Roundup of spring, summer 2016 First Responders Group technology

The method worked, and the IED was rendered safe without any injury to people or damage to property.

Successes like this are the result of the REDOPS team continually working with the FBI Hazardous Devices School, the National Bomb Squad Commanders Advisory Board, and state and local bomb squads. Such involvement includes participation in technology evaluations and exercises like the Raven’s Challenge 2016, a series of interoperability events designed to give military ordnance technicians and public safety bomb technicians the opportunity to evaluate resources and procedures in realistic environments.

2016 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference
On 16 May, FRG Director Dan Cotter delivered a presentation at the 2016 Metropolitan Fire Chiefs Conference in Long Beach, California. The conference aimed to address problems and develop potential solutions to the challenges faced by fire departments in major metropolitan cities.

Cotter outlined S&T’s mission and key projects in his presentation, including: technologies from  FRG’s First Responder Technologies division (like the Improved Structure Firefighting Glove and FINDER); how the Next Generation First Responder Apex program is defending against life-threatening hazards; Internet of Things (IoT) new opportunities and challenges; the latest with the International Forum to Advance First Responder Innovation; and much more.

P25 CAP Advisory Panel Meeting
On 4-5 May, FRG’s Office for Interoperability and Compatibility’s (OIC) Project 25 Compliance Assessment Program (P25 CAP) Advisory Panel (AP) held its second quarterly meeting at the Department of Commerce’s Boulder Laboratories. P25 CAP is a formal, independent process for ensuring communications equipment advertised as P25 is actually compliant with P25 standards. The P25 CAP AP provides OIC with federal, state, local, tribal, and territorial perspectives on portable, handheld and vehicle-mounted radios and infrastructure equipment. Through the P25 CAP AP, OIC can support the collective interest of organizations that procure P25-compliant equipment. May 5 marked the AP’s first meeting between the public sector and industry, creating an opportunity for engagement and a wide range of P25 stakeholder input.

CAUSE IV Experiment
The fourth installment of the Canada U.S. Enhanced Resiliency Experiment (CAUSE IV) took place 26-28 April in Sarnia, Ontario, and Port Huron, Michigan. The experiment kicked off with a test of the Public Safety Broadband Network (PSBN) with ambulances from both St. Clair and Lampton Counties. The PSBN test transitioned into a simulated tornado scenario disaster, which occurred on both sides of the border. Through live PSBN video connections, paramedics were able to provide continuous patient monitoring.