Official website of the Department of Homeland Security
FRRG is an all-volunteer working group that includes 150 members of state, local, federal and tribal law enforcement agencies, fire departments, emergency medical services, emergency management and other disciplines. Its mission is to help S&T maximize first responder safety, effectiveness, and preparedness in the field.
S&T—in collaboration with FEMA, USFA, and other key stakeholder experts—determined WUI incidents and life-saving functions as the optimal areas for S&T to explore technology innovation.
DHS S&T, FEMA and USFA are working closely with the national and international first responder community on the growing problem of fires in the wildland-urban interface (WUI).
On Oct. 16, 2018, DHS S&T NUSTL conducted an OFA of Burn Saver. During this OFA, five firefighters served as evaluators and engaged in operational tests to evaluate Burn Saver’s suitability for use by firefighters in field scenarios that simulate conditions they may encounter during the performance of their duties.
If you are a Fire & Rescue professional attending the Fire Department Instructors Conference in Indianapolis, mark your calendars to join S&T John Merrill and discuss how to “Make Firefighting Safer with Artificial Intelligence.” This discussion will be held in rooms 138-139 on , from to at the Indiana Convention Center & Lucas Oil stadium.
First responders commonly enter situations with unknown threats wearing only duty uniforms. These uniforms offer little to no protection against atypical threats, causing the first responders to be exposed to unnecessary hazards. Multi-threat Personal Protective Equipment (PPE) for first responders, capable of withstanding chemical/biological, fire, stab and blast hazards, either do not exist in one garment or are bulky and unable to be worn at all times.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is working with TDA Research, Inc. (TDA) through a Small Business Innovation Research (SBIR) award to develop a simple, inexpensive, wearable smart chemical sensor badge that has high sensitivity and selectivity to multiple TICs at trace (low parts per million or ppm) concentrations, and that triggers alarms at permissible exposure limits, short-term exposure limits and time weighted average concentrations.
The Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is funding Higher Dimension Materials, Inc. (HDM), and the North Carolina State University Textile Protect and Comfort Center (TPACC) to identify, test and select the most appropriate fabric and supporting materials to incorporate into an enhanced glove design.
DHS S&T works closely with first responders, academia, research and development organizations, industry, innovators and venture capitalists to use science to help strengthen our first responders and the nation. Check out our infographic to learn more on how S&T is helping protect our homeland.
Wildland firefighters are exposed to many of the same naturally occurring respiratory hazards as structural firefighters: the myriad byproducts of wood pyrolysis and combustion, including carbon monoxide (CO), acrolein, polycyclic aromatic hydrocarbons, aldehydes and ketones and acid gases.
