NIHS Success Stories

MITOC Units delivered to a Mine Safety Unit in West Virginia

Date:  December 17, 2008

Two MITOC units were delivered on 10/09/08 to a Mine Safety Unit in West Virginia. Jim Graham and Mark Garland with Murray State University delivered and installed the units on-site in WV. One unit was a large install with a satellite dish installed on a vehicle. The second unit was a portable unit that is independent of any vehicle. The cost of the 2 systems was approximately $75K. About ¼ of the cost is associated with the large satellite dish on the vehicle installation.

Milk transport security project demos prototype to international audience; receives additional $1.2 million for future

Date:  October 9, 2008

For more than two years, University of Kentucky College of Agriculture researchers have been heading up a project aimed at improving food safety and defense measures associated with bulk milk transport. As an added bonus, their efforts are streamlining the information gathering process associated with farm milk pickups and deliveries. On Oct. 9, researchers demonstrated the Milk Transport and Traceability Security System in Lexington to show the prototype’s potential to meet the needs of dairy processors, milk marketing agencies and milk transportation companies. U.S. Rep.

The Challenge

The task of assuring the security of our homeland involves protecting the citizens of the United States, the nation's critical infrastructure and key assets. This is necessary to sustain the nation's vitality against terrorism and other threats. This protection must originate at the community level. It requires discovering, developing and deploying new technology that will support first responders and key decision makers in local communities.

The Mission

NIHS' mission is to discover, develop and deploy solutions that protect and preserve the critical infrastructure of the nation's communities.

The Institute

NIHS aligns projects and research objectives with the needs and requirements of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security. The strategy is to manage a distributed research enterprise that effectively transitions research and development into solutions. NIHS works with DHS to determine technology needs at the community level. Then, teams are quickly assembled from multiple universities to develop solutions to the needs.

The Strategy

Through management of the Kentucky Critical Infrastructure Protections Program (KCI), the National Institute for Hometown Security (NIHS) provides an ongoing, integrated program dedicated to developing new technologies and devices. NIHS works through qualified academic institutions to accomplish the technological objectives.