R-FL) and Joe Neguse (D-CO) in launching the Bipartisan Congressional... Read More »
A pair of lawmakers are commending Senate passage of a measure enhancing law enforcement training for those interacting with individuals with mental health, behavioral health and substance use issues.
Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Cornyn (R-TX) joined 19 colleagues in co-sponsoring... Read More »
To improve first responder operations and get them the best technology, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) hosted the Urban Operational Experimentation (OpEx) 2022 from July 18-22, 2022.
At this gathering, S&T and its National Urban Security... Read More »
Over the course of a week, the latest iteration of the Raven’s Challenge, an improvised explosive devices (IED) training exercise for state, federal, and international partners in public safety and military, gathered more than 100 personnel in New York’s Oneida County this month.
The State... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ), Don Bacon (R-NE), Val Demings (D-FL), and Brian Fitzpatrick (R-PA) recently introduced legislation that seeks to ensure federal police and first responders are paid full compensation earned.
The Law Enforcement Officer Fair Retirement Act enables officers to... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding the development of a cloud-based capability aiding digital indoor mapping capability.
Collaboration with Waterloo, Ontario-based Mappedin Inc. yielded Mappedin Response, which enables first... Read More »
Taking up a law enforcement-focused bill first introduced by U.S. Rep. Val Demings (D-FL), U.S. Sens. Cory Booker (D-NJ) and Dick Durbin (D-IL) introduced a companion to the Violent Incident Clearance and Technological Investigative Methods (VICTIM) Act this week.
Backed by both police groups... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Commerce National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) announced plans to launch a competition seeking to advance incident command dashboard technologies aiding emergency response.
The Command Dashboard Integrating Next-Gen or CommanDING, Tech Challenge would unite... Read More »
Corner Alliance, Inc., has secured a $100,000 Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) contract award
to aid first responder driver emergency alerts on roads.
S&T is collaborating with the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Integrated Public Alert... Read More »
An effort to net federal firefighters financial support for illnesses and diseases acquired from their duties – the Federal Firefighter Fairness Act – was advanced by the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) this week.
“Every day across the country,... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) introduced two bills seeking to support efforts in California and nationwide to extinguish fires faster.
The Fire Suppression Improvement Act would also protect communities from post-fire flooding and expand Federal Emergency Management... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Susan Collins (R-ME) are commending the Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee (HSGAC) for advancing legislation aiding the federal firefighter benefits platform.
Carper and Collins, co-chairs of the Congressional Fire Services Caucus,... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Jaime Herrera Beutler (R-WA) recently joined nine colleagues in co-sponsoring a bill to address nationwide police staffing shortages.
The Pathways to Policing Act invests in programs to aid state and local law enforcement agencies struggling to maintain adequate staffing levels by... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Maria Cantwell (D-WA) and Dan Sullivan (R-AK) recently introduced a bill that seeks to enhance federal weather service firefighting efforts.
The Fire Ready Nation Act of 2022 would create a fire weather services program within the National Oceanic and Atmospheric Administration... Read More »
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet Authority) and National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) officials are espousing the launch of the Public Safety Immersive Test Center in Boulder, Colo.
Authorities indicated the effort would nurture the development and deployment of... Read More »
The National Nuclear Security Administration (NNSA) is slated to join over 30 local, state, and federal agencies to conduct a major radiological incident exercise during the week of May 16-20.
The Austin, Texas-centered Cobalt Magnet 22 exercise, spearheaded by the Department of Energy (DOE),... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Ritchie Torres (D-NY), Haley Stevens (D-MI), Peter Meijer (R-MI), and Anthony Gonzalez (R-OH) recently applauded the House of Representatives' advancement legislation that seeks to bolster federal efforts to assist with major fire investigations.
The Empowering the U.S. Fire... Read More »
For National Police Week this year, the Problem Solvers Caucus endorsed the Invest to Protect Act of 2022 and the Community Oriented Policing Services (COPS), which pledge to increase federal investment into recruitment and retention efforts at police departments nationwide.
COPS is a part of... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) said approximately $40 million has been earmarked for Community Policing Development (CPD) grants, in addition to $5 million being allocated for the Collaborative Reform Initiative.
“Nothing is more important than keeping our communities safe,” Associate... Read More »
Delaware officials are touting $4.2 million in federal funding earmarked for law enforcement initiatives to improve transparency, reduce violence and bolster mental health services.
Gov. John Carney recently joined U.S. Sens. Tom Carper (D-DE) and Chris Coons (D-DE), and U.S. Rep. Lisa Blunt... Read More »
During the last week in April, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) hosted the JamX 22 exercise to further resilience to signal jamming threats for federal and first responders.... Read More »
FirstNet Authority Board has approved an investment to expand network coverage services through small-cell technologies, which would bolster FirstNet indoor operations.
The FirstNet Authority is an independent Department of Commerce National Telecommunications and Information Administration... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) National Urban Security Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) recently issued a vehicle extrication tools request for information (RFI).
The agency is seeking commercially available vehicle extrication tools... Read More »
The Department of Commerce's National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a new competition they said seeks to advance first responder use of unmanned aircraft systems (UAS).
The First Responder UAS Indoor Challenge would enhance first responder indoor search and rescue... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice launched the National Law Enforcement Knowledge Lab, a resource hub for law enforcement personnel that will promote constitutional policing, improve public safety, and build trust in communities.
“Providing law enforcement with the tools, resources and support... Read More »
Rep. John Katko (R-NY) said the enactment of his Shadow Wolves Enhancement Act (H.R. 5681) expands support for Shadow Wolves officers performing critical duties and bolsters the southern border.
The Shadow Wolves, part of U.S. Immigrations and Customs Enforcement, are a Native American tactical... Read More »
A group of lawmakers recently introduced legislation to enhance training for law enforcement personnel interacting with persons with mental or behavioral health issues.
The Bipartisan Law Enforcement De-escalation Training Act was sponsored by U.S. Sens. Sheldon Whitehouse (D-RI) and John Cornyn... Read More »
A bipartisan push in the Senate yielded the introduction of the Improving Law Enforcement Office Safety and Wellness Through Data Act to the Judiciary Committee last week to improve information gathering on attacks that target law enforcement.
The legislation was introduced by U.S. Sens. Charles... Read More »
This week, the House of Representatives advanced the Don Young Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022, seeking to authorize funding for bolstering Coast Guard operations.
The legislation also replaces and modernizes Coast Guard cutters and shoreside and cyber infrastructure.
"The House... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) has issued a Flood Data Collection & Analysis solicitation to aid flood preparedness and response efforts.
The solicitation via the agency's Silicon Valley Innovation Program (SVIP) seeks technology capable... Read More »
Under a bill introduced to the House of Representatives this week, the Empowering the U.S. Fire Administration Act, four legislators proposed changes to federal legislation that would allow the U.S. Fire Administration (USFA) to aid local firefighter investigations after major... Read More »
A new solicitation issued by the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) this week sought modern means of identifying and mitigating threats to so-called soft targets: sports venues, shopping complexes, schools, and more.
As a program, Securing... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) recently released a Request for Information (RFI) to obtain first responder new and emerging technologies.
First responders would experiment with and test the technological offerings during the multi-day... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Peter DeFazio (D-OR), Sam Graves (R-MO), Salud Carbajal (D-CA), and Bob Gibbs (R-OH) are espousing the benefits of a measure that authorizes the U.S. Coast Guard funds for reinforcement and support.
The Coast Guard Authorization Act of 2022 enables support enhancing Coast Guard... Read More »
