Emerging Technology Solutions to Enhance First Responder Safety and Effectiveness

Emerging Technology Solutions to Enhance First Responder Safety and Effectiveness A. INTRODUCTION: The U.S. Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Science and Technology Directorate's (S&T) Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) Apex program is hosting the 2018 NGFR - Harris County Operational Experimentation (OpEx). The NGFR - Harris County OpEx will take place over three days during the week of December 3, 2018, at Port of Houston in Houston, Texas, and will integrate first responder technologies to enhance the mission-response capabilities of Houston-area responders and the U.S. Coast Guard. The NGFR - Harris County OpEx builds directly upon the success of the 2017 Grant County - DHS S&T NGFR Technology Experiment, which tested the integration of physiological and location sensors, situational awareness systems, drones, datacasting and deployable communications into a cohesive public safety solution. During the 2018 OpEx, DHS S&T will evaluate how DHS-developed technologies, commercial technologies, and legacy public safety systems integrate using open standards, and how those integrated capabilities increase responder safety and efficiency. DHS S&T will work with FirstNet to assess user experience of priority and preemption capabilities of participating partners. For the NGFR - Harris County OpEx, the NGFR Apex program will provide participating responders with solutions that use guidelines found in the NGFR Integration Handbook1 to integrate into existing Harris County and City of Houston applications, processes and procedures, without adding to first responders' workloads. Responders from the City of Houston, Harris County, Port of Houston and the U.S. Coast Guard will participate in a functional exercise with a HazMat scenario at the port, and will be equipped with integrated systems of DHS-developed and commercial technologies the enhance or provide new capabilities. DHS S&T is seeking to evaluate technology solutions that provide on-body, incident area, agency-wide, or cross-jurisdictional capabilities that make responders better protected, connected and fully aware, and is focusing on these capability gaps: 1. On-body or handheld sensors (e.g., physiological monitoring, environmental threat detection, indoor location tracking), 2. On-body or handheld situational awareness displays or devices (e.g., mapping application that can show responder location and sensor data alerts, heads-up displays) for first responders and/or incident commanders, 3. On-body devices that manage or intelligently route multiple communications pathways (e.g., Land Mobile Radio, LTE, Wi-Fi, Bluetooth, Satellite, FirstNet) for first responders, 4. Data analytics services that synthesize data, analyze and present actionable information to first responders and/or incident commanders, 5. Body-worn power distribution and data connectivity systems, 6. Indoor mesh networks for Land Mobile Radio, Wi-Fi and LTE devices, 7. Interfaces between on-body or handheld sensors and situational awareness tools or computer-aided dispatch (CAD) systems, 8. Interfaces between disparate CAD systems, and 9. Interfaces between CAD systems and collaboration applications. 10. Indoor responder location system Details of these technology solution descriptions and criteria are provided in Appendix C. DHS S&T invites industry, academia, Federally Funded Research and Development Centers and other Government organizations to submit applications addressing innovative technology solutions for integration, testing and evaluation during the NGFR - Harris County OpEx. This is a Request for Information (RFI) for participation only and the Government will not award a contract on the basis of this RFI. Respondents who are selected will be asked to enter into a Limited Purpose Cooperative Research and Development Agreement (LP-CRADA) with DHS S&T in order to participate in the Harris County OpEx. Responses should be focused on offeror's capability to provide and integrate the requested solutions. Solutions must be Technology Readiness Level (TRL) 6 or above. Organizations that respond will not be paid for the information submitted and the Government will not pay for any submission preparation or related costs. Documents submitted in response to this RFI will not be returned. The Government is under no obligation to provide feedback to respondents with respect to any information submitted under this RFI. There is no guarantee that any submission in response to this RFI will result in a Government invitation to participate in the NGFR - Harris County OpEx. The Government may or may not use any responses to this RFI as a basis for a subsequent project. B. OBJECTIVE: During the NGFR - Harris County OpEx, DHS S&T will test and evaluate the selected technology solutions (equipment includes software/hardware/firmware) and how well they integrate with other commercial technologies, DHS-developed technologies and legacy public safety systems in compliance with the NGFR Integration Handbook guidance. The test and evaluation will take place during a scenario-based operational experiment involving local public safety, U.S. Coast Guard and Port of Houston entities. DHS S&T is looking to assess a wide variety capabilities including but not limited to the integration of sensors, communication systems, location services, collaboration apps and situational awareness platforms to support first responder operations. Selected participants will receive copies of the NGFR Integration Handbook and will participate in guided integration discussions prior to the event to ensure successful operation and integration during the OpEx. DHS S&T is looking for selected organizations to