Objective

The Department of Homeland Security (DHS) is committed to using cutting-edge technologies and scientific talent in its quest to make America safer. The DHS Directorate of Science and Technology (S&T) is tasked with researching and organizing the scientific, engineering, and technological resources of the United States and leveraging these existing resources into technological tools to help protect the homeland. S&T's First Responder Capability program provides technical assistance and develops innovative solutions to the most pressing challenges faced by first responders, emergency managers, and incident commanders as they respond to hazardous situations. The program strengthens the abilities of our communities to protect the homeland and respond to disasters.

• As Next Generation 911 (NG-911) becomes a reality, telecommunicators are likely to have access to a wealth of information that can significantly enhance emergency response. Some of the information that could be available includes:
• Multimedia Support: NG-911 may allow the transmission of multimedia data, such as photos, videos, and other sensor information, which can provide additional context to emergency situations.
• IoT Data Integration: With the rise of the Internet of Things (IoT), data from connected devices such as sensors, wearables, and smart home systems could be accessible to telecommunicators, offering additional insights into an emergency.
• Enhanced Location Data: NG-911 aims to provide more precise location data, including indoor positioning, which can be crucial in urban areas or buildings where pinpointing a caller's location is challenging.
• Medical and Health Information: Integration with medical records or wearable health devices could provide critical health information about the caller, enabling better-informed responses.
• Real-Time Information: Access to real-time traffic updates, weather conditions, and other environmental data can help in assessing and responding to emergencies effectively.
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• Specifically, DHS S&T is interested in identifying current and emerging capabilities that may be used in emergency call centers and other events where telecommunicators are taking in information regarding a developing emergency event. This capability would need to operate wherever there is an emergency operations/call center and would likely require Internet connectivity. The capability should withstand cybersecurity attacks and other system failures which require management by an IT administrator to ensure security and provide protective barriers.

Capability Requirements/Assessment Criteria

AI/ML has the potential to play a crucial role in synthesizing this vast amount of data to support operational decision-making for telecommunicators, who might not be data analysts or scientists. Here’s how:

• Data Processing and Analysis: AI can help process and analyze large volumes of incoming data from various sources to extract relevant information, such as identifying patterns, anomalies, and potential risks in real time.
• Contextual Insights: Machine learning models can provide context to the data being received. For instance, they could prioritize incoming calls based on the severity of the situation, the caller's history, or the contextual information received.
• Predictive Analytics: AI can assist in predicting potential outcomes based on historical data, aiding telecommunicators in understanding the possible trajectory of an emergency and suggesting appropriate response strategies.
• Natural Language Processing (NLP): NLP models can assist in transcribing and summarizing incoming voice data, translating text from different languages, or identifying sentiment or urgency in a caller's voice.
• Decision Support Systems: AI-driven decision support systems can offer recommendations to telecommunicators, presenting them with potential courses of action based on the synthesized information.

However, the challenge is to present this complex information in a user-friendly format for telecommunicators. AI systems should be designed with user interfaces that are intuitive and provide actionable insights without overwhelming operators with technical details. Training and user experience design will be crucial to ensure telecommunicators can effectively leverage these AI-driven insights for decision-making during emergencies.

Why You Should Participate

DHS seeks to enter into non-FAR or FAR-based agreements with Industry, Academic, and National Lab partners whose solutions are favorably evaluated by DHS Subject Matter Experts (SMEs). As such, the AE is considered competitive, and solutions will be evaluated independently of one another primarily for technical merit. This serves dually as notification of the intent to research the feasibility of an agreement under and as notice of pre-solicitation activitiesIAW FAR 5.204.

Event Timeline

Phase 1 – November 8, 2023 to December 1, 2023 Submissions to the Assessment Event Open

Interested respondents who could potentially provide solutions that meet the needs of DHS are encouraged to submit their capability for DHS review. To submit your technology for potential Phase 3 attendance (see below), please review the assessment criteria and follow the submission instructions that will be near the bottom of this webpage. Submit NLT December 1

Phase 1a – November 17, 2023 Q&A Session  

Interested offerors may participate in a virtual Q&A session to better understand DHS’s specific technology objectives. The dial-in information and link for submitting questions will be available upon submitting the form. The session will take place on November 17 from 1:00 to 2:00 PM ET. Click Here to RSVP (NLT November 16)

Phase 2 – December 4, 2023 to December 15, 2023 Downselect

DHS SMEs will downselect those respondents/submissions they feel have the highest potential to satisfy their technology needs. Favorably evaluated submissions will receive an invitation to attend the AE on/around December 18, 2023.

Phase 3 – January 9, 2024 to January 11, 2024 Assessment Event

During the AE, selected participants will be allotted a one-on-one session with the DHS evaluation panel to pitch, demonstrate, and/or discuss their solutions. The forum will include a Q&A portion and discussions may continue outside of the event. Guidelines for solution briefing presentations will be outlined in the event invitation and solutions will be assessed according to the criteria in the link provided below. If the DHS evaluation panel favorably evaluates a solution briefing, negotiations for Phase 4 may begin immediately.

This event will be held virtually via Microsoft Teams.

Phase 4 – Path Forward 

Successfully negotiated awards may fall under any combination of these categories:

· Business to business research and development agreement as a sub-award through the HSWERX PartnershipIntermediary Agreement (PIA) under 15 U.S.C. 3715

· OTA for research or prototype projects

· Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (15 U.S.C. 3710a)

· Prizes competitions (15 U.S.C. 3719)

· FAR-based procurement contract

NOTE:  Awardees may need to be compliant with NIST SP 800-171, Protecting Controlled Unclassified Information (CUI) in Non-Federal Systems and Organizations.

How You Can Participate

Government, Industry, Academia, National Labs, and Non-Traditional Attendees:

1. RSVP to Attend the Q&A Session: Click Here to RSVP (NLT October 23)

2. Review Capability Requirements/Assessment Criteria (located above)

3. Download the White Paper Template: Click Here to Download

4. Complete the Submission Form: Click Here to Submit (NLT December 1, 11:59 PM ET)

Questions? For event-related questions, please contact Kinsey Crim: Kinsey.Crim@defensewerx.org