The Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) recently finalized their annual report for Fiscal Year 2020 (FY20). The period of performance for this cycle spanned from June 1, 2021, through May 31, 2022. During this period, the MDERS Fiscal Year 2020 – 2022 Strategic Plan served as a road map for carrying out the development and enhancement of capabilities through the execution of training and exercises. In FY20, MDERS in collaboration with stakeholder partners, continued its mission of developing and further enhancing response capabilities for law enforcement, fire/rescue/EMS, public health, emergency management, and the hospital systems in Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. Those capabilities include:

 Training and Exercise Program

• MDERS supported diverse training and exercise opportunities for stakeholders to collectively strengthen their response operations. MDERS sponsored 37 trainings for 565 total participants, planned and executed a Full-Scale Exercise (FSE) for Prince George’s County Police Department (PGPD) with 98 participants, planned and executed several tabletop exercises for Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD) and PGPD with 58 participants from MCPD and 23 participants from PGPD. These trainings and exercises have enhanced the MDERS stakeholder partners’ collective preparedness and response capabilities, thereby ensuring the safety and security of our first responders and the communities they serve.

Ballistic Protection for Fire, Rescue, and EMS

• MDERS assisted Prince George’s County Fire/EMS Department (PGFD) in outfitting their providers who are deployed into hot, warm, and cold zones with personal protective equipment (PPE). PGFD providers were equipped with ballistic body armor, vest-mounted medical supplies, ballistic eye and face protection, and ballistic plate carries.

Incident Command Tools

• MDERS focused on advancing the use of the incident command structure among Montgomery County Fire and Rescue (MCFRS), PGFD, and PGPD to minimize threats to public safety. For instance, MDERS supported the enhancement of incident command competency to better prepare frontline supervisors and command-level officers, building confidence in their decision-making. This was achieved through the development of static and dynamic immersive simulation training environments, acquisition of virtual reality (VR) tools, and the creation of command guidebooks. All PGPD command-level personnel were provided command guidebooks to serve as a resource when establishing command during an incident.

Emergency Management Support

• MDERS supported Prince George’s County Office of Homeland Security Emergency Management (PG OHS/EM) with their planning, training and exercise support program, response and recovery training program, and volunteer and donations management program. This funding strengthened various aspects of emergency management efforts, including community engagement, emergency preparedness, and medical training for personnel and civilians. Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management Homeland Security (MC OEMHS) also received funding for their emergency management support for planning, training, and exercise support, as well as volunteers and donations management. This funding supported increased preparedness training, a full-scale exercise for MC OEMHS’s Emergency Operations Center (EOC) and community engagement events.

Emerging Homeland Security Technology Pilot

To identify new opportunities for advanced response, MDERS allocated funding  to evaluate and procure innovative equipment aimed at addressing evolving threats. During FY20, the acquired technologies and equipment helped enhance training for mass casualty triage, search and rescue, and situational awareness. First responders can sharpen their skill sets while implementing these innovations during response operations. The procured the technologies and equipment include:

• Augmented Training Systems (ATS) Virtual Reality Platforms: Allow responders to experience and train for a large flow of patients suffering from a diverse set of injuries.
• PerSim: Participants wear a headset that produces a 3-D holographic patient that is overlaid on a training manikin.
• Leader Search Bluetooth: Enable structural collapse teams to listen for trapped victims during a response.
• Vehicle Mounted Camera: Stream real-time footage of an incident scene back to the incident command post.
• Smartboard: Allow supervisors to use multiple platforms to monitor resource deployment and increase on-scene situational awareness.
• Manikins: Support in replicating an actual person during training events.

Mass Casualty Incident Supplies Transport Truck

• MDERS in partnership with Holy Cross Hospital System procured a Ford F-650 Super Duty Box Truck to expedite the retrieval and distribution of critical medical supplies during acute surge events in the Maryland-National Capital Region. This transport truck has enhanced accessibility, deployment, and storage of medical consumables for MDERS hospital stakeholders, thus improving regional healthcare response efforts.

