MULTI-AGENCY CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS FIRST RESPONDER TECHNOLOGIES

       PHILADELPHIA - The U.S. Department of Justice's (DOJ) Office of Justice Programs (OJP), in partnership with the Department of Homeland Security (DHS) and the Department of Defense (DOD), is holding its 11th Annual Technologies for Critical Incident Preparedness Conference and Exposition in Philadelphia, February 2 - 4, 2010. The National Institute of Justice (NIJ), OJP's research and development component, is leading the effort for DOJ.

       The purpose of this unique three-day conference is to inform the local, state, and tribal responder community of the Federal Government's technology development efforts on its behalf, and to garner their feedback on these efforts to improve them. The conference brings together key leaders and decision makers--offering responders, business and industry, academia, and federal, state, tribal and local stakeholders a unique forum to network, exchange ideas, and collaboratively address critical incident technology and preparedness needs and solutions.

       "The Federal Government understands that the local, state and tribal responders?including law enforcement responders?will bear the lion's share of the work in responding to critical incidents, whether they are man-made or natural disasters or terrorist attacks," said Laurie O. Robinson, Assistant Attorney General for OJP. "As this conference makes clear, the Federal agencies are working together to ensure that they have the tools they need to better protect the public and safeguard America."

       Representatives from NIJ will highlight the agency's research on topics such as responding to mass casualty incidents and evaluating personal location and tracking technologies. NIJ will showcase surveillance technologies being developed to remotely locate and track individuals inside buildings as well as protective technologies being modified from military applications for use in law enforcement.

       Additional information on the conference agenda and registration information is available at the conference website, http://www.tcipexpo.com.

       The Office of Justice Programs (OJP), headed by Assistant Attorney General Laurie O. Robinson, provides federal leadership in developing the nation's capacity to prevent and control crime, administer justice, and assist victims. OJP has seven components: the Bureau of Justice Assistance; the Bureau of Justice Statistics; the National Institute of Justice; the Office of Juvenile Justice and Delinquency Prevention; the Office for Victims of Crime; the Community Capacity Development Office; and the Office of Sex Offender Sentencing, Monitoring, Apprehending, Registering, and Tracking. More information can be found at https://ojp.gov.

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