The American National Standards Institute (ANSI) Homeland Defense and Security Standardization Collaborative (HDSCC) has released a meeting report highlighting updates from its recent Roundtable on InterAgency Board for Equipment Standardization and Interoperability (IAB) Standards Needs held on March 26 in Washington, DC. Representatives of federal agencies, standards developers, researchers, manufacturers, and other relevant stakeholders discussed standardization needs related to emergency response equipment and training and other issues associated with all-hazards incidents.
All-hazards incidents are situations that require an organized response by public, private, and/or governmental entities to protect public health, safety, and property and to minimize disruption of governmental, social, and economic services. They may be natural or human-caused, and include such emergencies as fire, flood, earthquake, hurricane, disease, mass casualties, riots, search and rescue, and evacuation.
Each year the IAB reviews recommendations it receives regarding potential emergency preparedness and response standards needs, and uses that information as a starting point in developing its annual list of standardization priorities. The HDSCC report outlines roundtable participants' discussions of the IAB priorities and identification of relevant standards, areas of need, and the status of domestic and international activities. Areas of focus include:
Robot operator evaluations
Personal protective equipment (PPE) for emergency medical services providers
Body armor and protective gloves for first responders and military personnel
Localization and tracking systems
Distraction devices and other less-lethal technologies for public safety practitioners
Respirator fit machines
For more information, please contact HDSSC director Michelle Deane ([email protected]). To learn more about HDSSC, visit www.ansi.org/hdssc.