Medical Resource Officer

• To bolster public health operations, MDERS continued to fund essential roles within Montgomery County Department of Health and Human Services (MC DHHS) and Prince George’s County Health Department (PGHD). The Medical Resource Officer (MRO) position provides logistical, medical, and other critical functions to support response efforts to public health crises. In FY20, the MRC for MC DHHS participated in community engagement activities and vaccination clinics to educate the public on the COVID-19 vaccines. The MRO for PGHD used their resources to furnish COVID-19 testing kits to the public and increase their volunteer operations to serve vulnerable community members from diverse backgrounds.

Public Access Trauma Care

• MDERS supported the Public Access Trauma Care (PATC) program with additional supplies to expand the capability within Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. MDERS procured 85 training kits for Montgomery County Public Schools (MCPS), which include 15 tourniquets, 15 elastic bandages, 15 gauze bandages, 15 two-pack chest seal trainers, ten wound cube simulators, three emergency trauma dressings, cloth tape, quick litter, two emergency blankets, two shears, two-pack chest seals, two rolls of compressed gauze, two pairs of medical gloves, two sharpies markers, two mini duct tape rolls, and a sealed PATC kit.

Law Enforcement Special Events Response Cache

• In FY20, MDERS procured 85 special event personal protective equipment (PPE) kits for officers. The kits increase the safety of officers during deployments for active violence and/or public order incidents. Each kit contains full-body protective equipment, helmets, and ballistic shields. In addition to the kits, MDERS supported the participation of MCPD and PGPD in the Civil Disturbance Unit (CDU) Level 1 Training to ensure officers carry out appropriate response procedures and enhance their skillsets on maintaining public safety.

Tactical Equipment for Law Enforcement

• The tactical equipment for MCPD and PGPD included several types of innovative and advanced equipment. MCPD and PGPD received thermal monocular, night vision goggles, ballistic shields, ICOR Robots, Iris Robots, training supplies, ballistic plates, and tactical cold weather gear. During response operations, MCPD and PGPD use the tactical equipment to increase situational awareness and ensure officer safety.

Fiscal Year 2020 afforded MDERS, and its stakeholder partners the ability to further its mission of building and enhancing response capabilities within Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties.  In the coming fiscal years, MDERS will continue to support its stakeholders and the communities they serve through planning, organizing, equipment acquisition, training and exercising. For more information about FY20 or any of the projects listed above, please contact MDERS by email at mders@maryland.gov.

The Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) has taken a proactive approach to enhancing public safety through the development of informative instruction cards and posters under the Public Access Trauma Care (PATC) program. With a commitment to equipping the community, MDERS has successfully distributed 10,000 instruction cards and 1,000 posters to dedicated partners across Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties. These invaluable resources deliver clear, step-by-step guidance on fundamental life-saving medical techniques, empowering individuals to administer crucial aid to victims grappling with life-threatening bleeding, penetrating trauma, hypothermia, and other severe injuries. By bridging the gap between emergencies and professional medical assistance, creating and disseminating these instructional materials significantly amplify individual preparedness to offer timely, life-saving medical interventions.

As part of the PATC program, medical supplies have been strategically placed in public schools and government buildings throughout the Maryland-National Capital Region (MD-NCR). For those supplies to be effectively utilized, individuals must be able to identify injury patterns and render appropriate aid. MDERS has developed training videos a mobile application and worked closely with regional partners to expand training opportunities related to PATC. However, MDERS staff identified a need for accessible materials that individuals can easily reference.

MDERS determined that instruction cards and posters will allow individuals to review PATC skills in a quick and efficient manner. Working closely with an outside vendor, the MDERS team developed and finalized these materials to distill the needed information into simple instructions supported with detailed illustrations. The foldable instruction cards contain instructions and illustrations on how to apply a chest seal, apply direct pressure, apply a tourniquet, pack a wound, and prevent shock. The posters provide the same information but also include a section on what individuals should do in an emergency situation. Introducing these materials to the public will add an outlet for individuals to learn about and practice PATC skills.

