First Responders
Marine Corps and Japan Ground Self-Defense Force (JGSDF) personnel recently conducted Resolute Dragon 21, the largest bilateral field training exercise, which was executed in Japan.
The exercise involved over 4,000 troops from 3d Marine Division, III Marine Expeditionary Force and the JGSDF’s... Read More »
California Gov. Gavin Newsom unveiled an enhanced public safety plan this week that looks to combat and prevent crime statewide.
The Real Public Safety Plan, in conjunction with local law enforcement, focuses on improving law enforcement response, ensuring prosecutors hold perpetrators... Read More »
A new report released by the Johns Hopkins Center for Health Security this week determined that the failure to incorporate primary care providers into the frontline response to COVID-19 and the larger public health system could have improved care, testing, and vaccination acceptance.
In... Read More »
The Senate Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee held a hearing recently to examine the harmful impacts of Perfluoroalkyl and Polyfluoroalkyl Substances (PFAS) at military sites.
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI) convened the hearing after a Department of Defense (DoD) Inspector... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Bill Pascrell, Jr. (D-NJ) recently joined first responders in recognizing a pair of achievements they said would aid police and fire personnel.
The group celebrated the signing into law of Pascrell’s Protecting America’s First Responders Act of 2021 (PAFRA), a measure that improves... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA), Michael Bennet (D-CO), and Mike Crapo (R-ID) introduced this week an amendment that would formally authorize the National Guard’s Fireguard program and alter its year-by-year approval structure to a more certain, five-year authorization.
The senators argued... Read More »
A bill introduced by U.S. Sen. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) would provide states with added flexibility to allow members of the National Guard to respond to emergencies.
Specifically, the bill would allow full-time Active Guard and Reserve (AGR) National Guard members with the ability to respond to... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) recently awarded funds to a firm to advance first responder interoperable messaging capabilities.
The $1,545,286.03 allotment to Mobility 4 Public Safety (M4PS) would aid in developing the Bridge 4 Public... Read More »
U.S. Rep. John Katko (R-NY) announced Monday that he has introduced legislation to strengthen public safety and counter anti-police sentiment.
The Stop Enabling Repeat Violence and Endangering (SERVE) Our Communities Act would provide incentives for states to adopt policies that would hold... Read More »
FirstNet, which officials have deemed public safety's network built to strict specifications and requirements, is touting over 2.8 million nationwide connections through 18,500 public safety agencies.
"In less than five years, we've built a network with and for America's first responders and... Read More »
Reckoning with rising cases of overdose throughout the United States, a bicameral reintroduction of the POWER Act was announced last week, which proposes new U.S. Department of Justice-provided grants to help law enforcement procure better drug detection devices.
POWER, or Providing Officers... Read More »
A group of United States senators last week reintroduced an effort to update the Volunteer Protection Act of 1997 and extend legal protections for medical volunteers working in federally-recognized disaster relief efforts.
Authored by U.S. Sens. Marsha Blackburn (R-TN), Bill Cassidy (R-LA) and... Read More »
Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) officials said the agency has selected Emory University to lead the latest Regional Disaster Health Response System site.
HHS noted Emory University is the Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response's (ASPR) fourth site selected to... Read More »
Virginia Gov. Ralph Northam announced Tuesday that his state’s pledge to invest $8.5 million in infrastructure upgrades to Progress Park was a catalyst for a manufacturing venture to commit to building an operating center in the area.
The joint venture would build a manufacturing operation in... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) officials said the agency has formed the Law Enforcement Coordination Council (LECC) to assess varied law enforcement matters -- including its law enforcement policies and training.
“Law enforcement is a noble profession," DHS Secretary Alejandro N.... Read More »
U.S. Sen. Gary Peters (D-MI), chairman of the Homeland Security and Governmental Affairs Committee, convened a hearing Wednesday to examine the country’s preparedness to deal with worsening natural disasters like floods, severe storms and wildfires.
Witnesses, and committee members discussed... Read More »
Legislation reclassifying 9-1-1 dispatchers from Office and Administrative Support to Protective Service Occupations was approved last week by the U.S. House of Representatives as an amendment in the Fiscal Year 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA), according to lawmakers.
U.S. Reps.... Read More »
The U.S. Department of Justice (DOJ) announced Friday that its Bureau of Justice Assistance (BJA), part of the department’s Office of Justice Programs (OJP), had awarded nearly $187 million to support public safety and community justice activities.
