public safety

How Drones May be a Big Help to First Responders in the Future

Federal News Network

February 18, 2025

A recent challenge sponsored by NIST tasked drone designers with creating a system to help first responders map indoor environments.

Now Open for Public Comment | Multi-Factor Authentication for Criminal Justice Information Systems

March 13, 2025

The NIST National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released released the initial public draft of NIST Internal Report (IR) 8523, Multi-Factor

NIST Genomic Data Cybersecurity and Privacy Publications | Comment Period Open

December 17, 2024

The public comment period for CSWP 35 has been extended through February 14, 2025.

PSCR Webinar: Privacy and Public Records: Perils and possible solutions of releasing public safety records

PSCR Webinar Privacy and Public Records Handout << Back to Webinar Series page

Advancing Indoor Safety for First Responders: UAS 4.0 Indoor Challenge

September 21, 2023

In Search and Rescue (SAR) operations involving indoor spaces, such as partially collapsed buildings, the safety of first responders is paramount. These indoor

Immersive HazMat Virtual Reality Training

August 8, 2023

Every emergency call received by a fire department could mean life or death. This reality is further amplified for firefighters who possess specialized

Highlights from the first 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit

July 13, 2023

We’d like to thank everyone who came to 5x5: The Public Safety Innovation Summit hosted by NIST PSCR and the First Responder Network Authority! The enthusiasm

A man wears a virtual reality headset in front of a large projection screen with red and green graphics.

NIST Announces Winners of the CommanDING Tech Challenge

April 3, 2023

GAITHERSBURG, Md. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has announced the winners of the final phase of the

America’s First Responders Give NIST Their Communications Tech Wish Lists

January 30, 2023

NIST’s nationwide survey aims to improve communications devices for fire, police, EMT and 911 crews.

TECH5

Innovation Award Winner Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $4,000 Phase 1: None (Phase 2 Walk-on Team) Phase 2: $4...

ENGR Dynamics

Innovation Award Winner Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $12,500 Phase 1: $8,500 Phase 2: $4,000 Innovation Award...

BlueBible

Innovation Award Winner Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $12,500 Phase 1: $8,500 Phase 2: $4,000 Innovation Award...

Slapshot, Integrated Biometrics, and Sciometrics logos

The Slapshot SDK Team

Third Place (Tied) Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $32,500 Phase 1: $8,500 Phase 2: Third Place (tied, $24,000)...

Telos

First Place (Tied) Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $115,750 Phase 1: $8,500 Phase 2: First Place (tied, $101,000)...

IDEMIA

1st Place (Tied) Total value of prizes received through the mFIT Challenge: $115,750 Phase 1: $8,500 Phase 2: First Place (tied, $101,000)...

Security Guidance for First Responder Mobile and Wearable Devices: NIST IR 8235

July 20, 2022

NIST Internal Report (IR) 8235, Security Guidance for First Responder Mobile and Wearable Devices, is now available. Public safety officials utilizing public

Two first responders stand at the open back of an emergency vehicle, looking at a computer screen, with firetrucks in the background.

NIST Prize Challenge Seeks Innovative Incident Command Dashboards for Public Safety

June 7, 2022

The competition is now accepting entries and will have multiple stages running through April 2023.

FirstNet Authority, NIST Launch Immersive Virtual Experience Center for Public Safety

May 9, 2022

Through this partnership, NIST’s Public Safety Communications Research (PSCR) Division and the FirstNet Authority plan to enable research and development

NIST Microbial Strain Collection

NIST established the NIST Microbial Strain Collection (NMSC) to advance microbial research and support standards development. The NMSC will accept deposits of

Creating a Shared Public Safety Radio Data Set for Research and Analysis

Texas A&M University In September 2021, Texas A&M University was awarded more than $900,000 for the Public Safety Innovation Accelerator...

Mobile Application Single Sign-On for First Responders: NIST SP 1800-13

August 25, 2021

The National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has finalized a new guide, NIST Special Publication (SP) 1800-13, Mobile Application Single Sign-On

Inside the Towers on 9/11: My Story of Investigating the WTC Evacuation

September 3, 2021

The kickoff meeting On Nov. 1, 2002, in a small conference room on the Gaithersburg, Maryland, campus of the National Institute of Standards and Technology

NIST Prize Challenge Launches Research for Unmanned Aircraft in Search and Rescue

July 7, 2021

BOULDER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a new prize competition to advance the use

Identity as a Service for Public Safety: Draft NISTIR 8335 Available for Comment

June 16, 2021

NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released a new draft report, NIST Interagency or Internal Report (NISTIR) 8335, Identity as a

Identity Federation for Public Safety: Draft NISTIR 8336 Available for Comment

June 9, 2021

NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released a new draft report, NIST Interagency or Internal Report ( NISTIR) 8336, Background on

Using Mobile Device Biometrics for Authenticating First Responders: Draft NISTIR 8334 Available for Comment

June 2, 2021

NIST's National Cybersecurity Center of Excellence (NCCoE) has released a new draft report, NIST Interagency or Internal Report ( NISTIR) 8334, Using Mobile

Illustration shows computer monitor linked to walkie talkie on one side and smartphone on the other.

Low-Cost NIST Demo Links Public Safety Radios to Broadband Wireless Network

April 12, 2021

Engineers at the National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) have built a low-cost computer system that connects older public safety radios with the

Pulse Accelerator

Announcing Round 4 - Flight! Applications open February 2024 and Round 4 begins April 2024. Visit thepulseaccelerator.com for more...

K9 Chemistry: A Safer Way to Train Detection Dogs

December 2, 2020

Trained dogs are incredible chemical sensors, far better at detecting explosives, narcotics and other substances than even the most advanced technological

NIST Crowdsourcing Challenge to De-Identify Public Safety Data Sets

October 1, 2020

BOULDER, Colo. — The U.S. Department of Commerce’s National Institute of Standards and Technology (NIST) has launched a crowdsourcing challenge to spur new