Within the last month, the following entities have received instruction cards and posters:

• Montgomery College (200 instruction cards and 20 posters)
• Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (500 instruction cards and 50 posters)
• Montgomery County Public Schools (4,000 instruction cards and 400 posters)
• Prince George’s County Office of Homeland Security and Emergency Management (500 instruction cards and 50 posters)
• Prince George’s County Public Schools (4,000 instruction cards and 400 posters)
• The Universities at Shady Grove (100 instruction cards and 10 posters)
• The University of Maryland Global Campus (50 instruction cards and 10 posters)

***MDERS has the remaining materials for training and potential delivery to other stakeholders.
Distribution and placement of these educational materials will increase awareness of the PATC program and provide readers with invaluable information to review and implement during an emergency. For more information about the PATC program, please visit publicaccesstraumacare.org or email mders.training@maryland.gov.

Over the past few months, artificial intelligence (AI) has become one of the biggest topics of discussions in multiple fields. From homeland security to education, to even Hollywood and the music industry, AI is changing the world for better and worse. But what is artificial intelligence, and how can we utilize it in emergency management and public safety? This article is the first in a three-part series on artificial intelligence from the Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) that will dive into the basics of AI to include a definition of AI, the two main types of AI, and a brief overview of ChatGPT.

The International Business Machines Corporation (IBM) defines artificial intelligence in its simplest form as “a field which combines computer science and robust datasets to enable problem-solving” that also “encompasses [the] sub-fields of machine learning and deep learning, which are frequently mentioned in conjunction with artificial intelligence” (IBM, 2023). Artificial intelligence is taking data and placing it into a system to solve complex problems, analyze and interpret the inputs, and generate models. IBM’s famous Watson[1] is an example of artificial intelligence.

There are two different types of artificial intelligence, weak AI and strong AI. Weak AI, also called “Narrow AI,” is any artificial intelligence that has been trained or developed to perform specific tasks or analyses. Narrow AI has been prominent in our everyday lives for a long time in applications not recognized as artificial intelligence, such as Siri and Alexa. These applications are also why “Narrow AI” is sometimes the preferred term, as the scope of what these systems can do is not considered “weak.” Narrow AI can produce various types of content beyond analyzing data, such as photos, videos, and audio (IBM, 2023).

Strong AI consists of Artificial General Intelligence (AGI) and Artificial Super Intelligence (ASI), both of which remain theoretical. AGI would occur if a machine had the intelligence of a human and was self-aware, and ASI would occur when a machine becomes smarter than a human (IBM, 2023).

A recently popular publicly accessible AI is ChatGPT. ChatGPT is a form of narrow AI that utilizes deep learning models to “learn” from inputs (someone teaching it something or giving it data) and generate probable outputs. It was designed to engage in conversational interactions and leverage a vast amount of textual data to generate coherent and contextually relevant responses. ChatGPT is also easily accessible to users, requiring only an email address and phone number to create a free account.

The advances in artificial intelligence have created new opportunities for innovation, adaptation, and optimization but have also brought risks and threats to various fields. The next article in this series will cover some of the threats and challenges faced by the homeland security and public safety industry regarding artificial intelligence.

Bonus: Can you determine which paragraph of this article was written with the help of ChatGPT? The answer will be in the next article on artificial intelligence.

References

IBM. (2023). What is Artificial Intelligence (AI)? IBM. https://www.ibm.com/topics/artificial-intelligence

[1] https://www.ibm.com/watson?utm_content=SRCWW&p1=Search&p4=43700074359379220&p5=e&gclid=CjwKCAjw5MOlBhBTEiwAAJ8e1q052vtHmGLce9zuyDJu11ZH7qSl4CH2soCS5SUXL5oYza1g-MF7RRoCxf4QAvD_BwE&gclsrc=aw.ds

The Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) hosted its seventh annual symposium in early May. This forum brings industry leaders and distinguished speakers together to discuss topics related to homeland security threats. This year’s symposium theme was Reimagining Homeland Security:  What Public Safety Leaders Need to Know to Navigate the Evolving Threat Landscape. The two-day virtual event allowed our regional partners to understand emerging and evolving threats that impact the National Capital Region.

The program started off with a panel discussion on public order and crowd control. Darrell Darnell moderated the conversation and was joined by Glendale Fire Chief Ryan Freeburg, Philadelphia Office of Emergency Management Homeland Security Program Manager Gary Spector, Yale University’s Associate Vice President for Public Safety and Community Engagement Ronnell Higgins, and Emergency Department Physician and the Institute of Emergency Management Director for the MedStar Washington Hospital Center Craig DeAtley. The panelists explored discipline-specific and multiagency coordination in planning for and responding to large-scale public order events. Symposium attendees posed various questions to the panelists to facilitate discourse about various public order topics. The breadth of this discussion supplied participants with lessons learned and best practices for response to large-scale planned and unplanned public order events.

