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PUBLICATIONS

Public Safety Communications Research, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Program Challenge Overview

Published

Author(s)

Don Harriss, Terese Manley, Stephanie Layman

Abstract

The Middle-Class Tax Relief and Job Creation Act created the Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) to investigate interoperability for public safety by improving wireless and broadband communications for first responders. The Public Safety Trust Fund (PSTF) established from this legislation and subsequent congressional funds enabled PSCR to conduct research through prize challenges to explore the potential of technology and the impact of Uncrewed Aircraft Systems (UAS) on public safety operations. Prize challenges help bring together industry leaders and experts to solve technology problems for first responders. Challenges have focused on performance, endurance, and technology-specific use case scenarios with requirements specific to first responder needs. This report provides a general overview of the PSCR UAS Portfolio, the history of PSCR UAS prize challenges, and the UAS prize challenge structure.
Citation
Technical Note (NIST TN) - 2295
Report Number
2295
NIST Pub Series
Technical Note (NIST TN)
Pub Type
NIST Pubs

Download Paper

https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2295
Local Download

Keywords

First responders, public safety, uncrewed aircraft systems (UAS), uncrewed aerial vehicle (UAV), drones, public safety communications, wireless communications, broadband, search and rescue (SAR), prize challenge, open innovation
Response robots, Public safety communications research and Public safety

Citation

Harriss, D. , Manley, T. and Layman, S. (2024), Public Safety Communications Research, Uncrewed Aircraft Systems Program Challenge Overview, Technical Note (NIST TN), National Institute of Standards and Technology, Gaithersburg, MD, [online], https://doi.org/10.6028/NIST.TN.2295, https://tsapps.nist.gov/publication/get_pdf.cfm?pub_id=958138 (Accessed October 10, 2025)

Issues

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Created July 22, 2024
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