The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will support tests of organ-on-a-chip technology to determine how it can be used to understand injuries caused by inhaled chlorine gas, a potential national security threat, and to develop treatments for those injuries.
National Cybersecurity Awareness Month, held every October, raises awareness of the importance of cybersecurity and encourages Americans to take steps to prevent cyber incidents at home and in the workplace. Whether you are updating your latest social media posts, surfing the web, or paying a bill, it is important that you take the necessary measures to protect your information.
In August 2019, the Department of Homeland Security Science and Technology Directorate’s (S&T) National Urban Science and Technology Laboratory (NUSTL) conducted a System Assessment and Validation for Emergency Responders (SAVER) field assessment of in-suit communications equipment, which is the most common way for emergency responders to communicate with each other during an emergency scenario where personal protective equipment must be worn.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services will support development of technology that, for the first time, could produce platelets outside the human body. If successful, the technology would improve U.S. emergency preparedness by making additional blood products available to save lives during a radiological or nuclear emergency.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services (HHS) will support the simultaneous development of individual vaccine candidates against Marburg virus and Sudan ebolavirus infections. Together, these vaccine candidates will represent key enhancements in the U.S. preparedness posture for the potential public health and biodefense threats posed by these viruses.
The U.S. Department of Health and Human Services’ Office of the Assistant Secretary of Preparedness and Response (ASPR) awarded $6 million to support the creation of two Pediatric Disaster Care Centers of Excellence as a pilot project to improve disaster response capabilities for children in the United States.
FLIR Systems Inc. announced it has won an indefinite-delivery/indefinite-quantity contract worth up to $35.1 million with the U.S. Army to deliver a new version of the company’s Agentase™ C2 chemical agent disclosure spray to detect sulfur mustard, a highly toxic chemical warfare agent. FLIR Agentase C2 spray quickly changes color on a surface if a chemical warfare agent is present.
The U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of Jynneos Smallpox and Monkeypox Vaccine, Live, Non-Replicating, for the prevention of smallpox and monkeypox disease in adults 18 years of age and older determined to be at high risk for smallpox or monkeypox infection. This vaccine is also part of the Strategic National Stockpile.
Acting Secretary of the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Kevin K. McAleenan announces the new DHS Strategic Framework for Combating Terrorism and Targeted Violence. The strategic framework offers a vision to expand DHS’s counterterrorism mission to face modern threats, at home and abroad, by implementing proven, whole-of-government and whole-of-society approaches.
The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Cybersecurity and Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) released the updated National Emergency Communications Plan (NECP) – the nation’s roadmap to ensuring emergency communications interoperability at all levels of government. The NECP was updated to address the current gaps within emergency communications, reflect new and emerging technological advancements, and provide guidance to drive the nation towards a common end-state for communications.
