The Challenge

DHS Science and Technology (S&T) and Ardent partnered with first responders in Grant County Washington and others to evaluate several promising technologies for public safety operations. These technologies include the ability to provide the location of first responder units and personnel, wireless voice, data coverage, live video streaming communications, and live monitoring of responder heart rate and body temperature.

The Solution

Ardent brought together a team of developers that have the knowledge and experience in emergency management, geospatial applications and sensor data integration to work with first responders to consolidate technology development for Next Generation First Responders (NGFR). Ardent created several technologies including: a Public safety cloud, a Watchtower mobile app for both Android and iOS, Pinpoint location reporting using a Windows app and Raspberry pi, and sensor integration, and an Esri operations dashboard. These technologies were tested in a Technology Experiment (TechEx). Full details about this TechEx are available in the Grant County – DHS Science and Technology Directorate Next Generation First Responder Apex Program Technology Experiment (TechEx) After Action Report.

The Outcome

The TechEx successfully demonstrated these lifesaving first responder capabilities:

• Improved public safety communications with an enhanced integrated network communications architecture
• Enhanced ability to maintain connectivity with cloud services • Increased situational awareness and integrated with Grant County’s existing systems and is capable of disseminating real-time video streams to end-users.
• Ability to geo-locate end-users (based upon their devices) and vehicles
• Provided basic data collection and dissemination capabilities for two physiological sensor-based systems.

Tools used to achieve these outcomes:

• AWS • Watchtower Mobile App (Android, iOS)
• Pinpoint location reporting (Windows app and Raspberry pi)
• Sensor integration (Hexoskin, POC patch, Zephyr HR Monitor)
• Cradlepoint router integration
• ESRI operations dashboard