Date:  June 23, 2009

The National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) exhibited at the DHS S&T Stakeholders Conference.  Dr. Jim Gantt with Murray State University demonstrated the MITOC at the conference.  The MITOC is small and rugged enough to be deployed in an SUV, truck, trailer, airlifted or even parachuted into the incident site accompanied by a two-man team for set up and operation.  It is equipped to replicate a complete Emergency Operations Center (EOC) environment with telephone, laptops, displays, videoconferencing and Internet access using land-line, cellular or satellite communications systems.

The 2009 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference East took place on May 18-21, 2009 at the Ronald Reagan International Trade Center in Washington, DC, presented by the National Defense Industrial Association (NDIA) with subject matter support provided by the Science & Technology Directorate (S&T) of the Department of Homeland Security.  The theme of the conference was “Science and Technology Change Everything.”

The Science & Technology Directorate is the gateway into DHS for innovative technologies and new ideas.  This conference focused on the future of the S&T Directorate while highlighting the innovative research efforts that DHS has underway in the U.S. and around the world to make the nation safer.  Attendees from the private sector, academia, and all levels of government will learned about the exciting business opportunities for partnership with S&T for science and technology research. 

“DHS should build on its science and technology portfolio. Better science helps us understand emerging threats and how to identify, counter and mitigate them.  Better technology can expand our capabilities and free our agents to spend their time where it is most valuable, while at the same time protecting the interests of private citizens by minimizing law enforcement’s impact on lawful activities. Technology can also aid us in consequence management, so that we are better prepared to respond to any type of disaster.”
--Secretary Janet Napolitano, U.S. Department of Homeland Security

The DHS S&T Directorate: Customer Focused, Output Oriented 

The DHS S&T Directorate is responsible by law for providing homeland security capabilities to DHS and other Federal agencies, State and local governments, First Responders and private sector entities with a homeland security mission. The 2009 Homeland Security S&T Stakeholders Conference East focused extensively on the customers for the science and technology research supported by the S&T Directorate, and the significant partnerships that have been created to deliver new mission capabilities to those customers.  Conference attendees had intense discussions with S&T Directorate personnel about capability gaps and technology requirements that customers need filled, which translate into business opportunities in S&T research in the U.S. and around the world.  

As the primary research and development arm of DHS, S&T is a customer-focused, output-oriented, full-service science and technology management organization that is organized and operates in a manner consistent with its enabling legislation.  In partnership with the private sector, national laboratories, universities, and other government agencies (domestic and foreign), S&T helps push the innovation envelope and drive development and the use of high technology in support of homeland security.  S&T focuses on enabling its customers—the DHS components—and their customers, including Border Patrol agents, Coast Guardsmen, airport baggage screeners, Federal Air Marshals, and state, local, and Federal emergency responders, as well as the many others teamed and committed to the vital mission of securing the Nation.

In the photo below, Dr. Jim Gantt with Murray State University