Synchronizing and Integrating Standards into Next Generation First Responder Personal Protective Equipment Development: An Implementation of the National Strategy for CBRNE Standards

摘要

The Science and Technology Directorate of the U.S. Department of Homeland Security is embarking on an ambitious program to develop a system of integrated plug-and-play personal protective equipment (PPE) and tools to provide multilayer threat protection and up-to-the-moment situational awareness to first responders. The Next Generation First Responder (NGFR) program will integrate ruggedized advanced information-delivery tools with PPE ensembles across responder disciplines and operational environments that provide resistance to fire and puncture, protection from splash and liquid penetration, and improved usability and comfort. Standards, and an integrated approach to address the various facets of the NGFR project, are critical enablers to accomplish this vision. The National Strategy for CBRNE Standards, published by the National Science and Technology Council, Committee of Homeland and National Security, through the Subcommittee on Standards, provides the structure for this approach. The strategy describes the elements of a standards and testing infrastructure needed to counter chemical, biological, radiological, nuclear, and explosive (CBRNE) threats while recognizing that the CBRNE mission may be only one component of what users do each and every day. The strategy's six goals reflect not just the technical performance of the technology but the interoperability with their suite of equipment as well as concepts of operations involved in their deployment and the training of the users. This paper discusses how the strategy framework facilitates the integration of standards into the highly complex NGFR program and facilitates the transition of the technology to operational use.