Neel Mehta
The Department of Homeland Security has awarded the 2016 Under Secretary’s Award to a team from the Johns Hopkins University Applied Physics Laboratory’s asymmetric operations sector in recognition of its work on the datacasting program for first responders.
John Contestabile, program lead at Johns Hopkins APL’s homeland protection mission area, accepted the award from DHS’ science and technology directorate, APL said Thursday.
SpectraRep also received the award from DHS for its collaboration with APL and technical support to the initiative.
The datacasting program works to help first responders coordinate relief efforts through the use of software and public television broadcast platforms to facilitate data and video delivery.
Contestabile also collaborated with HPMA team members Steve Babin and Dan Syed on the program.
APL tested the datacasting initiative with police and fire organizations through pilot programs in Washington, Houston and Chicago in 2015.
