In mid-November 2017, the U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate and Defence Research and Development Canada’s Centre for Security Science tested and demonstrated that seamless communication is possible between first responders from both sides of the border during a major emergency.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration is announcing a new approach to get critical updates regarding antibiotics and antifungal drugs to health care professionals as part of an overall effort to combat antimicrobial resistance.
Autopsy–an open-source, digital forensics platform used by law enforcement agencies worldwide to determine how a digital device was used in a crime and to recover evidence–is being enhanced with the addition of several new capabilities requested by law enforcement.
Following the recent hurricane season, Army Lt. Gen. Jeffrey Buchanan, the commander of U.S. Army North, said hurricanes Harvey, Irma and Maria delivered a combination of blows that caused great damage in Texas, Florida, the Virgin Islands and Puerto Rico, and the military learned a great deal about defense support to civil authorities in the process.
The Transportation Security Administration (TSA) is partnering with the Los Angeles County Metropolitan Transportation Authority (LAMTA) on a new device that can help officials detect whether an individual is concealing an improvised explosive device. The use of such a device enables a transit agency to help safeguard against terrorist threats in the mass transit environment.
Federal Resources, headquartered in Stevensville, Maryland, completed the acquisition of Wright Tool Company, a leading provider of automotive and industrial equipment and tools, based in Troy, Michigan. Federal Resources, a prime supplier of defense and security solutions to U.S. and international governments, is expanding its products and services to include maintenance, repair, and operations.
Results from two Phase 1 clinical trials show an experimental Zika vaccine developed by government scientists at the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health, is safe and induces an immune response in healthy adults.
FLIR Systems Inc. introduced the FB-Series ID, the latest fixed bullet thermal security camera in the FB-Series family. Combining best-in-class thermal image detail and high-performance onboard analytics, the FB-Series ID is ideal for narrow to wide area perimeter detection and sterile-zone monitoring. The FB-Series ID features accurate video analytics that are capable of classifying human or vehicular intrusions.
Secretary of Homeland Security Kirstjen Nielsen announced the establishment of the Department of Homeland Security’s (DHS) Countering Weapons of Mass Destruction (CWMD) Office. The CWMD Office will elevate and streamline DHS efforts to prevent terrorists and other national security threat actors from using harmful agents, such as chemical, biological, radiological, and nuclear material and devices to harm Americans and U.S. interests.
Attorney General Sessions announced new resources and stepped up efforts to address the drug and opioid crisis. These efforts include over $12 million in grant funding to assist law enforcement in combating illegal manufacturing and distribution of methamphetamine, heroin, and prescription opioids; the establishment of a new DEA Field Division in Louisville, Kentucky; and a directive to all U.S. attorneys to designate an opioid coordinator.