Day two of the program featured a variety of homeland security topics that leaders should consider such as, critical infrastructure security and resiliency, cyber risk management, and the consequences of political violence on U.S. elections.  The morning kicked off with a presentation by Jonathon Monken of Converge Strategies and Daniel Genua from the Cybersecurity Infrastructure Security Agency (CISA) on physical threats to critical infrastructure. The speakers explored current threats to power infrastructure and provided recommendations on how to mitigate and respond to potential threats when they arise.

The critical infrastructure presentation was followed by a panel discussion on cyber threats and consequence management. The panelists, Daniel Genua from CISA and David Paniwozik from the Federal Bureau of Investigation (FBI) discussed basic steps organizations can take to reduce their vulnerability to a cyber intrusion and limit the cascading effects of a cyberattack.

Closing out the program was a presentation on political extremism and its potential impact on election security. Seamus Hughes from George Washington University and Katie Reisner from States United Democracy Center discussed current trends and threats posed by terrorist groups and how some radicalization efforts can heighten political violence.

The Symposium was well received by those who tuned into this year’s program. The featured topics were carefully curated to provide the MDERS stakeholder community with information and tools that will aid them in their ability to respond to emerging and evolving threats. MDERS would like to sincerely thank all speakers for their participation, Howard University for broadcasting the event, and the MDERS staff who were involved in the planning and execution of this year’s program. MDERS’s next symposium will be held in the spring of 2024.

The Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) accepted the 2023 Response Project of the Year Award for the small unmanned aircraft system (sUAS) program on behalf of the Montgomery County Police Department (MCPD), Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS), and Montgomery County Office of Emergency Management and Homeland Security (OEMHS). This award was received at the Maryland Emergency Management Association (MDEMA) Symposium recognizing the effective deployment of the sUAS capability to enhance rescue operations.

Over the past four years, MCPD, MCFRS, and OEMHS have partnered with MDERS to develop, utilize, and expand their sUAS capabilities. By focusing on improving information gathering and situational awareness, MDERS and Montgomery County public safety agencies collaborated to establish a systematic framework that provided the planning, training, and equipment imperative to bolstering emergency response procedures. The capabilities of sUAS aid in capturing essential information and maintaining shared situational awareness among public safety agencies to formulate appropriate response measures in evolving environments.

As an illustration, the explosion and fire occurring at the Friendly Garden Apartments on Lyttonsville Road in Silver Spring, MD, exhibits the value of sUAS capabilities in emergency response operations. MCPD and MCFRS utilized their sUAS platforms to identify structural damages, locate victims, and determine critical locations within the apartment complex. Implementing sUAS capabilities minimized the risk of injury to first responders upon entering the collapsed structure to engage in fire suppression activities. MCPD, in collaboration with MCFRS, shared a live-stream view of the incident scene that strengthened their ability to devise rescue strategies, conduct a damage assessment, and investigate the cause of the fire.

Members of MDEMA recognized that the sUAS capability enhanced the overall response operations of Montgomery County public safety agencies by managing the detrimental effects of the Lyttonsville Road explosion and fire incident. Thus, the sUAS capability was awarded  MDEMA’s Response Project of the Year because of the advantages provided to public safety.

The following are remarks from all stakeholders involved in the success of the sUAS capability:

Senior Emergency Response Specialist Hannah Thomas, MDERS 

• “It was an honor to accept this award on behalf of the Montgomery County public safety agencies. I have enjoyed working with these agencies throughout the past two years on developing their sUAS programs. The Montgomery County public safety agencies’ work with their sUAS technology is inspiring. I was honored to accept this award on their behalf.”

Lieutenant Victor Galladora, MCPD

• “One big takeaway for me from this was how important the work group was leading up to this incident. Working together with Chief Hinkle (and Fire/Rescue in general) prior to the explosion was a major advantage. Knowing this was a major incident, we responded with the sUAS capability. Upon checking in with Chief Hinkle the day of the incident, he was already well aware of our capabilities, personnel and equipment. He immediately approved the sUAS operation, which I am not sure would have happened without the work group and prior coordination.”

