response
technology
By Norm Rooker The feds asked, and we answered: Here’s what EMS needs now
How many of you have smiled at that old cliché “I’m from the government, and I’m
here to help”?
Well, that’s actually what happened occurred both on-scene and online, goal is to, within 12–15 months,
for 3½ days in February in Bellevue, with many online attendees field technologies that meet 80% of
WA, as representatives from EMS, submitting questions for presenters project operational requirements
fire, law enforcement, emergency and panelists and voting on top for less than $1 million. This will be
management and industry, along research and development needs. achieved through rapid prototyping
with venture capitalists and The S&T Directorate has six or identifying existing technologies.
representatives of the Department of technical divisions: Explosives; In an effort to better serve its
Homeland Security’s Directorate of Chemical and Biological; Command, various constituents, including
Science and Technology, convened to Control and Interoperability; Borders emergency responders, DHS operates
further assist emergency responders and Maritime Security; Human a dozen Integrated Product Teams,
in meeting their missions. Factors Behavioral Sciences; and or IPTs. These function in mission-
The 2009 Homeland Security S&T Infrastructure and Geophysical. critical areas to identify needs and
Stakeholders Conference–West was It also operates a program called promote projects and capabilities to
a forum to bring all these groups TechSolutions. TechSolutions was meet them. The IPTs engage DHS
together (plus vendors showcasing established to develop information, “customers,” acquisition partners,
their latest wares) to help not just resources and technology solutions S&T technical division heads and end
the U.S., but the international rescue to address mission capability users in developing, transitioning
and response communities serve gaps identified by the emergency and acquiring solutions.
more effectively. The conference response community. The program’s Toward the end of better serving
42 JULY 2009 EMS www.emsresponder.com
response
technology
emergency providers, the DHS was a new direction for them, and What came forth was an interesting
created a 13th IPT for first responders. they wanted us to tell them what we cross-section of ideas. Some were
In conjunction with the National needed, rather than them dictating strategic, like having a simple
Defense Industrial Association, what they’d give us. How, they asked, interoperable communications
the department began its effort by can we help you help the public you system that really was simple,
“How,
they
assembling a group of 20 emergency
responders representing
enforcement, fire suppression, EMS,
law
serve?
The conference was kicked off
by keynote speaker Lt. Gen. Russel
interoperable and affordable. Some
were tactical, such as creating a real,
working Star Trek-style tricorder for
emergency management, bomb/ Honoré, U.S. Army, retired. Honoré patient assessment and monitoring.
asked, ordnance disposal and the Citizen led the joint task force response Law enforcement representatives
can we Corps. The International Association to Hurricane Katrina in 2005. wanted technology for field
of EMS Chiefs (IAEMSC) sent Jim He was dynamic and quotable, i