The Edward Byrne Memorial Justice Assistance... Read More »
U.S. Sens. Dianne Feinstein (D-CA) and Alex Padilla (D-CA) urged Senate leadership to include a minimum of $7.7 billion and targeted tax relief in the disaster supplemental funding package requested by the State of California to respond and recover from the 2021 wildfire season.
“California is... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said the agency is seeking participants for the 2022 First Responder Electronic Jamming Exercise (JamX 22).
There has been a Request for Information (RFI) issued for the endeavor at White Sands Missile... Read More »
U.S. Rep. Frank Pallone, Jr. (D-NJ) is touting the inclusion of $2.86 billion for the 9/11 World Trade Center (WTC) Health Program in the Build Back Better Act.
Officials said the funds would be included in the Energy and Commerce Committee’s portion of the measure, which is slated to be... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Rodney Davis (R-IL) and Darin LaHood (R-IL) announced Friday that their request for a Illinois National Guard project will be included in the FY 2022 National Defense Authorization Act (NDAA).
The NDAA passed out of the House Armed Services Committee with a bipartisan 57-2 vote, and... Read More »
In a national first, the House Armed Services Committee voted last week in favor of a bill that would grant the mayor of the District of Columbia authority over the D.C. National Guard, adding that provision to the 2022 National Defense Authorization Act.
Since its inception, the D.C. National... Read More »
Sen. Alex Padilla (D-CA) recently hosted local leaders in Santa Rosa, Calif., during a roundtable discussion regarding wildfire prevention, response and recovery efforts.
The discussion and listening session stemmed from the White House's approval of Calif. Gov. Gavin Newsom’s request for a... Read More »
Air Force officials said the military branch has selected Ohio’s Mansfield-Lahm Air National Guard Base as the preferred venue for a new Cyber Warfare Wing mission.
Officials said the transformation would support Air Combat Command’s future requirements -- resulting in operational mission... Read More »
Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) officials said the agency is exploring the use of technology to aid with crowd count and analysis.
Officials cited the potential to prevent delayed, inadequate, or misplaced responses to crowds in detailing a request... Read More »
The governing body of FirstNet Authority, the only nationwide, high-speed broadband communications entity dedicated to and purpose-built for first responders, has approved the platform's Fiscal Year 2022 budget.
The First Responder Network Authority Board passed a $253 million budget focusing on... Read More »
U.S. Department of the Interior Secretary Deb Haaland and U.S. Department of Agriculture Secretary Tom Vilsack announced Tuesday that they would be implementing President Joe Biden’s pay increases for federal wildland firefighters.
The announcement ensures that the approximately 3,500... Read More »
Device Solutions, Inc., based in Hillsborough, N.C., has been awarded $981,657.52 via the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) Program for digital paging development.
The scope of work calls for Device Solutions to provide a standards-based, public... Read More »
First Responder Network Authority (FirstNet) officials recently joined AT&T personnel in unveiling tools designed to aid Rhode Island first responders.
AT&T has delivered a pair of Compact Rapid Deployables (CRDs) to the Rhode Island Emergency Management Agency (RIEMA) - adding the state is the... Read More »
In a letter to federal officials, eight senators from the Western United States called for coordination and development of a strategy to counter jet fuel shortages, which they fear could exacerbate the dangers of wildfire season through grounded aircraft.
“As you are well aware, the 2020... Read More »
Howe & Howe Inc., a subsidiary of Textron Systems Corporation, recently unveiled the Thermite EV2, an all-electric firefighting robot, as well as a new handheld controller.
“It’s important that we give our first responders the best we have to offer so that they can complete their missions... Read More »
Bipartisan legislation aimed at protecting firefighters, first responders, and communities from exposure advanced the Senate Thursday.
The Protecting Firefighters from Adverse Substances (PFAS) Act, co-sponsored by U.S. Sen. Susan Collins (R- Maine), co-chair of the Congressional Fire Services... Read More »
U.S. Reps. Dave Joyce (R-OH) and David Trone (D-MD) recently introduced a bill that seeks to protect law enforcement personnel and other first responders from lethal substances such as fentanyl.
The Protecting First Responders from Secondary Exposure Act would improve state and local government... Read More »
A new, joint effort between the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS’s) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and the nonprofit Beacon NGO will seek to build upon S&T’s Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS) and pitch it to a larger emergency response community.
To achieve... Read More »