Captain Shelley Wheeler, MCFRS

• “The biggest takeaway is the importance of collaboration and teamwork. Thanks to the relationship between MDERS, MCFRS, and MCPD, we gained an invaluable resource to help with planning the best way to approach a complicated situation in a manner that led to an efficient, effective response that involved multiple agencies working together.”

Mitchell Dinowitz, OEMHS

• “The use of the sUAS for the Lyttonsville building explosion was crucial to allow the command team to make real-time decisions and direct tactical resources. The use of streaming software, that was able to be purchased through the ERS mechanism, made the transmission of the situational awareness from the incident to the command post and other county public safety leaders that needed to view this information possible.  Since this incident, additional agencies (beyond police) have been able to acquire this streaming software to stream live incidents into the incident command posts, or the Emergency Operations Center. The collaboration of this workgroup and its partners has led to a close-knit team which can call upon each other’s resources and experiences with each respective sUAS project to help each agency move forward.”

MDERS is proud to work with Montgomery County public safety agencies to improve various response capabilities in the National-Capital Region (NCR). More importantly, MDERS looks forward to further expanding the sUAS capability in Montgomery County in preparation for future complex incidents.

The Montgomery County Fire and Rescue Service (MCFRS) and Prince George’s Fire Department (PGFD) participated in the Federal Emergency Management Agency (FEMA) Technical Search and Rescue class to enhance the life-saving skills of firefighters during a complex rescue event. The course provides practical knowledge of technical rescue techniques by incorporating advanced technology that helps locate, remove, and recover trapped victims. The Maryland-National Capital Region Emergency Response System (MDERS) supported MCFRS and PGFD personnel attending the technical search and rescue course to enhance firefighter safety, equipment deployment, and victim management.

The purpose of technical rescue serves to provide an immediate rescue process that deploys skilled firefighters and appropriate equipment to ensure an effective response operation. Technical rescue is the use of special knowledge, skills, and equipment to safely resolve complicated rescue situations (PGPD Special Operations, 2010). Technical rescue encompasses specialized subsets, including structural collapse rescue, rope rescue, confined space rescue, trench rescue, rope rescue, vehicle/machinery rescue, and water rescue.

In the National Capital Region (NCR), structural collapse incidents require specialized response efforts from firefighters to maintain public safety. MDERS provided an opportunity for 18 participants from MCFRS and PGFD to attend FEMA’s Technical Search and Rescue class to improve their abilities in the rescue process. The technical rescue class is designed to provide personnel with the expertise and abilities necessary to perform technical search functions (TEEX, 2023). This course provides an engaging learning experience for participants to approach any rescue situation safely. Beginning with an introduction to technical rescue and subsequent field exercises, the instructors discuss the necessary tools, equipment, and search operations to reinforce proper response techniques. Participants were introduced to the concepts of using the rescue equipment through real-world examples to perform exploration strategies.

More specifically, participants learned about the principles of technical rescue surrounding the different environments in which first responders may respond. Discussions consisting of technical search procedures and innovative rescue equipment allowed participants to recognize certain methods that help bolster the identification of trapped individuals. The instructors presented in-depth coverage of the collapsed building types, confined spaces, hazards, and personal protective equipment (PPE) that first responders must consider during a technical rescue event. Participants learned about operating listening devices, camera systems, and sensor technology to improve scene management.

During the field exercises, participants worked collaboratively to deploy search equipment within the parameters of a simulated structural collapse incident. Participants conducted a preliminary assessment of the collapsed structure to determine hazards, points of entry, exposures for collateral damage, and possible locations of victims. This information allowed participants to strategically position cameras and use life detection devices near trapped individuals to increase situational awareness. These technologies provided the ability to develop more informed and accurate decisions that make the response phase less labor intensive.

The Technical Search and Rescue class offers the practical knowledge that all NCR first responders continue to train on for future structural collapse events. As a part of our mission, MDERS places significant emphasis on providing joint training opportunities to first responders from Montgomery and Prince George’s Counties to mitigate public safety threats collectively. MDERS will continue supporting integrated training courses to ensure a higher quality of preparedness and response.