Newswise — What does it mean for a first responder to truly be protected? What can go wrong when responders aren’t reliably connected to one another? When responders are fully aware, how much more efficiently can they serve the American public? We want to hear your answers and learn about your vision of the future of first responders at our Twitter chat on July 29.
DHS Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Apex team will be discussing how we’re working with first responders to develop new technologies to make them better protected, connected and fully aware. To explore what these capability areas mean for today’s first responders and to equip them for the future, NGFR looks at what they face on a daily basis. Every day, responders – firefighters, police officers, paramedics/EMTs, 911 dispatchers, incident commanders, HAZMAT response teams, and search and rescue squads – answer the public’s call to save lives and protect property. Responders and the organizations they serve are inherently diverse: a metropolitan police department will have different mission needs, resources and personnel from a rural volunteer fire department. Every call presents a new situation, from frequent occurrences such as sports injuries or minor kitchen fires, to all-hands-on-deck emergencies such as a multi-car accident or school shooting. S&T is committed to serving a broad range of responders by developing the tools they need to accomplish their mission while staying safe. Specifically, NGFR is designing new technologies and adapting existing capabilities to make responders better protected, connected and fully aware, allowing them to confidently focus on their mission. We have more than 40 ongoing projects under the NGFR Apex program, with more planned for the next five years. Our goal is to meet responders’ current needs while preparing them for a much more integrated future – linking them to smart cities, engaged communities and each other. We’d love to tell you more about our projects and get input from you on your mission-critical needs! Please join @dhsscitech on Wednesday, July 29 from 12 to 1 p.m. EDT to tell us what protected, connected and fully aware means to you! Submit your questions and comments before, during or after the chat and use the #STTechTalk hashtag to engage in the two-way discussion.
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