DHS to host event on new technologies for first responders in Houston

The U.S. Department of Homeland Security’s Science and Technology Directorate S&T will host an event for first responders in the Houston area on new technologies available to them.

The event — called the Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Harris County Operational Experimentation (OpEx) — will take place on December 4-5, 2018 at the Port of Houston. First responders will learn how to integrate new technologies using open standards in the NGFR Integration Handbook to enhance their capabilities through a HAZMAT scenario.

By leveraging the open standards documented in the NGFR Integration Handbook, first responders will have technologies to help them adapt to changing environments and evolving threats.

During this demonstration, DHS is looking for feedback on these technologies in an operational setting. The technologies include patient physiological monitoring sensors, indoor location tracking, HAZMAT sensors, smart alerting for responders and incident command, advanced data analytics, and situational awareness and collaboration dashboards. First responders will evaluate how these technologies enhance operational communications, increase operational coordination, improve responder safety, and augment situational awareness.

This feedback from first responders is used to create reports and case studies to help share lessons-learned and best practices with public safety agencies nationwide. DHS S&T hopes to demonstrate how integrated solutions can deliver greater operational impact.