DHS transfers emergency-response tech
The Next-Generation Incident Command System is a mobile, web-based system designed to speed collaboration and enhance situational awareness.
A screen from the Next-Generation Incident Command System interface, which can be access from a range of mobile devices.
The Department of Homeland Security's tech directorate has begun transferring a web-based, app-driven emergency response system to a nonprofit center that will disseminate it more widely among emergency responders.
The DHS Science and Technology Directorate said it was in the process of transitioning its Next-Generation Incident Command System (NICS), developed in conjunction with the Massachusetts Institute of Technology, to the Worldwide Incident Command Services Corporation. WICS is a California-based nonprofit that provides technical and operational support to the NICS user community.
NICS is a mobile, web-based system designed to speed collaboration and enhance situational awareness across response agencies, government and the private sector during emergencies. The system can be accessed and controlled from a computer, smart phone, or tablet using a web browser and typical Internet connectivity. It does not require software installation by first responders to get basic functionality. Mobile users can access an enhanced Android-based version, with an iOS version scheduled for beta release this summer, according to S&T.
During an incident, NICS provides an information backbone that manages and distributes data, including real-time vehicle location feeds, weather, critical infrastructure and terrain information. NICS also offers graphical tools, including geo-referenced virtual whiteboards, for interagency collaboration that facilitates a coordinated response.
NICS has about 3,300 registered users from 570 organizations in 40 states and five foreign countries, according to S&T, and has been used in more than 330 emergencies and at numerous large events.