The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) recently announced that it awarded Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) grants to two companies.
The companies will use the money to develop an in-building coverage analysis system (ICAS) that will use existing first responder radio and smartphone technology to enhance accessibility to wireless service.
“Our first responders are fundamental to protecting our nation and enhancing public safety,” said Kathryn Coulter Mitchell, DHS Senior Official Performing the Duties of the Under Secretary for Science and Technology. “So, we need to equip them with tools that allow them to effectively respond and communicate during incidents. The ICAS capability will address a critical need to enhance situational awareness for first responders when they go inside buildings.”
The companies awarded were Greenbelt, Maryland-based TRX Systems, Inc., which received $750,000, and Rolling Meadows, Illinois-based Epiq Solutions, Inc, which received $927,2020.02. The companies were selected based on their successful demonstration of feasibility in Phase I of their ICAS solutions.
The funding is part of the SBIR Phase II funding, administered by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), to develop an affordable, user-friendly ICAS capability for commonly used first responders network types.
TRX Systems will expand on its Phase I efforts to develop a new capability for simultaneous LMR and Long-Term Evolution (LTE) coverage characterization compatible with existing end-user LMR and FirstNet LTE for data-gathering. Epiq Solutions will continue to develop a minimal size, weight, and power ICAS solution that can aggregate, manage and make data available to all stakeholders – critical to first responders during incidents.
“DHS components and first responders rely on two separate networks for additional indoor data services—the land-mobile radio (LMR) and the FirstNet broadband network,” said S&T Program Manager Cuong Luu. “ICAS technology can both acquire and document network signals inside of buildings using both networks, enhancing emergency communications coverage for first responders in a host of building types and locations. This technology will greatly improve the ability for our nation’s first responders to carry out their missions and communicate more effectively.”