As part of its mission to help protect Americans’ health following even the most unthinkable of disasters, the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response is purchasing two medical products to treat bone marrow injuries in victims of radiological or nuclear incidents.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate (S&T) and America’s Public Television Stations (APTS) have signed an agreement that will enable them to leverage both organizations’ strengths and resources to benefit the first responder community. The agreement will make datacasting technology available nationwide.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate has awarded a $494.7 million contract to the RAND Corporation to operate and manage a new federally funded research and development center known as the Homeland Security Operational Analysis Center. The center will conduct studies and assessments and make recommendations to strengthen homeland security for the nation.
The first potential antidote to treat the life-threatening effects of chlorine inhalation, a potential terrorism threat, will advance in development under a contract between the U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ (HHS) Office of the Assistant Secretary for Preparedness and Response (ASPR) and Radikal Therapeutics Inc. of Beverly, Massachusetts.
The U.S. Department of Justice awarded CNA grants totaling nearly $7 million to continue providing training and technical assistance to law enforcement. Through this program, CNA helps law enforcement officials conduct body-worn camera pilot programs, collaboratively develop body-worn camera policies, procure and purchase cameras, determine storage solutions for video files, and collaborate with prosecutors to use the footage.
The U.S. Environmental Protection Agency (EPA) has released an updated online climate change risk assessment tool that assists users in designing adaptation plans based on the types of threats confronting their communities. EPA's Climate Resilience Evaluation and Awareness Tool (CREAT) is designed for water utilities.
After a 45-year partnership with the U.S. Army, the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) formally accepted primary responsibility for the Hazardous Devices School at Redstone Arsenal in Huntsville, Alabama, the facility that trains and certifies every one of the nation's public safety bomb technicians.
The U.S. Navy signed an exclusive license agreement with First Line Technology LLC to permit the manufacture of a lifesaving decontamination technology. The “Dahlgren Decon” solution – developed to defend warfighters and first responders against chemical, biological, and radiological agents – is protected under several patents by Naval Surface Warfare Center Dahlgren Division.
Two experimental Zika virus DNA vaccines developed by National Institutes of Health (NIH) scientists protected monkeys against Zika infection after two doses. One of those vaccines is being evaluated in a Phase 1 human trial now under way in three U.S. locations to evaluate the vaccine's safety and ability to generate immune responses in people.
The Blue Ribbon Study Panel on Biodefense announced it has received a $1.3 million grant from the Open Philanthropy Project. The grant will allow the Study Panel to continue its leadership role in assessing our nation's biodefense systems, issuing recommendations and advocating for their implementation, and informing policymakers and lawmakers on viable avenues for needed change.