be able to participate in ongoing collaboration (as outlined in the LP-CRADA) and three specific events: * Integration Conference Calls, May-December (bi-weekly or as appropriate) * Integration Testing in August (3 days) * OpEx Dry Run in October (3 days) * Final OpEx event in December (3 days) Through these events and ongoing collaboration (as outlined in the LP-CRADA), DHS S&T seeks to increase the probability that all components can be integrated using open-source standards as found in the NGFR Integration Handbook, and that participating first responders have time to practice using the technologies before the operational scenarios during the OpEx. Beyond the successful event, DHS S&T would like to demonstrate a technical and operational proof of concept for first responder technology integration, and participating organizations will be asked to provide feedback on the NGFR Integration Handbook to collaboratively improve the integration approach. In return for their participation, participating organizations will have exposure to Harris County (the third most populous county in the U.S.) and City of Houston (the fourth most populous city in the U.S.) public safety leadership and responders, the U.S. Coast Guard and other technology development organizations. The ongoing collaborations will help build relationships between partners that may prove advantageous. In addition, all participating organizations will receive a copy of their DHS S&T evaluation and will be recognized as a participant in DHS S&T media releases and after action knowledge products, as well as in later versions of the NGFR Integration Handbook. As an outcome of this OpEx, DHS S&T will provide the after action report to federal, state and local law enforcement and public safety organizations for them to use as guidance in acquiring and fielding similar interfaces and solutions. After review of the technology solution applications, the Government may invite candidates to participate in NGFR - Harris County OpEx where the integration of these technologies will be evaluated during operational scenarios. In addition to participating in the main event in December 2018, selected participants will be asked to participate in integration planning calls, the integration testing in August, and an OpEx dry run in October. As stated above, participating organizations will be required to enter into an LP-CRADA that defines the conditions of participation, including intellectual property rights and security parameters for sharing information. A draft LP-CRADA template is provided in Appendix D. DHS S&T will provide the test environment and plan and each selected participant will use them and share data in return. Industry participation in the NGFR - Harris County OpEx does not suggest or imply that the Government will endorse, procure, or purchase equipment. NOTE: This is an integration event. All organizations that apply must understand that their technologies will be integrated into a larger system of first responder technology, and will share data between devices owned and operated by other companies and/or first responder organizations. Hardware and/or software integration is required, and participating organizations will assist with that integration. Do not submit an application if you are unwilling to integrate your solution with other technologies. See Section F for more information on Intellectual Property rights during the NGFR - Harris County OpEx. C. SUBMISSION INSTRUCTIONS: THE DEADLINE FOR APPLICATION PACKAGES is no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 30, 2018. Applications received after this time may not be considered. All technology solution application packages must be submitted via email to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov with the subject "(Organization Name) Application - 2018 NGFR - Harris County OpEx." CLEARLY IDENTIFY ALL PROPRIETARY INFORMATION in the technology solution application. If proprietary information is required to adequately describe a technology solution, ensure that it is appropriately marked on the application form and white papers. Subject to all applicable laws and regulations, the Government will not disclose to the public any proprietary information obtained from a candidate that is properly and clearly identified and labelled under the Trade Secrets Act (18 U.S.C. - 1905). Further, the Trade Secrets Act, 18 U.S. Code - 1905, also prohibits the Government from disclosing trade secret or the business confidential information. Therefore, any such proprietary information contained in your technology solution application form must be clearly marked in accordance with the following directions. 1. Insert the following paragraph in the comments section on page 4 of the application form, and on the cover page of any white papers: This Technology Solution Application includes data that shall not be disclosed outside the Government and shall not be duplicated, used, or disclosed-in whole or in part-for any purpose other than to evaluate this application or develop a subsequent LP-CRADA for the 2018 Harris County OpEx. This restriction does not limit the Government's right to use information contained in the data if they are obtained from another source without restriction. 