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Release Date: 06/07/04 00:00:00
The Department of Homeland Security, Science and Technology directorate, is implementing a new initiative for Regional Technology Integration (RTI) to facilitate the transition of innovative technologies and organizational concepts to regional, state, and local jurisdictions. Four urban areas across the country have been selected to be the initial pilot locations for this program. The Cincinnati, Ohio, urban area is one of these four. All of the selected regions are currently participating in the DHS Urban Area Security Initiative and have demonstrated a willingness and capacity to adopt advanced and innovative concepts for emergency preparedness and public safety. Other announcements will be made in the coming weeks. These initial locations will provide the science and technology community with a realistic environment to test maturing hardware and concepts and will provide information on how to best choose, deploy, and manage these technologies.
Existing and emerging technology systems are key elements in preparedness for all major emergencies. However, technology is only as effective as the operational and management systems that surround it. A “one size fits all” approach to emergency preparedness and response is not sustainable due to the dynamic nature and complexity of 83,000 local governments, each having its own set of governance structures, service delivery systems, decision-making relationships, vulnerabilities, threats, hazards, and habits with respect to the adoption of new technologies or organizations.
The focus of Homeland Security’s Regional Technology Integration initiative is simple: To make our cities safer. This requires the successful transfer and integration of existing and advanced homeland security technology systems to local governments in order to improve their preparedness and response. The program recognizes the need for all-hazard preparedness and response, with a specific interest in deploying technology that may be particularly helpful in response to terrorist events. The objectives are:
The Regional Technology Integration initiative will initially focus on a specific set of locations with unique characteristics which can be treated as prototypes for “sister cities” with similar characteristics. The program will be integrated with other programs and initiatives throughout Homeland Security such as SAFECOM, Standards, the Urban Area Security Initiative (UASI) grants programs, the National Incident Management System, and infrastructure protection. The program has purposefully chosen locations participating in UASI because there is an existing organizational and management infrastructure in place for regional planning and the insertion of new detection and other technologies. The initial locations will work in cooperation with a select group of “sister cities” which will enable more efficient and effective dissemination of best practices and lessons learned.
The expected results of this effort are better, more sustainable technologies; a better selection of what technologies are developed and subsidized; and a well-developed set of case studies which can be used by other localities to improve their own planning, preparation, organization, and training.
The RTI initiative is beginning with an initial investment of $10 million for systems studies and assessments. Subsequent funding for the deployment of technology systems will be determined utilizing the results of the initial studies and working in collaboration with the selected urban areas, the Office of Domestic Preparedness, and other elements of Homeland Security to prioritize risks and determine the most cost effective approach.
The Regional Technology Integration initiative will provide the program’s state and local governments:
The local governments in the program must be willing:
Homeland Security’s Regional Technology Integration initiative will serve as a principal mechanism for aligning Science & Technology’s assessments and expertise with the real needs of first responders. The program recognizes the real and important variables of the environment of individual communities, including population, leadership structure, geography and physical layout, level of threat, and available resources. The program presents an important opportunity to work directly with urban areas in understanding needs and new requirements while at the same time improving our nation’s readiness.
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This page was last modified on 06/07/04 00:00:00