SAFETY Act: 15 years onSAFETY Act at 15: 1,000 qualified antiterrorism technologies approved

Published 10 July 2018

For fifteen years now, the S&T Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI,) under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, has been approving anti-terrorism technologies for liability protections. It has so far approved more than 1,000 Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies.

Beyond startup programs, university partnerships, and prize competitions, there are still many ways to promote public safety innovation. S&T says that one of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) most consequential efforts to do so has focused on giving the private sector legal incentive to continue developing and deploying large scale security technologies.  

For fifteen years now, the S&T Office of SAFETY Act Implementation (OSAI,) under the Support Anti-Terrorism by Fostering Effective Technologies (SAFETY) Act, has been approving anti-terrorism technologies for liability protections. It has so far approved more than 1,000 Qualified Anti-Terrorism Technologies. “This mark is a testament to the success of the program in encouraging widespread innovation and deployment of technologies to keep the public safe,” S&T says.

“The thousandth approval commemorates expansion of the program, not just because of quantity, but quality of anti-terrorism security capabilities and technologies,” said Bruce Davidson, Director of S&T’s SAFETY Act program.

Recent technologies that have met SAFETY Act criteria include the Bloomberg Corporate Headquarters Security Program, the Soldier Field Security Program for SMG and the Chicago Park District, and Boeing’s Wave Glider. Others approved under the SAFETY Act include screening services, commercial shopping mall properties, professional sports venues, and other important infrastructure security technologies.

Securing American pastimes
The road to 1,000 SAFETY Act approvals may not have been paved with turf, but OSAI has worked closely with several organizations within professional sports leagues to harden security and ensure the safety of patrons.

“Any product, service, or software that helps officials identify, detect, deter, respond to or mitigate acts of terror may be candidates for approval”, explained Davidson. National Football League (NFL), Major League Baseball (MLB), and National Basketball Association (NBA) venues have had security systems and best practices approved through the S&T SAFETY Act program, though the NFL is OSAI’s oldest partner.