Twitter data could give disaster relief teams real-time information to provide aid and save lives, thanks to a new algorithm developed by an international team of researchers. A team of researchers from Penn State, the Indian Institute of Technology Kharagpur, and the Qatar Computing Research Institute created an algorithm that analyzes Twitter data to identify smaller disaster-related events, such as infrastructure damage or shelter needs, and generate highly accurate, real-time summaries that can be used to guide response activities.
The U.S Food and Drug Administration announces that an emergency use authorization (EUA) has been granted to the U.S. Department of Defense to enable the emergency use of pathogen-reduced leukocyte-depleted freeze-dried plasma. The use of freeze-dried plasma is authorized for the treatment of hemorrhage or coagulopathy of U.S. military personnel during an emergency involving agents of military combat.
FLIR announces the FLIR identiFINDER® R200-GN spectroscopic personal radiation detector (SPRD). The rugged, pager-sized FLIR identiFINDER R200-GN SPRD can detect and identify neutrons, in addition to gamma radiation, allowing front-line responders to quickly determine whether there is a true radiation threat for safe, informed decision making.
One of the drugs stockpiled by the U.S. government to save lives from chemical nerve agents needs a new auto-injector so the drug can be used quickly and safely without specialized training if an attack occurs in the United States. The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will work with AktiVax Inc. of Boulder, Colorado, on developing a new device to easily administer a drug that reverses damage inflicted by organophospates, a class of chemicals that include nerve agents such as Sarin and VX.
On 8 May 2018, the DRC reported an outbreak of Ebola virus disease – a serious and often fatal illness – in Équateur Province in the northwest part of the country. As the U.S. government’s lead agency on biomedical infectious disease research, the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Disease (NIAID) is providing several layers of support to the DRC and World Health Organization, which are leading a global, multi-sectoral response to the outbreak.
The U.S. Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and its research and development partners selected 13 U.S. and international companies to develop smart cities technologies to assist public safety. The research and development work will focus on in-building sensors, unmanned aerial systems, and on/off-body mobile SmartHubs, each of which will combine communications and sensors to increase responder situational awareness, build security, and enhance mission-critical operations.
Attaching a camera to a Small Unmanned Aerial System (sUAS)—or drone—is not a new concept. The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is looking to equip drones with different sensors useful in search-and-rescue, reconnaissance, active shooter response, hostage rescue situations, and a myriad of border security scenarios.
The U.S. Food and Drug Adminsistration (FDA) takes its responsibility to protect the U.S. food supply very seriously. While the FDA works diligently to prevent accidental contaminations, it also takes measures to protect the food from those who seek to deliberately do harm. The FDA is releasing the first of three installments of draft guidance designed to support compliance with the Intentional Adulteration rule.
The Resilient Children/Resilient Communities (RCRC) Toolbox provides the resources that parents, community leaders, emergency management officials, schools and child care centers need to prepare for emergencies and improve their abilities to help children quickly return to a sense of normalcy. The toolbox is available online to the public free of charge.
To supplement recovery the 2017 hurricanes, Congress has required the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) to support the Governor of Puerto Rico in delivering a full report on the damage as well as a plan for building back more resiliency within 180 days. Supporting this effort, the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) is providing expertise in integrating possible solutions with assessing hurricane damage and recovery needs in Puerto Rico.