2. Application Form: Mark each text box that contains restricted information with "PROPRIETARY" at the start of the section of text. 3. White Papers: Mark each page and section that contains restricted information. DO NOT SUBMIT CLASSIFIED INFORMATION in the technology solution application. If classified information is required to adequately describe a technology solution, submit an unclassified application with a request for a classified submission of supporting materials. DO NOT SUBMIT ACQUISITION PROPOSALS. Submit technology solution applications. No contracts will be awarded based on this announcement, but selected participants will be asked to sign an LP-CRADA. Submitting an application in response to this RFI does not guarantee an invitation to participate in the 2018 Harris County OpEx. All submissions shall use the application form provided in Appendix A. Please ensure that all required fields are completed. All application forms shall be submitted in the portable document format (PDF) file format. Additional information may be submitted in a white paper, which shall be limited to a maximum of 10 (ten) pages. In the white paper, please expand on the technical description of the methodology and standards included in the application, and include links to supporting materials, e.g., videos. All white papers shall be submitted in either Microsoft Word .docx or PDF format. All application packages shall be submitted via email to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov by no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 30, 2018, and must include the following information in the subject and body of the email: Subject * (Organization Name) Application - 2018 NGFR - Harris County OpEx, Body * Organization Name, * Technology Solution(s) Name(s), * Primary Point of Contact for the application: o Name, o Title, o Email, and o Phone number. You will receive an email verifying receipt of your application. If you don't receive this confirmation within 5 business days please resubmit the application or email us to check on receipt. Multiple applications addressing different technology solutions may be submitted. Each application package must address only one technology solution - note that a single "technology solution" may have multiple components, including both hardware and software. All components of the technology solution, including those that are commercially available, should be identified in the Technology Solutions table on page 5 of the application. You will be notified mid-April by email if your technology solution is selected for invitation to the NGFR - Harris County OpEx. Technology solution application packages must be submitted to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov no later than 5:00 p.m. EST on Friday, March 30, 2018. Applications received after this time may not be considered. The DHS S&T team will provide venues, supporting infrastructure, and personnel for assessment (operational and technical), based on availability of resources. Costs specific to running the technology solutions, personnel expenses, as well as the travel costs to the venue, will be at the manufacturer's or vendor's expense. Selected participants must be prepared to set up and execute their technology solutions for the events and cannot be dependent on venue resources to do so. If you have questions regarding the submittal, please email NGFR@hq.dhs.gov. D. BASIS FOR SELECTION TO PARTICIPATE: DHS S&T and appropriate supporting Government organizations will review the application packages for technical merit, likelihood of integrating with first responder technology and systems, and applicability to desired capabilities. DHS S&T will notify selected participants by mid-April via an emailed invitation to the original submitter. No review outcomes or selection criteria will be made available to submitters. E. ADDITIONAL INFORMATION: DHS S&T reserves the right to ask clarifying questions about your application during the review period. If selected, participants may be asked to provide additional information that will be used in preparation for the event. Be advised that lessons learned from the NGFR - Harris County OpEx may be broadly disseminated to the first responder community on a public facing website: www.dhs.gov/science-and-technology/first-responders or other Government websites. F. INTELLECTUAL PROPERTY: All Background Intellectual Property is and shall remain the exclusive property of the party owning it (or, where applicable, the third party from whom its right to use the Background Intellectual Property has derived). Each party shall give full disclosure and a license to DHS S&T of all Background Intellectual Property necessary to for the collaboration, owned or licensed by which it is relevant to the planning and execution of the NGFR - Harris County OpEx. DHS S&T will grant unlimited rights in any Foreground IP developed from the planning and execution of the NGFR - Harris county OpEx. Refer to the LP-CRADA (see Appendix D) for more information. For the purposes of this event the term equipment in the LP-CRADA refers to software, hardware and firmware. DHS expects the attached draft LP-CRADA will be substantially similar to the actual agreement executed for this OpEx. G. SPECIAL NOTICE: While only federal employees will participate in the final selection process, first responders and Government support contractors may review and provide support during the application evaluation process. All participants involved in the evaluation process, including those in support roles, will sign a Non-Disclosure Agreement prior to such involvement. Submission in response to this RFI constitutes approval to release the application package to the evaluation team that may include first responders and Government support contractors. H. APPENDICES: A. Technology Solution Application Form - NGFR - Harris County OpEx B. Fact Sheet - Integration Demonstration: NGFR - Harris County OpEx C. Technology Solution Descriptions & Criteria D. Draft LP-CRADA Template Responses should be sent via email to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov. Any technical questions should be directed to NGFR@hq.dhs.gov. Please do not send any technical questions or responses to the RFI to the Contract Specialist.