Department of Homeland Security (DHS) Secretary Janet Napolitano has officially launched Virtual USA, an innovative information-sharing initiative – developed in collaboration with the emergency response community and state and local governments across the nation – that helps federal, state, local and tribal first responders communicate during emergencies.

Virtual USA links disparate tools and technologies in order to share the location and status of critical assets and information – such as power and water lines, flood detectors, helicopter-capable landing sites, emergency vehicle and ambulance locations, weather and traffic conditions, evacuation routes, and school and government building floor plans – across federal, state, local and tribal governments. Virtual USA:

• Integrates Existing Frameworks and Investments: Virtual USA utilizes current information-sharing platforms to permit new and existing technologies to seamlessly exchange information with one another.
• Draws on Local Input: Virtual USA is based on the needs of local and state first responders to manage data access within their own jurisdictions and to share information with relevant jurisdictions across the nation.
• Employs a Comprehensive Approach: Virtual USA is not limited to information exchanges between two agencies; instead, the initiative fosters dynamic information sharing among all federal, state, local and tribal practitioners.
• Provides a Flexible, Accessible Platform: Because Virtual USA uses open data standards and open source software, more states and localities can join this information exchange project.
• Involves Everyone: Virtual USA allows Americans in their own communities to contribute information-in real-time-to support the efforts of police, fire and emergency management officials during disasters and recovery efforts.

Developed by the DHS Science and Technology Directorate (S&T), Virtual USA currently operates as a pilot in eight states – Alabama, Georgia, Florida, Louisiana, Mississippi, Texas, Virginia and Tennessee – with plans to incorporate additional states underway. In Virginia alone, Virtual USA has reduced response times to incidents involving hazardous materials by 70 percent.

For more information, visit www.dhs.gov.

__________________________________________________________________

Excerpts from DHS Dec. 9 press release

If you appreciated this article and want to receive more valuable industry content like this, click here to sign up for our FREE digital newsletters!

Related Content